Thursday, 4:30 PM
Greenbush line marks a milestone
By Mac Daniel, Globe Staff
BRAINTREE -- MBTA and state officials drove ceremonial golden spikes this morning to mark the completion of construction on the T's 13th line, the much-debated Greenbush commuter rail line.
Bernard Cohen, the state transportation secretary; Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray did the honors. Two T trains met at the piece of track.
Now, the T will start testing trains and training crews. When the trains start running by summer, the 18-mile line will carry about 8,400 riders a day, helping ease traffic on Route 3 and the Southeast Expressway.
Some residents in Hingham and other South Shore communities opposed the project. The T is spending an estimated $18 million on changes designed to mollify opponents. The final price tag is projected at about $508 million.
