PRT To Commence Rail Grinding on Portions of Light Rail Track Beginning January 2

On January 2, PRT will begin a three-year rail-grinding project throughout its light rail system. The project will impact stations between South Hills Village and Washington Junction, Overbrook Junction and Boggs Station and potentially from Washington Junction to Library Station. While those rails are under construction, rail cars will run on a single track through those areas.

Rail grinding plays a critical role in maintaining the safety, reliability and efficiency of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County’s light rail vehicle transportation systems. Over time, rail tracks experience wear and tear from constant friction with train wheels. This wear can create irregularities like corrugation and deformation, compromising the rail’s integrity. Rail grinding eliminates these imperfections and reduces the possibility for derailments, making sure the LRVs maintain optimal contact with the tracks.

“Rail grinding is a proactive maintenance measure that extends the lifespan of both the rails and the LRVs,” said Jim LaBella, Senior Railway Project Manager. “Investing in this work now will help prevent premature wear and tear and reduce maintenance costs and downtime in the future.”

In addition, once rail grinding is complete it will mean a quieter transportation system because irregular rails surfaces provide a smoother, quieter track profile[1] [AC2] .

This three-year, $1.5 million project will run from January to March each year until 2027. Signs will be posted indicating when a platform is out of service; whenever the inbound platform is closed, riders can use the outbound platform and when the outbound platform is closed, riders can use the inbound platform.

Riders with questions are encouraged to contact Customer Service by calling 412-442- 2000 or through X (@PghTransitCare) or via live chat at www.ridePRT.org.

More information about the rail grinding project is available at www.rideprt.org/railgrinding.