September Service Changes Will Allow Crews to Continue Improvement Work Across MBTA System

Service changes are planned for the Red, Green, Orange, Kingston, Middleborough, Greenbush, Newburyport/Rockport, Haverhill, and Fairmount lines.

Updated September 6, 2023.

The MBTA today announced service changes in September on the Red, Green, Orange, Kingston, Middleborough, Greenbush, Newburyport/Rockport, Haverhill, and Fairmount lines. The MBTA will continue working to improve service reliability across the system.

Service changes will take place on the Red Line Braintree Branch this month in order for MBTA crews to perform critical rail and tie replacement work:

Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between North Quincy and Braintree Stations beginning at approximately 8:45 PM through the end of service Tuesdays through Thursdays, September 5-7, September 12-14, and September 19-21.
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between Quincy Center and Braintree Stations beginning at approximately 8:45 PM on Friday, September 8, and through the weekend until the end of service on Sunday, September 10.
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between JFK/UMass and Braintree Stations beginning at approximately 8:45 PM on Friday, September 22, and through the weekend until the end of service on Sunday, September 24.

Accessible shuttle bus service will also replace Red Line trains between Broadway and Ashmont Stations on the Ashmont Branch and between Broadway and North Quincy Stations on the Braintree Branch all day from start to end of service during the weekend of September 30-October 1. This service change allows MBTA crews to perform critical work on the Savin Hill Avenue and Dorchester Avenue bridges, to perform necessary tunnel inspections on the Ashmont Branch, and to accomplish station brightening work at JFK/UMass Station.

The Kingston, Middleborough, and Greenbush Commuter Rail lines, which run adjacent to the Red Line, will also experience service changes. Accessible shuttle bus service will replace trains between South Station and Braintree on the following dates:

After 7:30 PM through the end of service Tuesdays through Thursdays on September 5-7, September 12-14, and September 19-21.
All day from start to end of service during the weekends of September 9-10, September 23-24, and September 30-October 1.
Accessible express shuttle bus service will also operate directly between South Station and Braintree Station.
Passengers should note that bicycles are not allowed on shuttle buses, and regular Commuter Rail fares will be collected between Kingston, Middleborough, Greenbush, and Braintree Stations. Keolis Customer Service Agents, MBTA staff, and Transit Ambassadors will be on-site at impacted stations to support riders.
The diversion schedule will be available online soon at mbta.com/CommuterRail.

MassDOT’s Squires Bridge repair work in Somerville will take place for 25 days beginning September 18 through October 12. MassDOT will perform repairs on the bridge, which crosses over the Green Line tracks near Union Square Station. As a result, Green Line train service between Lechmere and Union Square Stations will be suspended from September 18-October 12. Green Line customers are encouraged to consider alternative routes, which include the 86, 91, and CT2 bus routes that travel between Union Square and East Somerville Station on the Medford Branch. These bus routes also travel to Sullivan Square Station on the Orange Line. In addition, the Route 87 travels between Union Square and Lechmere 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 all day for 25 days from September 18-October 12:

Orange Line trains will bypass Haymarket Station. Orange Line riders should instead exit at North Station or State, less than a half-mile from Haymarket (or a four- to eight-minute walk), and travel to the Haymarket area.
Green Line service will be suspended between North Station and Government Center Station. Riders are instead asked to walk above ground between these stations – Government Center, Haymarket, and North Station are each less than a half mile from each other (about a five- to 10-minute walk). The distance between Government Center to North Station is about three-quarters of a mile (about a 13-minute walk).
Riders are also reminded that Orange Line / Green Line connections can also be made via the Winter Street Concourse, which connects Park Street and Downtown Crossing Stations.
Accessibility vans will also be available for on-demand transportation – Orange and Green Line riders should ask MBTA personnel for information and assistance.

Accessible shuttle buses will replace Newburyport/Rockport Line trains between Swampscott and North Station during the weekend of September 9-10. This service change will allow for work on the future temporary platform at Lynn Station. There will be no service at Chelsea Station with passengers instead encouraged to utilize Silver Line 3 service. Passengers should note that bicycles are not allowed on shuttle buses. Regular train service will operate between Newburyport/Rockport and Swampscott with regular Commuter Rail fares collected. A dedicated diversion schedule will be in effect and is available on mbta.com.

Accessible shuttle buses will replace all Fairmount Line trains between Readville and South Station beginning Friday, September 22, and through the weekend until the end of service on Sunday, September 24. This service change will allow for work on East Cottage Street and Norfolk Avenue Bridge Replacement Project. Originally built in 1906 and carrying the Fairmount Line through Roxbury and Dorchester, both bridges are being replaced with updated steel infrastructures to improve safety and to meet the MBTA’s reliability and modernization needs. Passengers should note that bicycles are not allowed on shuttle buses. The diversion schedule will be available online soon at mbta.com/CommuterRail.

As previously announced, accessible shuttle buses will replace Haverhill Line trains between Ballardvale and North Station for 58 days from September 9-November 5. This service change allows crews to perform Automatic Train Control (ATC) 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. Shuttle buses will replace train service between Reading and Oak Grove where passengers can make an Orange Line subway connection. A shuttle bus will also provide service between Reading and Anderson/Woburn for connections to the Lowell Line and Haverhill Line. The shuttle service between Reading and Oak Grove will make stops in Wakefield, Greenwood, Melrose Highlands, Melrose Cedar Park, Wyoming Hill, and Oak Grove. Train service for passengers between Ballardvale and Haverhill will be re-routed along the Lowell Line after Ballardvale, making one additional stop at Anderson/Woburn station then running express to North Station. A dedicated diversion schedule will be in effect and will be available online soon.

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/alerts. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site during these service changes to offer information and assistance. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on Twitter @MBTA for up-to-date service information.

The MBTA previously announced service changes in August on the Red, Green, Orange, Silver, Kingston, Middleborough, Greenbush, and Lowell lines. More information is available here.

The MBTA apologizes for the inconvenience of these scheduled service changes and appreciates the understanding and patience of riders as this critical and necessary work to maintain, upgrade, and modernize the system takes place.