page_title: Red Line (MBTA)
section_title: Winter issues and resiliency work
hierarchical_section_title: Red Line (MBTA) / History / Winter issues and resiliency work
caption_attribution_description: English: MBTA buses operate as a "bus bridge" from JFK/UMass station to North Quincy station. On a number of weekends in 2015, sections of the Orange and Red lines were closed as MBTA work crews replaced sections of third rail with newer heated rail, and added heaters to switches. The work was initiated after a number of lines were overwhelmed by snow during heavy storms in early 2015.
context_page_description: The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south and east underground from Alewife station in North Cambridge through Somerville and Cambridge, surfacing to cross the Longfellow Bridge then returning to tunnels under Downtown Boston. It continues underground through South Boston, splitting into two branches on the surface at JFK/UMass station. The Ashmont Branch runs southwest through Dorchester to Ashmont station, where the connecting light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line continues to Mattapan station. The Braintree Branch runs southwest through Quincy and Braintree to Braintree station.
  The Red Line operates during normal MBTA service hours with six-car trains. The 208-car active fleet consists of three orders of cars built in 1969–70, 1987–89, and 1993–94. A 252-car order from CRRC is being built from 2019 to 2023. The Red Line is fully grade-separated; trains are driven by operators with automatic train control for safety. Cabot Yard in South Boston is used for heavy maintenance and storage; yards at Alewife, Ashmont, and Braintree as also used for storage.
context_section_description: During the unusually brutal winter of 2014–15, the almost entire MBTA rail system was shut down on several occasions by heavy snowfalls. The aboveground sections of the Orange and Red lines were particularly vulnerable due to their exposed third rail power feed, which iced over during storms. If a single train were stopped due to power loss, other trains behind it soon had to stop as well; without continually running trains pushing snow off the rails, the lines would become quickly blocked by heavy snowfalls. (Because the Blue Line was built with overhead catenary on its surface section due to its exposure to corrosive salt air, it was not as easily disabled by the icing conditions.)
  During 2015, the MBTA implemented its $83.7 million Winter Resiliency Program, much of which focused on preventing similar vulnerabilities with the Orange and Red lines. The section of the Braintree Branch between JFK/UMass and Wollaston had old infrastructure and was largely built on an embankment, rendering it more vulnerable. New third rail with heaters and a different metal composition to reduce wear was installed, along with snow fences and switch heaters. The work required bustitution of the line from JFK/UMass to North Quincy on many weeknights. This program did not include work south of Wollaston.
  In July 2016, the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a $18.5 million contract to complete work along the remainder of the southern branches. The project included all remaining third rail replacement, track work between Fields Corner and Savin Hill, signal system work between North Quincy and Braintree, and track replacement at Quincy Center, Quincy Adams, and Braintree. The work was completed in the second half of 2016.
caption: Buses forming a "bus bridge" linking JFK/UMass and North Quincy in August 2015, during winter resiliency work
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