Boston, MA – December 30: The MBTA closed the UMASS/JFK station entrance from Columbia Road due to structural issues. The walkway is closed that connected the main station and boarding platform areas. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Riders already dealing with reduced weekday MBTA subway service newly face weekend and evening shutdowns on subway and commuter rail lines in March to accommodate both maintenance work and installation of new equipment.
Red Line service between the Harvard and JFK/UMass stops will go offline for two weekends, March 4-5 and March 25-26, while workers install and test a new digital signal system. Shuttle buses will replace subways and make stops at all Red Line stations affected except Park Street and Downtown Crossing, two of the busiest stations.
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Further south on the Red Line, trains will be replaced with shuttle buses between Braintree and North Quincy starting around 9 p.m. through the end of service between March 20 and March 23. The T will "perform critical tamping work along the track" during that span.
Both the Orange and Green Lines will see partial closures on the weekend of March 11-12 for track work as well as Government Center garage demolition, with Orange Line trains halted between Ruggles and North Station and Green Line trolleys replaced with shuttle buses between North Station and Government Center. Buses will also run between Copley and Ruggles, with stops at Back Bay and Massachusetts Avenue. A
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nother batch of shuttle buses will replace Orange Line trains between Wellington and North Station starting around 9 p.m. each night between March 27 and March 30 for tamping work. Commuter rail work will take trains out of service for a week-plus to install automated train control, a federally mandated safety technology.
From March 4 to March 12, buses will replace Haverhill Line service between Haverhill and Reading stations, and from March 20 to March 28, buses will replace Newburyport/Rockport Line service between Swampscott and North Station.
Mattapan Line trains between Mattapan and Ashmont will be replaced with buses starting around 9 p.m. each night between March 6 and March 9 for work to remove a staircase at Milton Station.
The full list of changes can be found below:
Accessible shuttle buses will replace Red Line service between Harvard and JFK/UMass Stations during the weekends of March 4-5 and March 25-26.
The MBTA is installing a new digital signal system to replace the existing analog system. On March 4-5, the T will perform tests on the new system between Central Square and Downtown Crossing Stations before switching to the new digital signal system between these stations during the weekend of March 25-26.
During the weekend closures between Harvard and JFK/UMass, free shuttle buses will make stops at all stations except Park Street and Downtown Crossing Stations. Riders that would normally ride the Red Line to or from Park Street or Downtown Crossing are advised to use Red Line shuttle buses that will stop at Haymarket Station and State Station where there are connections to the Orange, Blue, and Green Lines. South-bound shuttle buses toward Ashmont/Braintree will also stop at Summer and Otis Streets and north-bound shuttle buses toward Alewife will stop at Federal and Franklin Streets, which is in close proximity to Downtown Crossing for connections to the Red Line. Signage will be in place to direct riders to shuttle bus stops and extra MBTA personnel and Transit Ambassadors will be on-hand to assist riders.
Evening weekday Mattapan Line service changes will take place from March 6-9 to remove a staircase at Milton Station. Service will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Mattapan and Ashmont Stations beginning at approximately 9 p.m. on March 6-9.
Haverhill Commuter Rail Line trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Haverhill and Reading Stations for nine days from March 4-12 to perform Automated Train Control work. ATC is a federally mandated safety system that sends signals to trains about potentially unsafe conditions, automatically slowing and stopping a train if needed. Passengers should note that bicycles are not allowed on shuttle buses, and regular Commuter Rail fares will be collected between Reading and North Station.
Due to the continued demolition of the Government Center Garage by private developer HYM Construction, Orange and Green Line service changes will take place in the downtown Boston area during the weekend of March 11-12.
Orange Line train service will be suspended between Ruggles and North Station during the weekend of March 11-12. The MBTA will leverage the service suspension by extending the Orange Line closure to Ruggles in order to perform track work, including the replacement of rail fasteners between Back Bay and Ruggles. Orange Line riders are asked to use Green Line service between Copley and Government Center Stations. Free and accessible shuttle buses will also operate between Copley on the Green Line and Ruggles on the Orange Line, making stops at Back Bay and Massachusetts Avenue Stations.
Green Line trolley service will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between North Station and Government Center Station during the weekend of March 11-12.
Accessibility vans will also be available for on-demand transportation during the weekend of March 11-12 – Orange and Green Line riders should ask MBTA personnel for information and assistance.
Evening weekday Red Line trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Braintree and North Quincy Stations beginning at approximately 9 p.m. on March 20-23. This service change will allow MBTA crews to perform critical tamping work along the track in these areas.
Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Swampscott and North Station for nine days from March 20-28 to perform ATC work. Passengers should note that bicycles are not allowed on shuttle buses, and regular Commuter Rail fares will be collected between Swampscott and Newburyport/Rockport Stations.
Evening weekday Orange Line trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Wellington and North Stations beginning at approximately 9 p.m. on March 27-30. This service change will allow MBTA crews to perform critical tamping work along the track in these areas.
Signage will be in place during all scheduled changes in service to direct riders to shuttle bus stops. Extra MBTA personnel and Transit Ambassadors will also be on-hand to assist riders.
Due to an anticipated increase of riders expected to use the MBTA to travel to St. Patrick’s and Evacuation Day events, there will be no scheduled service changes during the weekend of March 18-19.
