The Orange Line and Green Line Extension will reopen Monday following the longest service closure on a rail line, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced this weekend.
The MBTA completed five years of improvements within the 30-day closure, Baker said during a press conference Sunday. During that time, the agency replaced 14,000 feet of rail and nearly 3,500 feet of track, making repairs to Orange Line stations and eliminating six slow zones.
The Green Line has replaced 35,000 feet of rail over the course of years, Baker shared, suggesting the improvements were done with faster speed.
"We look forward to seeing a better experience for riders," the governor added.
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According to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, the lines will still enforce slow zones in some areas until the safety team approves it to be lifted.
The agency operated test trains on the Orange Line on Saturday ahead of the rail line's scheduled reopening.
Approximately 72 new Orange Line cars will be available during peak commuting hours, Poftak added. Regular fares will also resume Monday among the lines.
"I want to thank the Orange Line riders for their patience," said Poftak. "But I want to welcome them back to a safer, more efficient Orange Line."
Commuters are anxious to see what the upgrades and repairs will look like come Monday, as the commute for tens of thousands of T riders gets back on track.
“Hopefully a new beginning,” one man told NBC10 Boston.
“I’m really thankful for the Orange Line coming back, and I really hope that it’s like upgraded, too. There should be TVs on the train at this point,” rider Crystal Rosa said jokingly.
Since the shutdown began, staff and customers at the Dogwood, across the street from the Forest Hills station in Jamaica Plain, have been using the free shuttle buses to get to work.
“I’m excited for my commute to be 20 minutes instead of 45,” Rosa added. “I’m ecstatic about it. Are you kidding me? Life has been trash!”
“Traffic‘s horrible. Can’t get through,” another man said.
Riders are cautiously optimistic before getting back onboard that they'll be able to avoid pre-shutdown problems like a train catching fire on a Somerville bridge and a rider jumping into the Mystic River below.
“Let’s see how it works," Rosa said. "I hope everything is upgraded and up-to-date, so that we don’t have to do this again.”
The MBTA is now planning for three 9-day closures on the Green D Line, as well as another shorter closure on the Red Line to Braintree.
The Orange Line's historic shutdown by the MBTA began Aug. 19, and in its place, shuttles have been traversing through Boston and other suburbs typically serviced by the transit line. Crews have been working around the clock to complete five years' worth of track and signal replacement, along with maintenance and other projects during the 30-day period.
In a video update posted Friday, the MBTA said it had 96% of the planned work complete and was also able to take advantage of the service stoppage to do some "opportunity" projects.
There will be other improvements as well, including upgraded lighting at stations and quicker trips thanks to upgraded rails and signaling systems.
"The one challenge is that even though there'll be new trains, even though the tracks will be updated and we will see a lot of benefit on that front, staffing levels are still low and it will take time for staff to be trained up," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
The shutdown has certainly caused some headaches for commuters and residents. Some people even reported that their commutes into work have doubled in the train service's absence.
But some regular riders say they'll miss the comfort of the large shuttle buses.
"It's not as fast as the train, but I like it," one woman said. "The driver is so pleasant, she gave us beautiful music and talks to us on the way. I enjoyed it."
Many initially worried about the impact of the historic shutdown and the use of shuttles. Those fears largely didn't seem to materialize.
"Since they shut the Orange Line, we don't have no problem going to our destination," another rider said.
The work was part of the MBTA’s response to a safety Federal Transit Administration review following several problems and accidents that have led to injuries, and in one case, the death of a rider. The FTA released a scathing 90-page report two weeks ago that said the MBTA has for years prioritized capital projects over safety and maintenance.
