Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program

Related Service Alerts

service changes

details

Service Change Ongoing

Buses replace train service between Reading & Oak Grove through November 5th. Trains will make regular stops between Haverhill & Ballardvale, will stop at Anderson/Woburn on the Lowell Line & operate express to N. Station.

A bus shuttle provides service between Reading and Anderson/Woburn for connection with Lowell Line and Haverhill Line trains.
There is no train or bus service at North Wilmington Station during the diversion. Passengers may consider boarding Lowell Line trains at Wilmington (1.9 mi away).
At Oak Grove and Malden Center, passengers can make a connection with the Orange Line.
The current diversion schedule will be in effect through October 1st. On October 2nd, a new diversion will be in effect through November 5th due to the Fall/Winter Commuter Rail service update.
Buses are accessible but bikes will not be allowed on board
Please also consider MBTA Bus #137 for service between Reading and Oak Grove/Malden Center or MBTA Bus #131 for service between Melrose Highlands and Oak Grove/Malden Center.
This diversion will allow for ATC implementation work as part of the Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program.

Bus Pickup/Drop Off Locations:

• Reading:
At the MBTA Bus #137 bus stop on Lincoln Street

• Wakefield:
The bus will stop at the MBTA Bus #137 regular stop on North Ave (on the station side for inbound service, across the street for outbound service).

• Greenwood:
The bus will stop at the MBTA Bus #137 regular stop on Main Street (on the station side for inbound service, across the street for outbound service).

• Melrose Highlands:
The bus will stop on Franklin Street in front of Marvin Road for inbound service (opposite of station side) and between Belmont Street and Greenwood Street for outbound service (station side)

• Melrose/Cedar Park:
The bus will stop on Essex Street, on each side of Tremont Street. North of Tremont Street but on the station side for inbound service. On the south of Tremont Street but on the opposite side of the station (facing the parking lot) for outbound service.

• Wyoming Hill:
The bus will stop at the MBTA Bus #137 regular stop at the crossing of Main Street and West Wyoming Avenue (on the station side for inbound service, across the street for outbound service).

• Oak Grove:
On Oak Grove East Busway for pick up and drop off

• Anderson/Woburn:
On the busway near the station main entrance
Updated: 9/21/2023 5:41 PM
Delay up to 20 minutes

On weekdays, Monday Aug 7 through September, 8 am through 4 pm, Fitchburg Line passengers may experience delays up to 20 minutes in both directions due to fiber optic implementation work as part of the Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program.

Affected direction:
Inbound

Affected trips:
406 (7:25 am from Wachusett)
408 (8:25 am from Wachusett)
410 (9:25 am from Wachusett)
412 (10:25 am from Wachusett)
414 (11:25 am from Wachusett)
416 (1:01 pm from Littleton/Route 495)
418 (1:25 pm from Wachusett)
420 (3:01 pm from Littleton/Route 495)
Updated: 9/12/2023 7:56 AM

Positive Train Control (PTC) Automatic Train Control (ATC)

The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires every railroad across the country to have Positive Train Control (PTC).

As of August 2020, we completed Phase I of the Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program. The MBTA PTC safety system is now active on all MBTA Commuter Rail lines. Phase II, which includes implementing Automatic Train Control (ATC), and Phase III are now underway.

Building a Better T

As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.

Learn more

Project Overview and Service Impacts

Download the upcoming Haverhill Line service impacts presentation

Download the Haverhill Line Outage FAQ document

In Progress

Phase II: Automatic Train Control (ATC) (2020 – 2024)

Phase II includes implementation of Commuter Rail Automatic Train Control (ATC) as part of the MBTA PTC System.

Phase II for Commuter Rail Lines out of South Station: Successfully completed on time in 2020
Phase II for Commuter Rail Lines out of North Station: Currently underway

What is ATC and what are the benefits?

Automatic Train Control (ATC) sends signal indications to the train cab in addition to using physical signal lights alongside the tracks. These signals are part of the MBTA Positive Train Control (PTC) System that alert the engineer of potentially unsafe conditions.

If the crew does not respond to an alert, the system will automatically slow or stop the train.

ATC is an upgrade to the existing signal system and is required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as part of the PTC System implementation.

If the crew does not respond to an alert, the system will automatically slow or stop the train.

ATC is an upgrade to the existing signal system and is required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as part of the PTC System implementation.

Why and where is ATC being installed?

The MBTA Positive Train Control (PTC) System requires Automatic Train Control (ATC) to achieve the greatest level of safety and is required by federal regulation.

ATC is in operation as part of the signal system on all south side lines and the Lowell and Fitchburg lines on the north side.

Installation and testing are underway on the Newburyport/Rockport and Haverhill lines, scheduled for completion by 2024.

The MBTA Positive Train Control (PTC) System requires Automatic Train Control (ATC) to achieve the greatest level of safety and is required by federal regulation.

ATC is in operation as part of the signal system on all south side lines and the Lowell and Fitchburg lines on the north side.

