Critical work will get underway this summer on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) North Station Terminal Area Signal System Improvement Project and the Commuter Rail Automatic Train Control (ATC) Project.
For North Station, this will be the first of a three-phase cut-over process, wherein MBTA will upgrade an old relay-based signal system into a new microprocessor-based system. The goal is a more capable, resilient system that will offer reduced delays and less required upkeep. Two new crossovers will be added in the process, across approximately one mile, to provide additional train routing options and improved operational flow.
“The critical signal work taking place this summer at the North Station terminal area helps the T to upgrade the kinds of behind-the-scenes signal infrastructure that riders might not see every day, but can have an enormous impact on their commutes,” Steve Poftak, MBTA General Manager, said. “When the work is finished, the new state-of-the-art signaling system at North Station will improve resiliency and reduce delays, ultimately providing a more reliable ride for our north side Commuter Rail riders.”
Another capital program getting underway this summer is the Commuter ATC project for the Newburyport and Rockport Commuter Rail line. ATC will be added to the signal system as part of federally-required Positive Train Control (PTC) safety control systems to monitor a train’s location, direction and speed in real-time. They also allow for the system to reduce speeds as necessary. The initial phase of the project finished in 2020, but the second phase will include the ATC addition to alert train engineers of potentially unsafe conditions.
The North Station project, spanning an intricate network of tracks and switches that connect the station, five commuter rail lines and the Boston Engine Terminal, will cost $45.2 million total.