Guarded Rail Replacement Construction Represents Collaboration from Across PRT Departments

As part of PRT’s multi-year construction effort to enforce the safety, reliability and longevity of our region’s light rail infrastructure, several areas of rail along curved portions of track are currently being updated. Replacing these rails brings a variety of technical challenges to the table, because curved areas of rail have special pieces that keep the rail in place and prevent the light rail vehicles from going up and over the rail.

“This project is one part of the overall construction project we are doing on the Red Line during the current closure,” said Gregory O’Hare, a chief engineer with PRT. “While these pieces don’t currently present a safety issue, they are worn, and need to be replaced before they degrade further.”

The replacement of this rail is considered a state of good repair project, which refers to maintaining a transportation system at an optimal level that functions safely and reliably as it’s intended, without a backlog of deferred maintenance.

O’Hare compares state of good repair infrastructure investments to changing the oil in a car. If a car’s oil isn’t changed, it will cost a lot more money down the line to address engine issues.

“We are stewards of this infrastructure and of taxpayer dollars. It’s fiscally responsible to do work preventatively. Not only is it in the best interest of rider safety, state of good repair work can be funded at a lower dollar amount than if you have a safety-critical emergency on your hands. Unfortunately, across the country there is a lot of legacy infrastructure that needs to be replaced. At PRT, we’ve dedicated a lot of time and planning to do this kind of work, and we’ve made tremendous progress.”

PRT is deeply committed to maintaining its infrastructure and keeping the public informed on related construction, improvements and enhancements. Check back to the newsroom and our website for regular updates.