Installation and testing are underway on the Newburyport/Rockport and Haverhill lines, scheduled for completion by 2024.

Automatic Train Control Implementation Progress

ATC implementation map showing progress as of May 2023

Lowell Line

ATC is complete and active on the Lowell Line.

Fitchburg Line

ATC is complete and active on the line between Boston and Fitchburg.

Work between Fitchburg and Wachusett will be completed at a later date.

ATC is complete and active on the line between Boston and Fitchburg.

Work between Fitchburg and Wachusett will be completed at a later date.

Newburyport/Rockport Line

ATC is complete and active on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

Haverhill Line

ATC implementation on the Haverhill Line is underway.

South Side Commuter Rail

ATC is complete and active on all Commuter Rail Lines out of South Station.

Phase II Photo Gallery

Crews install a new ATC signal house on the Newburyport Line (July 2022)

Crews install stabilization piles for a new ATC signal house foundation at Wonderland — Crews install a new ATC signal house on the Newburyport Line (July 2022)

Recorded Project Update

Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program Update (Summer 2022)

Phase III: Fiber Optic Resiliency (FOR) (2022 – 2025)

This project will create a buried, fiber optic cable network for signals, communications, and PTC systems between or alongside Commuter Rail tracks where aerial systems exist today.

What are the benefits of FOR?

The FOR project is responsible for planning, designing, installing, and testing a buried fiber optic cable network that will provide resilient infrastructure to support MBTA PTC vital systems operating on weather-exposed aerial infrastructure.

What is the scope of the project?

The current scope includes the design and installation of a buried fiber optic cable network between or alongside Commuter Rail tracks along the Fitchburg and Lowell lines.

Fiber Optic Resiliency Project Progress

Fitchburg Line

FOR construction will begin in August 2023.

Lowell Line

FOR construction is anticipated to begin in January 2024.

Phase III Photo Gallery

Complete

Phase I: Positive Train Control (PTC) (2017 – 2020)

The MBTA PTC system implements the Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES), a proven system used by all systems on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor which runs through eight states from Washington DC up to Boston.

What are the benefits of PTC?

Positive Train Control (PTC) is a train monitoring system that alerts the engineer when it detects the possibility of either a train-to-train collision or a train that's moving too fast along the line or through a work zone.

The MBTA's PTC system is also designed to prevent unexpected movement of trains through "open switches." The safety technology monitors a train’s location, direction, and speed in real time.

If the crew does not respond to an alert, PTC will take over and automatically stop the train.

The MBTA's PTC system is also designed to prevent unexpected movement of trains through "open switches." The safety technology monitors a train’s location, direction, and speed in real time.

If the crew does not respond to an alert, PTC will take over and automatically stop the train.

How does PTC work?

The PTC safety system works through:

Signals and transponders along the rail corridor that transmit data to the train
Onboard controls that can regulate a train’s speed
Communications throughout the Commuter Rail network

The PTC safety system works through:

Signals and transponders along the rail corridor that transmit data to the train
Onboard controls that can regulate a train’s speed
Communications throughout the Commuter Rail network

PTC on the MBTA Commuter Rail System

The MBTA is in full compliance FRA PTC regulations, completing the PTC System prior to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) deadline of December 31, 2020.

PTC is in operation on all of the MBTA’s Commuter Rail lines (394 of 394 route miles)—we placed the last segment in service on August 15, 2020.
PTC equipment is installed and fully operational on all MBTA Commuter Rail revenue vehicles.
We completed interoperability testing with tenant railroads (Amtrak, CSX, and Pan Am).

Phase I Timeline

2017/2018 — Installation Phase Completed

PTC hardware and software components were installed around the commuter rail system and on each locomotive and control car. (A control car is a non-powered train coach that can control operation from the end of the train opposite the locomotive.)

After key milestones in the installation process were met in 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted the MBTA an extension until December 2020 for full deployment. To get an extension from the FRA, major work was required to be completed. It included:

The installation of wayside equipment across the entire network
Installation of computer equipment on board all locomotives and control cars
Field qualification testing on the Stoughton Pilot Line
PTC training of railroad personnel

The installation of wayside equipment across the entire network
Installation of computer equipment on board all locomotives and control cars
Field qualification testing on the Stoughton Pilot Line
PTC training of railroad personnel

2019/2020 — Calibration Phase Completed

Commuter Rail trains operate with PTC technology. PTC performance was monitored and adjusted accordingly, and quality testing ensured reliable safety monitoring will be delivered across the Commuter Rail system over long stretches of time and in all types of weather.

In addition, older signaling systems were upgraded to make them compatible with PTC. The upgrade has an added benefit: it makes them more reliable and much less likely to cause service delays.

December 2020 — Operational Phase Completed

As of December 2020, the MBTA Commuter Rail system, Amtrak, and freight railroads across the state are protected by PTC.

Learn about the national PTC effort