One of the aspects of the ongoing projects to reduce or eliminate heat restrictions on the Framingham / Worcester line is the replacement of rails between Framingham and Worcester. Over the weekend of 9/12 - 9/13, the contractor working on the project replaced both of the rails on Track 2 within Framingham station, between CP 21 (the signal at the east end of the station) and CP 22 (the signal at the west end of the station). They did the southernmost rail on Saturday and the northernmost rail on Sunday.
I noticed the crew working there on Saturday morning when I went out for some errands, and I was able to convince my wife to come with me to check it out later in the day. We arrived after they had changed the rail and after they had completed the weld near CP 21. We took some pictures of the welding operation near CP 22 and the grinding of the new weld near CP 21. The rails are joined using exothermic welding. Plenty of hard work and even an old fashioned whacking of spikes with a sledge. Here are our pictures (after the "read more:"