Trees Avenue Subway & The New Boga Island Bridge Moving Along

Metropolis, BR. May 1th 2016.

A Train tests the Clearance The Trees Ave Subway.

Hard to believe the Trees Avenue Subway construction has reached 3 years old since the first pile was driven into the ground. The tunnel were dug in the controversial cut-and-cover method which lead to reroute of cars, buses and trolleys along Midtown Metropolis's second busiest street. At Central Station, the former Amtrak coach yard was hollowed out and the new subway platforms were constructed. The platforms at Interfair and Blue Beach have been done for a while and now getting their fixtures while the ramps to the 22 Line & future new Bay Bridge for the 26 have been completed. The bridging over the bay waters and south shores of Boga Island are also completed with station shells already being erected. The wire poles are being shipped to the bay bridge construction site while MT tests the electricity inside the main Trees Avenue Subway Tunnel. Clearance trains have already penetrated the tracks of the tunnel 3 times with no issues other than dealing with diesel fumes that can not escape. Metropolis Transit is expected to ban diesel trains from the tunnel after the clearance trains have finished their job.

New Elevated Rails over the South Shore of Boga Island

The Boga Island Bay Bridge Upgrade and the new elevated track over the South Shore of Boga Island will speed up service on the 26 line 2%. A small but noticeable percentage since trains are no longer on the surface at risk of hitting a beach-goer. The current 26 "Elevated" Line runs completely on rebuilt trolley tracks who originally date back from the 1920s. While it was easier to run a trolley along the beach side, a full blown Elevated Train cannot stop on a dime like the trolleys did so many people have been killed or injured by the 26 train since it conversion from trolley in 1986. The section between Lizzy's Shops & Boga Beach Hotels was the most notorious. Train now must run at 20 MPH and blow their horn every 100 feet. While this method did help reduce the amount of train related accidents to almost none, it didn't help the line for it's second threat, hurricane surge. Sandy almost ate the 26 when it hit in October, 2012. The South Shore Elevated will now take tracks away from storm surge and potential ice hazards in the winter from ocean spray. The South Shore Elevated will open BEFORE the new Bay Bridge and Trees Avenue Subway, most likely around December of this year.

Interfair Convention Center Station on the Trees Ave Subway in May 2016.

Construction on the actual Trees Avenue Subway is also building up. The 22 & 26 line will benefit from a new structurally sound cut and cover tunnel under Trees Avenue taking them directly into the heart of Metropolis. With Central Station being in the Central Business District and Interfair Convention Center Station being in heart of Midtown Metropolis, this subway line is going to see high ridership from locals and tourist alike. Aside from the fact the 22 will actually go somewhere now, this now opens the door for more business growth to both the city and Boga Island. The tunnels were inspected as of April 27th, 2016 by the city and deem structurally sound to run train traffic. Since then, 3 clearance trains have used the line and all came back with positive feedback. The testing phase is set to being in October 2016, first with slow-speed signal tests, then with normal passenger service patterns. Metropolis Transit hopes to have the subway tunnel in service by New Year's Day 2018 thus relieving the 65 Line of it's heavy passenger traffic.