Skip to content

T Restores Full-Speed Service to the Blue Line After 2-Week Closure

After closing subway service in East Boston and Revere for two weeks to repair tracks and overhead wires, the MBTA restored Blue Line service this morning without any speed restrictions.
An animated GIF shows how slow zones, marked with icons across the MBTA system map, have steadily been disappearing month by month. The most recent frame shows May 1, when all of the slow zone icons on the Blue Line have disappeared.
An animated GIF illustrating the MBTA's progress in removing slow zones since the start of 2024.

After closing subway service in East Boston and Revere for two weeks to repair tracks and overhead wires, the MBTA restored Blue Line service this morning without any speed restrictions.

That means that the Blue Line trains can now run at full-speed for the first time since the T imposed an emergency 25 mph speed limit across the entire subway system in March 2023.

According to a press statement released on Wednesday afternoon, MBTA crews were able to lift 19 safety-related slow zones, where trains had previously been required to run at a slower speed because of problems with aging tracks or power issues from the Blue Line’s overhead wires.

The restoration of full-speed service means that end-to-end trips on the Blue Line will now be about 3 minutes faster than they were at the beginning of April.

In a press statement about the accomplishment, the T also announced that there are now fewer than 100 speed restrictions across the MBTA system for the first time since March 2023.

The T plans to tackle a few more slow zones later this week: from May 2 until May 10, the T will close the downtown and South Boston segment of the Red Line, between Park Street and JFK/UMass, for additional track work there.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Even With $80 Tickets, MBTA Expects to Lose Money On World Cup Transit Service

May 28, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Have a License to Chill

May 28, 2026

Green Line E Branch Suspended for 7 Days Beginning Saturday

May 27, 2026

Symphony Goes Silent: MBTA Will Close Green Line Stop for 3-Year Renovation

May 27, 2026

‘Micromobility’ Bill Gets Public Hearing on Beacon Hill Thursday

May 27, 2026
See all posts