The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reopened service on the Orange Line early on Sept. 19 after an unprecedented, month-long shutdown of the entire branch for a badly needed overhaul. The embattled transit agency shut down the line, which serves hundreds of thousands of commuters across the Boston area, on Aug. 19 following a series of high-profile mishaps and a scathing report by the Federal Transportation Administration.
MBTA officials say the shutdown enabled the transit agency to cram five years worth of work into 30-day days, bringing “track and signal infrastructure into a state of good repair” while also addressing the “safety actions” the FTA has demanded.