Hot tracks slow commute on the rail
Regulars on the Framingham-Worcester commuter line have it rougher than almost anyone who depends on the rails to get to work in Massachusetts. They have suffered a history of delays and, more recently, were subject to changed schedules built around chronically slow service.
Add this to their lament: hot tracks, the scourge of summer traveling.
Earlier this month, when regional temperatures hit the 90s, Framingham-Worcester passengers were stuck with four days of speed restrictions that did not affect other commuter lines. Those slowdowns added 20 minutes to a commute to Worcester that routinely takes more than 1 1/2 hours.
When the tracks get hot, the rails can expand, risking derailment in a worst-case scenario. Each rail company has its own way of dealing with this potential problem, dependent in part on the type of tracks used.
Framingham-Worcester is the only line in the commuter rail system dispatched by CSX Transportation, and is subject to the freight company's rules, according to Rich Davey, deputy general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co., which runs the MBTA's commuter rail lines under contract.
If the heat index swings by more than 40 degrees in a day, or if there are a few scorching days in a row, CSX issues a heat order, lowering the maximum speed from 60 to 40 miles per hour on tracks around the country, said Bob Sullivan, a CSX spokesman.
Why don't these restrictions affect the other lines in the commuter system? The MBTA owns those tracks and sets its own rules, which do not require automatic speed restrictions.
On those lines, Davey said, CSX sends out heat patrols, looking for imperfections in the track to avoid the need to slow trains down.
"We are very confident in the infrastructure that we have," he said.
The only other line that has heat restrictions is the Providence/Stoughton line, because it shares the tracks with Amtrak. But Amtrak's speed limits are already high, 150 miles per hour in some areas.
So when heat forces a speed restriction of 80 miles per hour, it has little effect on MBTA commuter rail service, where the trains never get faster than that anyway. But it does slow down passengers on Amtrak trains going to or from New York and Washington D.C.
Davey said Framingham-Worcester commuters can expect a few more hot track days, usually between 1 and 7 p.m., during summer heat waves. The past two summers, there were nine such days.
The same thing can happen on the subway, though the affected distances are much shorter.
During this month's heat spell, the Mattapan trolley was slowed one day to 3 miles per hour on a 400-foot segment, because of inspections by T employees, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.
Usually, the speed limit is 30 miles per hour there. The Red Line was slowed to 10 miles per hour on a 450-foot segment near Quincy Adams, down from the usual 40 miles per hour.
Web help for Blue Line
If you were planning to go to the beach this summer on the Blue Line, or if you use the line to commute to work or get to the airport from the North Shore, be sure to check the MBTA website.
Stations along the line will be under construction for weeks at a time, creating frequent disruptions in service, and requiring replacement shuttle buses.
The MBTA is refurbishing four stations, in part to make way for longer trains on the crowded line by summer's end. The T is hoping to shift from four-car train sets to six-car sets but needs to replace deteriorating platforms at Wonderland, Wood Island, Revere, and Beachmont stations at a cost of $10 million.
That price includes some sprucing up - new plants, lights, and paint.
In the meantime, expect some inconvenience.
The first phase, at Wonderland, was scheduled to begin yesterday and continue through July 3. The station will be closed and buses will shuttle passengers to Revere Beach station to catch the T during that period.
Then it is on to Wood Island (July 5-Aug. 1), Revere Beach (Aug 2-Aug. 15), and Beachmont (Aug. 16-Aug. 29). Some weeks this summer, longer segments will be replaced by bus service on weeknights after 9.
MBTA managers hope to keep the entire line open July 4.
All schedules are subject to change. There will also be some additional, still unscheduled work in September.
The T promises to keep workers at stations to tell people where to go. Passengers can also call 617-222-3200.
Can't get there...
Please send complaints, comments, or story ideas to starts@globe.com. The column can be found at boston.com/starts.
Globe correspondent Sarah M. Gantz contributed to this report.
