RailWorks Completes Work on Greater Cleveland RTA Blue/Green Line

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s (RTA) Blue/Green Line is back in service following a successful track rehabilitation by RailWorks.

During a complete shutdown from Aug. 8 to Oct. 3, RailWorks, via its Track Services division in Chicago, upgraded the aging track between the Buckeye-Woodhill and Shaker Square stations.

The existing rail infrastructure — which hadn’t been repaired since the early 1980s — needed complete reconstruction. The scope of RailWorks’ work along the 1.6-mile stretch of track included replacing:

• 54,800 spikes
• 29,600 e-clip fasteners
• 27,400 feet of rail
• 14,000 rolled tie plates
• 12,000 tons of granite ballast
• 7,000 crossties
• 6 crossovers

Only two access points for crew and material meant careful levels of coordination were needed to ensure the work was finished on time. The project utilized a mostly local workforce with the participation of local subcontractors and the local laborers union.

“RailWorks has achieved successful project completion on RTA projects before, and this project is no exception,” said Mike McGee, RailWorks Vice President of Regional Operations. “RailWorks is proud to continue to serve the Cleveland community through upgrading the RTA transit system.”

Riders can expect smoother and more efficient operations following the reopening of the line. RailWorks has completed multiple projects for RTA before, including rehabilitating Red Line track and repairing grade crossings on the Blue/Green Line.