The MBTA announced a new slate of closures on the Green, Red and Orange lines and Commuter Rail, as well as more station closures and service changes, in September to accommodate a host of ongoing infrastructure projects.

“The MBTA is reminding riders that service outages such as these are a critical and necessary part of maintaining the infrastructure improvements that took place as part of the 2024 Track Improvement Program while also making further system upgrades and modernizing the MBTA’s infrastructure,” MBTA officials stated of the work.

Upcoming planned MBTA closures include: the Orange Line between Forest Hills and Back Bay from Sept. 10 to 14, and the Red Line between JFK/UMass and Ashmont from Sept. 19 to 20.

On the Green Line from Sept. 19 to 20 and Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, all branches will see closures: the B branch between Government Center and Babcock Street, C branch between Government Center and Kenmore, D branch between North Station and Kenmore, and E branch between Heath Street and North Station.

Commuter Rail service will be out on the Framingham/Worcester Line between Framingham and South Station from Sept. 19 to 20; Needham Line between Needham Heights and South Station from 11 p.m. on Sept. 18 to end of service Sept. 20; New Bedford/Fall River, Greenbush, and Kingston lines between South Station and Braintree Sept. 19 to 20.

Orange Line and Red Line closures

The Orange Line closure will accommodate the Ruggles Station Improvements Project to improve subway, Commuter Rail and bus service at “one of the most used stations in the network,” the MBTA said, with concrete repairs at platforms, along stair walls and the Ruggles Street Bridge.

The Red Line closure will likewise allow for bridge work at the Ashmont branch, including repairing columns on the Savin Hill Bridge and installing shielding at the JFK Bridge, T officials said.

Free, accessible shuttle buses will replace both lines along the closure, the MBTA said, reminding riders to “budget ample extra travel time.” Riders in need of accessibility accommodations can also request van service via station personnel or a station call box if they prefer.

T officials also noted Orange Line riders can consider Commuter Rail service as an alternative during the closure.

The Red Line will operate regular and increased frequency weekend service along the Braintree branch during the planned closure.

Green Line station and line closures

The Green Line closure will allow for “critical signal upgrades within the central Green Line tunnel,” T officials said, noting that the over 100 year old line’s signals updates will create safety and reliability improvements.

Free, accessible shuttle buses will run on portions of the B, C and D lines, while E line riders can use the 39 bus with additional buses running to add capacity. Riders can use Orange Line service between Back Bay and North Station, T officials said.

Additionally, on the Green Line Symphony station will remain closed through 2029, Brandon Hall on the C branch will be closed through Oct. 4 and C branch inbound trains will bypass Dean Road from Sept. 14 to Oct. 9.

Blue Line changes

The Blue Line will also see slight changes for one weekend from Sept. 26 to 27, allowing the “Maintenance of Way team” to perform switch work and spot tie replacements at and near the Wonderland stop, the MBTA said.

The trains will operate on a single track between Revere Beach and Wonderland during the weekend, meaning riders will need to board all trains at Wonderland on the outbound platform. Though service will operate between Bowdoin and Wonderland, every other train will terminate at either Wonderland or Orient Heights, the T said.

Commuter Rail closures

On the Framingham/Worcester Line, the closure will allow for Worcester Line track and signal improvements in Wellesley, the MBTA said, enabling potential future upgrades like all-day, 30-minute “Zonal express” bi-directional service to Worcester and local bi-directional service to Framingham.

Free, accessible shuttle buses will replace the service, with four different routes between Framingham and South Station but no stops at Wellesley Farms and Lansdowne. The line will be fare-free during the change.

The Needham Line closure, allowing for parts of the West Roxbury Parkway Bridge Replacement and South Station Signal and Track Improvements projects, will not have shuttle bus replacement. MBTA officials outlined bus service along the 35, 36, 37 and 59 routes and Orange Line service alternatives, reminding riders again to budget for extra time.

The New Bedford/Fall River, Greenbush, and Kingston lines closures will serve the bridge work along the Red Line’s Ashmont branch. Riders were encouraged to use Red Line subway service between South Station and Braintree (via Quincy Center) for Commuter Rail connections beyond Braintree or Quincy Center.

Of the outages, T officials noted the work “cannot be performed during the overnight hours when the MBTA does not operate, and would be extremely inefficient and costly if planned during single weekend outages.”

“Closing a section of the transit system for multiple days is the most efficient way to perform the MBTA’s routine maintenance, revitalization efforts, inspections, and upgrade work, and combines the efforts of multiple contractors and the MBTA workforce around the clock 24/7 to maximize productivity,” the MBTA said. “This work is necessary and continuous to maintain the reliable service riders count on.”

The T also recently announced a $140 million federal FRA investment for the Haverhill Double-Track Project, intended to have a “transformative impact” on Haverhill Commuter Rail Line and region. The project is projected to improve capacity and reliability for the Commuter Rail, Amtrak, and freight service on the line “while supporting the Commonwealth’s goal of advancing regional rail,” T officials said.

More information on the MBTA service changes can be found at MBTA.com/PlannedWork or by subscribing to T Alerts.

©2026 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Visit at bostonherald.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.