Here are the MBTA service changes for December (2024)

The latest round of MBTA train and bus service changes was announced Thursday, including a nearly monthlong closure of the Green and Orange lines in downtown Boston.

The announcement comes as the troubled agency said it needs $24.5 billion to bring all its systems into working order. Some of the closures, including the Orange and Green line closures at Haymarket Station from Nov. 27 to Dec. 22, are separate from the list released last week as part of the T's plan to end the many slow zones on its train lines.

The Haymarket closure is necessary because of the continued demolition of the Government Center Garage. The T referred a question about the timeline for the demolition to the contractor doing the work.

A plan to lift the speed restrictions on the MBTA will require time and more shutdowns.

"The MBTA will continue working to improve service reliability across the system," the T said in a statement sharing the December service changes.

Here are the changes coming to the T this December, as released by the MBTA:

Green Line

  • Evening Green Line trains on both Green Line Extension (GLX) branches between North Station and Union Square Station as well as Medford/Tufts station will be suspended beginning at approximately 8:45 PM through the end of service every day from November 27-December 10, 2023.
    • Accessible shuttle bus service will replace trains between North Station and Medford/Tufts station.
    • Train service between Lechmere and Union Square Stations will be suspended. Green Line Union Square branch riders are instead encouraged to consider alternative routes, including the 86, 91, and CT2 bus routes between Union Square and East Somerville Station on the Medford Branch. These bus routes also travel to Sullivan Square Station on the Orange Line. In addition, Route 87 travels between Union Square and Lechmere Station.
  • GLX riders should also note that shuttle buses will replace Green Line trains between Lechmere and North Station all day from start to end of service on December 4 and December 5. More details are below.
  • This service change is in place while crews perform critical track work that alleviates current tight gauge conditions. Additionally, crews will perform track work on the Lechmere Viaduct.
  • As previously announced, Green Line service will be suspended all day from start to end of service from Monday, November 27, through Sunday, December 3, on the B branch between North Station and Babcock Street Station, on the E branch between North Station and Heath Street Station, and on the C and D branches between North Station and Kenmore station. Additionally, all day from start to end of service on December 4-5, the Green Line service change will be extended to Lechmere. This service change is in place as part of the MBTA’s Track Improvement Plan and will accommodate structural repairs at Boylston Station, track reconstruction throughout the Green Line underground central subway, and work to alleviate a speed restriction on Commonwealth Avenue in Allston. A page with dedicated information for riders will be available soon at mbta.com/GreenLine. Travel alternatives during this service change are below:
  • B Branch: Accessible shuttle buses will operate between Babcock Street and Copley Stations. From Copley, riders can travel less than a quarter mile (about a 5-minute walk) to Back Bay Station on the Orange Line for continued service to the downtown area and North Station (/Lechmere on December 4-5). Riders can also utilize free Route 57 bus service for alternate travel between Kenmore and Babcock Street.
  • C and D Branches; Green Line between Kenmore and North Station: Accessible shuttle buses will operate between Kenmore and Copley stations. From Copley, riders can travel less than a quarter mile (about a 5-minute walk) to Back Bay Station on the Orange Line for continued service to the downtown area and North Station (/Lechmere on December 4-5).
  • E Branch: Riders are asked to instead utilize the parallel Route 39 bus service, which will be free and operates from Heath Street station along Huntington Avenue to Back Bay Station. From Back Bay, riders can utilize the Orange Line for continued service to the downtown area and North Station (/Lechmere on December 4-5).
  • As previously announced, accessible shuttle bus service will replace Green Line D branch trains between Kenmore and Riverside stations all day from start to end of service for 10 days from December 11-20, 2023. This service change is in place while crews perform work as part of the Track Improvement Plan, which will alleviate speed restrictions along the line.

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 from November 27-December 22:
  • Orange Line trains will bypass Haymarket Station. Orange Line riders should instead exit at North Station or State, 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. Riders are 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). The distance between Government Center and 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.

Silver Line

Silver Line Routes 1, 2, and 3 will be re-routed to the street level between Silver Line Way and South Station during the weekend of December 2-3. This service change will allow for continued safety, waterproofing, and station resiliency improvement work at Courthouse Station.

Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line

  • Free, accessible shuttle buses are replacing Newburyport/Rockport Line trains between Swampscott and North Station from start to end of service from December 2-10, 2023.
    • Passengers should note that there will be no service at Chelsea and River Works.
    • Passengers at Chelsea are instead encouraged to utilize the Silver Line 3 for service to and from Boston.
  • Regular train service will operate between Newburyport/Rockport and Swampscott.
  • The full diversion schedule will be available at mbta.com soon. The normal shuttle bus schedule between Lynn and Swampscott will be suspended as this service change will include shuttle bus service to Lynn.
  • Passengers are reminded that bikes are not allowed on board shuttle buses and to purchase regular fares for travel between Swampscott and their station of origin/destination.
  • This service change allows crews to perform Automatic Train Control (ATC) work. ATC is a federally mandated safety system that sends signals to trains about potentially unsafe conditions, automatically slowing and stopping a train if needed.

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Here are the MBTA service changes for December (2024)

FAQs

Will the MBTA ever get better? ›

Building a Better T

The T is evolving every day. As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.

What is the most used line on the MBTA? ›

You can see the busiest stations are all along the Red Line.

What is the MBTA doing to the Orange Line? ›

Orange Line Signal Upgrades

The analog signal system on the Orange Line will be fully replaced with new, digital infrastructure. Our signal system is made up of equipment and cables that run along the track, collecting and sending data about train locations to our operations teams.

How many bus drivers does the MBTA have? ›

For the first time in years, the MBTA is growing its depleted workforce of bus operators, thanks to a more generous labor contract and expanded training programs. This spring, the MBTA has over 1,500 active bus drivers in its workforce, and 53 more drivers than it had at the beginning of the year.

What is the oldest line on the MBTA? ›

The Green Line is a semi-metro system (form of light rail) run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway in North America.

What is the busiest MBTA station? ›

South Station has become the busiest of all the stations in the MBTA network. Downtown Crossing was once the MBTA's busiest rapid-transit stop, with its location near the Financial District's bustling office towers at the junction of the Red and Orange lines.

What is the deepest MBTA station? ›

A notable claim to fame for Porter station is that it is 105 feet (32 meters) underground. This makes the station the deepest one within the entire MBTA network.

What is the busiest train line in the US? ›

The Northeast Corridor is America's busiest rail line. Each day, its trains deliver 800,000 passengers to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington and points in between.

Why is MBTA train so slow? ›

Sometimes, a slow zone signals that the MBTA has completed critical repairs, maintenance work, or major improvements. Take the Orange Line repairs, for example. After a month-long shutdown, trains had to move slower because tracks needed time to settle before cars could run at full speed again.

Why did Boston shut down the Orange Line? ›

Following various reliability issues on the Orange Line, the MBTA announced that it would close the entire line for renovations from August 19 to September 18, 2022. During the closure, the MBTA conducted accelerated repairs to track, ties, signals, and concrete walls, as well as replacing two crossovers.

Who makes MBTA trains? ›

The CRRC MA factory in Springfield, Mass., is producing 404 cars for the MBTA's Red and Orange lines.

Why is it called the Orange Line Boston? ›

This heavy rail line runs south from Malden through downtown Boston and into the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The Orange Line gets its name from its route under Washington Street, which was formerly named Orange Street, via Downtown Crossing, Chinatown, and Tufts Medical Center.

What is the average salary for a MBTA bus driver? ›

The average Bus Operator base salary at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is $60K per year.

How much do MBTA train drivers make? ›

As of Aug 27, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Metro Train Driver in Boston is $19.75 an hour.

How much do MBTA employees make? ›

The average Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority hourly pay ranges from approximately $22 per hour (estimate) for a Transit Data Intern to $73 per hour (estimate) for a Senior Product Manager. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employees rate the overall compensation and benefits package 3.7/5 stars.

How to make MBTA better? ›

We are:
  1. Redesigning routes so that they go where people want to go.
  2. Buying more buses to increase frequency.
  3. Building bus lanes to make buses faster and more reliable.
  4. Improving stops to be safer, more accessible, and more comfortable.
  5. Providing riders with real-time service information.

What is the problem with MBTA? ›

Some of the safety issues that the MBTA faced during the FTA's continued investigations include: May 2022 - 3 construction vehicle derailments within 3 days. June 2022 - Another Green Line train collision that put 3 MBTA workers in the hospital. July 2022 - Orange Line train catches fire.

Why is MBTA so slow? ›

Simply put, the MBTA puts slow zones in place to protect passengers' safety. But the reasons behind this decision can vary. Signal problems, structural deficiencies, and vehicle malfunctions often explain slow zones – including many current ones.

How reliable is MBTA? ›

Concerns about safety seem to factor into the overall ratings of MBTA services. According to the poll, only 28% of respondents rate the quality of the subway and trolley service as at least good. And 35% said the quality of bus service was at least good.

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