The MBTA said some of the tracks built for the new Green Line extension are too narrow and will have to be redone. Now leaders want to know how this happened.
It may be new, but the problems plaguing the MBTA's Green Line Extension are very old for long-time T riders.
The agency announced Thursday new problems for the already troublesome section of the line. More than half of the tracks need to be widened because they’re too narrow.
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According to MBTA, it will take crews weeks to fix the issue but exactly when that work will be done is still to be determined.
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MBTA leaders said the train remains safe for riders, including when it's going full speed because of recent repairs.
A recent review revealed the MBTA knew two years ago that 50% of the Union Branch requires re-gauging and 80%, plus or minus, requires re-gauging on Medford/Tufts — but the company was under the previous administration.
MBTA GM Phil Eng said he only learned the extent of the problems recently and said his predecessors should have been more "proactive."
"First of all, why are they just finding this out now?" asked April, a rider who's worried about what this means for their commute. "I mean, it sounds like it's going to shutdown again."
Eng said he has been in touch with the company who did the work originally and they plan to address the issues, but the T is still reviewing that proposal.
While it's clear at this time how much it will cost to fix the problem, Eng said that the public will not be paying for it.
