The MBTA will close portions of its Green, Red and Orange subway lines, as well as the Commuter Rail’s Framingham/Worcester line, at different points in the coming weeks to accommodate a range of maintenance projects.
On the Green Line, Boston College Station will be closed from the night of Friday, May 2, through the end of that weekend.
On the Red Line, the T will suspend train service between Ashmont and JFK/UMass from the night of Tuesday, April 29, through Wednesday. The line will also be closed between Braintree and JFK/UMass on the weekend of May 3 and 4.
The most extended subway closure is scheduled for the Orange Line, between North Station and Oak Grove, where trains will not run from the night of May 9 through May 18.
The Commuter Rail will also suspend service from the night of Friday, May 30, through the end of that weekend.
For each of the closures, MBTA officials said alternate shuttle bus service would be provided free of charge.
Below is an overview of the upcoming shutdowns:
A Green Line train waits at Union Square Station in Somerville. (Tréa Lavery/MassLive)Tréa Lavery/MassLive
Green Line
The closure of Boston College station, at the western end of the Green Line’s B Branch, this coming weekend will begin on Friday at 9 p.m. and extend through the end of service Sunday.
T officials said riders will be able to board and disembark trains at the intersection of Lake Street and Commonwealth Avenue, about 350 feet from the station.
The closure will allow work crews to complete annually required maintenance, “addressing routine needs and ensuring that all infrastructure remains in peak operating condition,” the MBTA said.
Riders board the MBTA Red Line at South Station in Boston. (Will Katcher/MassLive)
Red Line
The closure this week of the Red Line’s Ashmont Branch — between Ashmont and JFK/UMass — will begin at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and continue through the end of service Wednesday.
In place of trains, the T said free shuttle buses will stop at all Ashmont Branch stations. Officials advised riders to factor added travel time into their commutes, warning a trip from Park Street to Mattapan on the Red Line may take an additional 45 minutes to an hour.
Riders can also take the Fairmount Line on the Commuter Rail or the MBTA Bus Route 18 free of charge during the closure.
An accessible van will also be available for riders between JFK/UMass and Ashmont. Riders can speak with MBTA staff at stations or use a call box to request van service, the T said.
The Braintree Branch of the Red Line will continue to run during the Ashmont Branch work on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
However, the Braintree Branch will close, affecting stops between Braintree and JFK/UMass, on this coming Saturday and Sunday, and will be replaced by shuttle buses.
The Commuter Rail’s Fall River/New Bedford, Kingston, and Greenbush lines will all be fare-free between Braintree and South Station during the weekend closure.
The Ashmont Branch work will allow the MBTA to finish upgrading the aging “Ashmont Diamond” crossover track, where Red Line trains switch tracks and turn around upon reaching the end of the line. The Braintree Branch closure will allow for upgrades to the trains’ signal system, which could “significantly increase” their efficiency and reliability, the T said.
Work crews perform station upgrades during a recent closure of the Orange Line. (Courtesy of the MBTA)
Orange Line
The Orange Line’s extended closure will affect its northernmost stops, from North Station to Oak Grove, between 8:30 p.m. on May 9 through the end of service on May 18.
Shuttle buses will replace train service, with express buses connecting Oak Grove, Malden Center and North Station.
The T advised riders to budget additional travel time into their commutes on the buses — up to 45 minutes to an hour of extra time for a trip between Downtown Crossing and Oak Grove.
The agency “strongly encouraged” riders to take the Haverhill Line of the Commuter Rail Line for free alternative service.
Accessible vans will also be available on weekdays during the closure. Riders should speak with MBTA staff at stations to request a van, the T said.
The closure will allow for work on MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacements project.
Commuter Rail
The Commuter Rail’s Framingham/Worcester Line will shut down east of Framingham from roughly 11 p.m. on Friday, May 30, through the end of the weekend. It is also scheduled to close across the same area beginning at 11 p.m. on Friday, June 20, through the rest of that weekend.
West of Framingham, the line will remain open and operate free of charge.
The MBTA said it would offer free shuttle bus service between Framingham and Riverside, where the Green Line’s D Branch begins, during the closure. Officials urged riders to use the shuttles, warning that traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 95 could be heavy.
The shuttle buses will stop at Framingham, West Natick, Natick Center, Wellesley Square, Wellesley Hills and Auburndale, with a connection to Riverside.
Commuter Rail passengers who typically board at South Station should take the Red Line to Park Street to connect to the Green Line for service to Riverside.
A separate shuttle bus service will also ferry riders between West Newton, Newtonville, Boston Landing and Kenmore stations, where they can access the Green Line’s B, C and D branches.
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