More than half of the track on the MBTA's Green Line Extension requires re-working, the head of the MBTA said Thursday, a problem that some at the T were apparently aware of as early as spring 2021.
The most recent scans of the track "indicate that 50% of the Union branch requires re-gauging and 80%, plus or minus, requires re-gauging on Medford Tufts," MBTA GM Phil Eng said at a news conference.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
He noted that, despite the need for re-gauging, which involves bringing track back to the standard width of 56 1/2 inches apart, the train remains safe for riders, including trains going full-speed, thanks to recent repairs.
Narrow tracks have been a consistent problem on the train line into Somerville and Medford, which only opened last year after a $2.3 billion investment.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Gov. Maura Healey shared a statement on the issue as well: “I share the public’s frustration and disappointment at the revelation that senior MBTA officials under the previous administration knew about issues with the Green Line Extension tracks years ago and did not disclose them to our administration or address them on their watch. The people of Massachusetts deserve better. I applaud GM Eng for uncovering this and taking swift action to hold people accountable and demand a work plan from the contractor to fix the narrow gauges on their own dime. The MBTA is committed to fixing this and delivering the service that riders deserve.”
Eng said that while the issue remains under investigation, "the the amount of the track that requires re-gauging leads me to believe this is tied to the fabrication of the ties sand the pre-installed plates."
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Eng only learned the extent of the problems recently, he said, though scans identified sections that were too narrow as far back as April 2021 and his predecessors should have been more "proactive." A spokesperson for the agency confirmed that two people with senior roles on the project are no longer with the T.
"The goal is to make sure now that we're aware of this situation, that they're addressed timely, that they're addressed properly, so these situations don't continue to repeat," Eng said.
It's not yet clear how much it will cost to fix the problem. Eng said the construction firm responsible for the project has submitted a plan to repair the issues, and said it is "not something that the public should be paying for."
The Union Branch opened in March 2022, followed by the Medford Branch in December 2022, and the MBTA's project website, as of Thursday, listed work as complete.
But problems persisted. Last month, 14 new slow zones were put in place on the Green Line Extension over track width problems, including some where trains couldn't go faster than 3 mph, The Boston Globe reported. At the same time, the Union branch was suspended for work on the Route 28 Squires Bridge.
The State House News Service contributed to this report.
