Local

Here are the Red and Blue line T shutdowns you can expect in the coming weeks

Notably spared from the T's list of upcoming service changes? Marathon weekend.

By Abby Patkin

March 24, 2023

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T riders will have to navigate multiple service disruptions and partial shutdowns next month, most notably on the Red and Blue lines.

The MBTA outlined the planned service changes for several subway and commuter rail lines Thursday. According to the T, some of the April disruptions are due to rail replacement work, while others come as a result of infrastructure projects like the continued demolition of the Government Center Garage by a private developer.

Notably absent from the list? Marathon weekend, during which the T typically sees an influx of additional riders. Here are the shutdowns and service changes you can expect in April, according to the MBTA’s news release:

Red Line

April 1-2

• What: Shuttle buses will replace service between Braintree and JFK/UMass.
• Why: MBTA crews will be replacing rail and ties along the track to alleviate speed restrictions.

April 3-6

• What: Shuttle buses will replace evening weekday trains between North Quincy and JFK/UMass beginning around 9 p.m.
• Why: MBTA crews will continue the tie replacement work and do cleanup. 

April 18-20

• What: Shuttle buses will replace evening weekday trains between Park Street and JFK/UMass beginning around 9 p.m. 
• Why: MBTA crews will be preparing for upcoming weekend diversions, including by staging equipment and materials.

April 22-23

• What: Shuttle buses will provide service between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass.
• Why: MBTA crews will be replacing rail and ties to alleviate speed restrictions near South Station. 

April 29-30

• What: Shuttle buses will provide service between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass.
• Why: MBTA crews will continue replacing rail and ties to alleviate speed restrictions near South Station, in addition to performing work near the First Street gate in Cambridge.

Blue Line

April 10-13 and April 24-27

• What: Shuttle buses will replace evening weekday trains between Government Center and Orient Heights beginning around 9 p.m. Shuttle buses will not serve Bowdoin Station.
• Why: MBTA crews will be doing rail replacement and track alignment work to help alleviate speed restrictions.

Orange Line and Green Line

April 1-2 and April 8

• What: Orange Line service will be suspended between Back Bay and North Station, with the T asking riders to instead use the Green Line between Copley and Government Center. Shuttle buses will replace Green Line trolleys between North Station and Government Center. There will also be accessibility vans available for on-demand transportation; riders should ask MBTA staff for information and assistance.
• Why: Private developer HYM Construction will continue work on demolishing the Government Center Garage. 

Fairmount and Franklin/Foxboro commuter rail

April 1-2 and April 8-9

• What: Shuttle buses will replace trains between South Station and Readville beginning around 9 p.m. on March 31 for the first weekend and around 9 p.m. on April 7 for the second. 
• Why: There will be bridge replacement work ongoing at the East Cottage Street and Norfolk Avenue bridges. “Over one hundred years old, both bridges are in the process of being replaced with updated steel infrastructures to improve safety and reliability,” the MBTA said in its release. 

Haverhill commuter rail

April 22-May 7

• What: Shuttle buses will replace trains between Haverhill and Reading stations.
• Why: Crews will be working on Automated Train Control (ATC), which the T describes as “a federally mandated safety system that sends signals to trains about potentially unsafe conditions, automatically slowing and stopping a train if needed.”