MBTA Orange Line Accelerates to New 55 mph Top Speed

Commuters on the MBTA Orange Line can now enjoy faster travel. In a release issued on Monday, Aug. 25, the MBTA announced that its trains can now reach 55 mph on certain portions of the track due to improvements made to the Orange Line's infrastructure.

According to a Boston.com report, more than 20 years of MBTA records indicate that Orange Line trains never reached “speeds this fast” even though the length of track between Assembly Station in Somerville and Oak Grove Station in Malden was originally created to handle speeds of 55 mph. A decline in the track's infrastructure contributed to the lowering of the speed limit to 40 mph.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, the Orange Line hit 55 miles per hour between Oak Grove Station in Malden and Assembly Station in Somerville for the first time on record, according to a Boston Globe report.

In a media statement, MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng acknowledged the public's patience during service interruptions on the Orange Line to permit infrastructure improvements to proceed.

In late December 2024, the T completed a track improvement program. As part of this program, miles of degraded track and ties were replaced, and hundreds of speed restrictions were eliminated, according to a Boston Globe report.

“This milestone is a result of our investments in the T's efforts to hire more workers and fix the tracks,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “Now, they've not only removed slow zones — they're increasing speeds. This means faster, smoother commutes for riders and allows them to spend more time with family and friends, cooking a meal, taking the dog for a walk or catching a ball game.”