Green/Orange Line suspended due to Haymarket garage collapse

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mb ... e/2679493/

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced that it plans to keep Green Line and Orange Line rail service suspended in the tunnels that travel beneath the Government Center Parking Garage, which collapsed last Saturday, pending an inspection of the area's infrastructure.

"The T will not resume rail service through this area until a team of structural engineers, examining and assessing infrastructure above and below the surface, confirms that subway service can safely resume," the organization said in a statement.

I heard rumors (from Boston rail fans) that Green Line service was shut down even though it wasn't under the garage to begin with, due to cracking and sagging nearby. Anyone hear more about that?

To help reduce the overall MBTA deficit, the entity doing the garage project should have paid for the replacement buses during this shutdown.

It would also be desirable, if the unexpected more rapid collapse of the garage on Friday night damaged the subways, that the garage project fund the replacement of the roof leaking 100 plus year old damaged sections with new waterproofed sections.

How is the green line not under the garage? Both go to Haymarket which is under the garage.

Government Center to North Station is not a big deal for a gap - I would walk it except in pouring rain. Easy to loop trolleys, even "LRVs" at Gov Ctr. But why aren't they running Orange Line trains to at least Downtown Crossing? Are there no working crossovers?

One full crossover to the east of Back Bay and one full crossover south of North Station, according to available track maps.

There's a trailing-point crossover just south of Chinatown. There could be some operational concerns regarding the transfer to the shuttle buses that are keeping them from operating beyond Back Bay, though.

Do any Orange Line trains go through Haymarket to and from Wellington at the ends and beginnings of service each day?

If so then why not run northbound service from Forest Hills to State, and unload. The purpose is to reduce fare collection problems as well as shuttle bus congestion. Northbound passengers go upstairs and walk or take shuttle to North Station while the train continues with a few 4 MPH slowdowns, the operator and an on board escort watching for falling blocks of concrete and/or concrete chunks between the rails. Pick up passengers at North Station. Reverse the procedure southbound from Oak Grove.

Double crossover north of Back Bay? How about "double pronging" to terminate northbound at Tufts using manual dispatching and movement comparable to Forest Hills (the crossover before the terminal platforms). (Selected trains would unload at Back Bay and not go to Tufts if bunching occurs.)

Is Haymarket garage publicly owned (municipal parking authority)?

Disney Guy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:00 pm If so then why not run northbound service from Forest Hills to State, and unload. The purpose is to reduce fare collection problems as well as shuttle bus congestion. Northbound passengers go upstairs and walk or take shuttle to North Station while the train continues with a few 4 MPH slowdowns, the operator and an on board escort watching for falling blocks of concrete and/or concrete chunks between the rails.

Seriously? Let's throw safety out the window. Who is going to run these trains. If I worked for the T I'd be calling my steward and filing a grievance instantly. Until the engineers say it's safe your idea is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Unless you were under a wartime emergency, you wouldn't want to run until the overburden is removed and the tunnels are inspected. I'm surprised there aren't more crossovers on the orange line - perhaps they should add some. I'm not a demolition expert, but I imagine it is more dangerous than building. Guy is on a Cat with a jackhammer attachment. Is he chopping away at the edge of the slab while backing up? What could go wrong?

I believe the massive garage was originally publicly owned.

To admit, NYCT does suspend subway service in the event of a building collapse, but always resumes as soon
as safely possible, often in hours.

One example would be the N/R (BMT Broadway Local) in Lower Manhattan after the WTC collapse. Though the
Broadway Local tunnel at the WTC complex was intact without damage, service could not resume through
the site until after all buildings in the area were stabilized and inspections were approved.

According to Rudy Giuliani, the seawall was very precarious and close to collapse. If that had failed the ocean would have swept in and flooded the disaster site and the subways. It took about three frantic weeks to shore things up.

Orange Line should be resumed soon (if not already at this writing).

Orange Line is back!

https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1508913 ... AggHXBQVOw

jwhite07 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 3:37 pm Orange Line should be resumed soon (if not already at this writing).

Orange Line running, Green still suspended. Just heard from my friend in Boston.

https://whdh.com/news/orange-line-servi ... -collapse/

Pretty cool use of a drone to safely inspect the tunnel for major flaws before they endangered human life. Also happy to see different parts of MassDOT working together.