MBTA Successfully Completes its Ambitious Track Improvement Program

Today, Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng joined MBTA workers and riders at North Station in celebrating the completion of the T’s Track Improvement Program and the removal of slow zones for the first time in 20 years. Since 2023, the MBTA removed more than 220 speed restrictions and replaced 250,000 feet of rail across the system, saving riders 2.4 million minutes every weekday and generating nearly $1 million in economic benefit every day.

“This is an awesome milestone. We knew when we first took office that it was essential that we improve safety and reliability on the T. So, we got General Manager Eng and his team into place, and they developed and executed on their strategy with our strong support. And as a result, riders are getting more time back in their days and our entire economy is seeing the benefits,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I want to extend my deep gratitude to the T workers who made all of this work possible, as well as to the T riders who endured years of unreliable service and shutdowns. We thank you for your patience during this time and for your continued commitment to public transportation in Massachusetts. We know there is still work to be done. We’re going to continue to invest in the T, and Phil and the team are going to continue working every day to deliver the world-class service that Massachusetts deserves.”

“Each of these 2.4 million minutes saved is time back to the people of Massachusetts to spend more time with their families, pick the kids up from school, make a doctors’ appointment that they’ve been putting off for too long, or make a stop in a local small business,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re so proud of the work that Phil and his team have accomplished with the support of T riders, and we’re committed to ensuring they continue to have the resources they need to deliver even more of this progress.”

“The completion of the Track Improvement Program is an outstanding accomplishment toward furthering the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to providing safe, reliable, equitable, and accessible public transportation for all riders,” said Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “General Manager Eng, our project delivery teams, and the crews on the front lines all deserve tremendous credit for their part in this momentous work. We have appreciated the strategic management by MBTA officials for these projects and have been grateful to riders for their patience while this critical work was underway.” 

“This has been a true team effort, and I want to thank everyone—from planning and construction to those maintaining our system and communicating with the public. All MBTA employees played a vital role in moving us one step closer to a state of good repair," said MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “Thank you to our workforce for their diligence, and to our riders for their patience throughout the process. I also want to acknowledge Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for their leadership and support of our workforce. Our goal is to continue the positive momentum by focusing on accessibility and signal upgrades in 2025, as well as staying on top of preventative maintenance to ensure the T delivers safe, reliable and frequent service to best serve the public today as we build for future generations.”

Read the full release.

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