A 2019 derailment caused the damage that’s now been fixed. BFD image
A Red Line signal repair project near JFK-UMass has been finished more than two weeks ahead of schedule, according to MBTA officials.
Regular Red Line service near JFK/UMass resumed on Wednesday following several weeks of service changes.
“I’m very proud of the hard work of our teams to finish this long-overdue signal work at Columbia Junction, also completing this pre-testing ahead of the schedule that we put in place for ourselves,” said Phil Eng, the MBTA’s general manager, who also leads the state’s entire transportation division.
The work was focused at Columbia Junction, located just north of JFK/UMass station, where the Ashmont and Braintree branches merge and connect to Cabot Yard, where most Red Line trains are stored and maintained. The upgrades involve a new digital signaling system designed to improve service reliability and operational flexibility.
The signal system at Columbia Junction was heavily damaged in a 2019 derailment. While initial repairs restored service, full functionality was never completely regained. The current project addresses those lingering issues and restores full signal and switch capabilities.
Testing began in mid-February and has included work on more than 100 track circuits. Remaining testing will continue overnight to avoid impacting riders, Eng said. Additional commissioning work is scheduled for a series of weekend service suspensions in May.
The project is part of the MBTA’s broader effort to modernize signals across the Red and Orange lines ahead of this summer’s World Cup matches.
