THE LAST THING the debt-burdened Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority needs is a $91.5 million repair job on the crumbling concrete ties on its Old Colony lines south of Boston. But thanks to the failure of a Colorado company to make ties that can last 15 years, much less than the 50 promised, this is precisely the headache the agency faces. While the MBTA endeavors to replace the ties with the least disruption to riders, it is more than justified in its decision to sue Rocla Concrete Tie Inc. for reimbursement.
The cost of the repair job is bad enough. The MBTA also must deal with disgruntled commuters facing frequent delays on the Middleborough/Lakeville and Plymouth/Kingston lines. During repairs, which will begin in August, trains will run on the lines only during rush hours. Buses will take over during off-peak hours, and there will be no service at all on weekends.
The MBTA installed the steel-reinforced ties in 1997, hoping they would last longer than the 25-30 years of the wood ties they replaced. But ties started deteriorating in 2007, short of the 15 years of their warranty and much less than the 50 years touted by Rocla. Because they provide a smoother ride, concrete ties are better for high-speed trains. The Old Colony lines are not high-speed, however, and the MBTA plans to revert to wood ties for the 61 miles of track. A third option is ties made of engineered plastic waste.
Amtrak and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority have also had problems with Rocla concrete ties. Possible explanations for the failed ties are that they have not contained enough steel reinforcing and that their concrete mix is not up to the freeze-thaw cycles of Northeastern rail beds. Whatever the case, MBTA officials are right to steal a page from President Obama, who has promised to make
Private companies that are responsible for huge and costly public problems should expect to pick up the bill.
