More service changes to MBTA lines ahead of August. What riders need to know:
The MBTA announced on Friday service changes in August on the Red, Green, Orange, Silver, Kingston, Middleborough, Greenbush, and Lowell lines in order to improve service reliability across the system.
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Red Line
Red Line service changes will allow MBTA crews to perform critical rail and tie replacement work that will alleviate speed restrictions:
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace evening weekday trains between North Quincy and JFK/UMass Stations beginning at 8:45 p.m. on August 1-3 and August 8-10
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace evening weekday trains between Quincy Center and Braintree Stations beginning at 8:45 p.m. on August 15-17, August 22-24, and August 29-31.
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace trains between JFK/UMass and Braintree Stations beginning at 8:45 p.m. on August 4-6, August 11-13, August 18-20, and August 25-27.
Green and Orange lines
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 12 days from July 29- August 9.
Orange Line trains will bypass Haymarket Station. Orange Line riders should instead exit at North Station or State, which are 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 with riders 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), and 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.
Silver / Lowell Lines
Silver Line Routes 1, 2, and 3 will be re-routed to the street level between Silver Line Way and South Station beginning at 8:45 p.m. on August 11 through 9 p.m. and on August 13. This service change will allow for continued safety, waterproofing, and station resiliency improvement work at Courthouse Station.
Lowell Line trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Lowell and Wilmington Stations during the weekend of August 5-6. This service change allows crews to perform vegetation-clearing work along the line.
COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE CHANGES
The Kingston, Middleborough, and Greenbush Commuter Rail lines (Run adjacent to the Red Line)
Accessible shuttle bus service will replace evening weekday trains between South Station and Braintree after 7:30 p.m. on August 1-4, August 8-11, August 15-18, August 22-25, August 29-31 and during the weekends of August 5-6, August 12-13, August 19-20, and August 26-27.
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.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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