Massachusetts: MBTA Orange Line Reaches 55 MPH Between Boston and Somerville, Weekday Service Up 76% From Winter 2023
The Orange Line in Boston, Massachusetts, is running faster again. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced on October 18 that Orange Line trains can now operate at 55 mph in both directions between Assembly Station in Somerville and North Station in Boston, the first time trains have reached that speed on the stretch.
The MBTA credited track work under its 2023-2024 Track Improvement Program and more recent infrastructure work, which eliminated slow zones along the line. The change extends an August 2025 speed increase between Oak Grove and Assembly, meaning the full 5.4-mile segment from North Station to Oak Grove now allows 55 mph, up from a 40 mph limit that had been in place for at least 20 years. According to Streetsblog Massachusetts, the tracks were originally designed for 55 mph when the Haymarket North Extension was built in the 1970s, before aging infrastructure forced lower speeds; data compiled by TransitMatters shows the average Oak Grove-to-North Station trip is now more than a minute faster.
Governor Maura Healey said her administration had committed to fixing the T and delivering the faster, safer and more reliable service riders deserve. Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Eng said the Orange Line now provides 76% more service each weekday than in winter 2023, with shorter trip times for riders. The MBTA said major work will continue in November across the Green, Red and Blue lines and the commuter rail system. (GSM, based on the MBTA announcement and reporting by Boston Newsroom and Streetsblog Massachusetts)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图为波士顿（Boston）North Station 与 TD Garden 一带实景，橙线提速路段的南端。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0，作者 4300streetcar
