Green Line D Track and Signal Replacement
As part of the Green Line Transformation (GLT), we will replace 25,000 feet of track and 6.5 miles of signals on the Green Line between Beaconsfield and Riverside on the D Branch.
Recent Updates
Building a Better T
As part of our $8 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.
- Contract awarded: June 2018
- Projected completion: Fall 2021
- Budget: $101,600,453
- Status: 98% complete
As part of the Green Line Transformation (GLT), this project meets the following goals:
- Service delivery: Speed restrictions lifted on some sections of the Green Line for faster service
- Safety and resiliency: New tracks and signals mitigate risk of service interruptions due to track conditions and reduce time and money needed for maintenance
To do this work, we need to shut down service on most weeknights and weekends. Shuttles will replace train service, in coordination with the Brookline High School Expansion Project and other D Branch work.
Why We're Doing This Work
The D Line used to be a Commuter Rail route, and when it was converted to light rail in the 1950s, we installed much of the signal infrastructure that’s still in use today. Those signals, though they are still helping us run trains safely today, are not as efficient as modern signal systems. When they indicate a problem, a crew member has to go out to the tracks to diagnose and fix the problem. This can cause long, frustrating delays in service.
We’ll replace them with a more centralized, digital system that’s easier to maintain and monitor. When there is a problem, our team will be able to more quickly and easily diagnose and fix it.
Railroad tracks can last many decades. To ensure your safety, engineers regularly measure the wear and tear on all the tracks in our system—that includes checking the rails, railroad ties, and gravel between the rails that helps with support and drainage (this is called ballast).
The tracks between Beaconsfield and Riverside are still safe for daily use, but our engineers have decided it’s time for all new tracks, ties, and ballast. Because this is such a big part of the Green Line, work is broken up into sections—we can do it overnight and on weekends when fewer people ride the Green Line, but it will take us about 30 months to complete it.
When the new tracks are installed, you’ll notice that the Green Line can travel faster. New tracks will allow us to lift speed restrictions on particularly outdated sections of the route.
Related Projects
This project is one of many we're working on to ensure twice as many passengers have access to a safer, more comfortable, and more reliable Green Line by 2030.
What You Can Expect During This Work
From west to east, work includes:
- Riverside: Track and signals
- Woodland: Signals
- Waban: Track and signals
- Eliot: Signals
- Newton Highlands: Track and signals
- Newton Centre: Track and signals
- Chestnut Hill: Track and signals
- Reservoir: Track and signals
- Beaconsfield: Track
Work Locations
What to Expect if You Live in the Neighborhood
The track work occurring at these locations includes replacing rail, railroad ties, and stone ballast. The noisiest work will occur when crews cut the rails with a saw or torch and tamp the track to the proper elevation.
Photo Gallery
A crew uses a lift to work on signal cables near Chestnut Hill (November 2019)
Two crewmen work on repairing a signal near Reservoir (November 2019)
A crewman unwinds signal cable from a large spool, getting ready to replace the signal cables near Chestnut Hill (November 2019)
A crew installs new signal cables near Chestnut Hill (October 2019)
Overnight work to remove rail and ties at Beaconsfield (March 2019)
Overnight work to replace ballast at Beaconsfield (March 2019)
Removing ties along the tracks of the Green Line D branch (November 2018)
Crews excavating old ties and ballast on the D Branch (November 2018)
Placing new railroad ties along the D Branch (November 2018)
Spreading new ballast at Beaconsfield (November 2018)
Past Events
Contact Us
For all queries and comments related to Green Line D track and signal replacement, please contact GLT@mbta.com.
To report a noise complaint or issue, call the 24/7 noise hotline at 508-676-3550.
For More Information
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Recent Updates
Building a Better T
As part of our $8 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.
Related Projects
This project is one of many we're working on to ensure twice as many passengers have access to a safer, more comfortable, and more reliable Green Line by 2030.