MBTA Reports Necessary Work Done Early On Commuter Rail Line

Needham Line PTC installation to finish one month early on October 21

BOSTON — With construction crews making good progress, the MBTA announced today that the installation of federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) infrastructure along the Needham Commuter Rail Line will finish on Saturday, October 21, about one month earlier than scheduled. Regular Saturday Needham Line train schedules will resume on October 28.

PTC is a federally mandated safety control system that automatically reduces train speeds when needed, reducing train collisions and preventing human error. In order to meet the federal deadline set to accomplish PTC installation, the entire MBTA Commuter Rail Line needs to be closed on specific weekends for crews to work as efficiently as possible.

MBTA Commuter Rail Lines with PTC planned bulk installation work already completed are the Newburyport/Rockport and Lowell Lines.

PTC work continues on weekends on the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line, having begun on Saturday, September 23, and scheduled through Saturday, December 2. Learn more about shuttle buses operating between Haverhill and Oak Grove Station during this time.

For more information on federally mandated PTC installation, visit Commuter Rail Construction.