By Dan Murphy
Service on all branches of the MBTA’s Green line is temporarily shut down until Dec. 22 to allow for the replacement of 130-year-old infrastructure.
Beginning Dec. 8, service on the Green Line service between North Station and Babcock Street on the B Branch, Kenmore on the C and D Branches, and Heath Street on the E Branch is being suspended for 15 consecutive days. Regular Green Line service continues to operate on the Green line between North Station and Union Square, as well as to Medford/Tufts, during the change in service, however.
Free and accessible shuttle buses are operating for the duration of the service change on all branches of the Green line, but riders are advised to allow for ample extra travel time. For example, a rider travelling to Park Street from Boston College should budget at least an additional 20 minutes, in additional to their regular commute, advises the T.
On the B branch, shuttle buses operate between Babcock Street and Back Bay. Riders can connect to the Orange line at Back Bay Station for continued service through downtown toward North Station.
Fares at Kenmore are free, with the fare gates open, and fares are also free at all surface-level stops west of Kenmore. Route 57 bus service is fare-free during the change in service as well.
On the C and D branches, shuttle buses operate between Kenmore and Back Bay Station. Riders can connect to the Orange Line at Back Bay Station for continued service through downtown toward North Station. Fares are free at Kenmore and Riverside, with gates open, and fares are also free at all surface-level stops west of Kenmore.
On the E branch, Route 39 replaces service between Heath Street and Back Bay Station. Extra buses have been added to this route, which is fare-free during this service change, to accommodate additional capacity. Accessible van service are available for Green Line stops between Copley/Back Bay stations and North Station as well.
For complete information, visit: mbta.com/GreenLine
The T is performing this work to allow for the replacement of the 130-year-old wooden overhead catenary wire ‘trough’ in the Green Line tunnel, which is original to the tunnel’s construction in the late 1890s. The trough, which houses the Green Line’s overhead wires, will be replaced with a “modern, more durable,” metal trough, according to the T.
With unencumbered access to the underground Green Line track areas, MBTA crews will also perform continued work to install Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) infrastructure, which combines vehicle and wayside equipment to avoid train-on-train collisions, provide stop signal overrun protection, and incorporate speed enforcement.