A commuter rail train passes through Boston on a day when the South Station signals were working. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org)
By Chris Lisinski
State House News Service
One of the state’s largest railway hubs is in line for track, switch, and signal upgrades after the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s board approved a new contract on Thursday.
MBTA overseers voted unanimously to award Middlesex Corporation a $98.6 million contract for work at South Station in Boston, including interlocking track improvements, replacement of analog signals with digital options, and installation of a new backup generator.
Officials say the maintenance work will improve performance for the nine commuter rail lines that run through South Station as well as Amtrak routes that use the station to link Boston with Chicago, New York and Washington D.C..
“It’s going to provide upgrades for the immediate operational reliability of the commuter rail system and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor [and] Lake Shore Limited services,” said Dan Beaulieu, a senior project manager for commuter rail.
The MBTA plans to deploy $41.2 million in funding from a Federal Railroad Administration state of good repair grant toward the project, with additional costs covered by both the T and by Amtrak.
MBTA leaders expect the project to begin in April, hit “substantial completion” in late 2027, and meet final completion in spring 2028.
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A commuter rail train passes through Boston on a day when the South Station signals were working. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org) 
