The Orange Line Is Going 55 MPH Now? Somebody Check on the Commuters.
The MBTA says trains can now hit 55 mph between Assembly and North Station. Dez remembers when 'slow zone' was the line's whole personality.
By Dez Marlowe ·
The Orange Line is fast now. Not a typo.
As of Oct. 18, Orange Line trains can run up to 55 mph between Assembly and North Station in both directions, for the first time, the MBTA says. That follows an August 2025 speed increase between Oak Grove and Assembly. The T credits track work from its 2023-2024 Track Improvement Program.
"We have removed slow zones," said Phil Eng, the interim transportation secretary and MBTA general manager. He says riders are getting "76% more service every weekday compared to winter 2023." Gov. Maura Healey said the trains can hit 55 "because of the investments we've made."
Credit where it's due. The T fixed track, and the trains move. That's the job, and on this stretch the job got done. Also, a governor taking a victory lap over a train going the speed limit tells you how low the bar was.
What we still don't know: whether the higher speeds hold up through a New England winter, and when the rest of the line gets the same treatment.
Dez Marlowe is a Boston Uncut reporter covering Boston, Massachusetts, national and world news.