Progress On Red Line Repairs; Slower Commutes Still Likely

Five days after a train derailed while approaching JFK/UMass Station on the Red Line, the MBTA on Sunday said it has resumed seamless service to Quincy and Braintree stops but asked customers to build an extra 20 minutes into their planned travel times as they begin another work week.

Riders no longer need to transfer to another train at the JFK/UMass Station, officials said. But while service has resumed on all tracks through the station, trains continue to operate at restricted speeds.

In the wake of the 6:10 a.m. derailment Tuesday, the authority has made "around-the-clock repairs to signals and track infrastructure" and the service announcement was made Sunday after a series of successful tests.

"We are pleased to be able to resume direct service to the Braintree branch, but we still have a lot of work to do," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement. "Recovery operations are continuing with a goal of full service, but riders should allow additional time for their commutes because track switches must be operated manually until repairs are completed. For Monday’s commute, we will continue to offer additional commuter rail trips and will continue to keep riders routinely updated on the schedule."

The MBTA tweeted Sunday evening that most countdown clocks had also been restored.