Hull residents who use the Red Line for their daily commutes will be affected by closures during most of September.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will shut down service between the Braintree terminal and JFK/UMass station between September 6 and 29. Shuttle buses will pick up riders at Braintree, Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Wollaston, and North Quincy and bring them to the Ashmont station to board a train for the ride into South Station and beyond.
In addition, there will be no Greenbush commuter rail service on the weekends of September 7 and 8 and September 14 and 15. Shuttle buses will run between South Station and Braintree on those weekends.
The MBTA says the closures will allow crews to repair 18 miles of track between JFK/UMass and Braintree, resulting in the removal of more than 20 speed restrictions and improving round-trip Braintree branch travel times by as much as 24 minutes. These track improvements will also lay the groundwork for the MBTA’s goal of raising current Red Line train speeds above current speeds where possible. Kingston, Middleborough, and Greenbush (Old Colony) Commuter Rail line trains, which run adjacent to the Red Line, will also be replaced with shuttle bus service between South Station and Braintree during the weekends of September 7 and 8 and September 14 and 15 to accommodate this work.
On the Red Line:
• Red Line Braintree branch service will be suspended between JFK/UMass and Braintree for 24 days from September 6 to September 29.
• Middleborough, Kington, and Greenbush (Old Colony) Commuter Rail line service will also be replaced by shuttle bus service during the weekends of September 7 and 8 and September 14 and 15.
• The T encourages riders to use the Middleborough, Kington, and Greenbush commuter rail lines for fare-free service between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station (with the exception of the weekends of closure). Commuter rail schedules are available on mbta.com.
• Commuter Rail trains operate about every 20-30 minutes. Travelling between Braintree and South Station on the Commuter Rail is about 24 minutes.
• Additional Keolis personnel will be available at Braintree, Quincy Center, and JFK/UMass during weekday morning and evening rush hour periods to answer questions and assist riders boarding Commuter Rail trains.
• Extra trains will be added to the Middleborough, Kington, and Greenbush Commuter Rail lines to accommodate the anticipated increase in ridership.
• Regular Commuter Rail fares will be collected for travel beyond Braintree.
• Free and accessible shuttle bus service will make stops at Braintree, Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Wollaston, North Quincy, and Ashmont for connections to further Red Line subway service.
• There will be no direct shuttle bus service to or from JFK/UMass. These riders should use the fare-free Commuter Rail when possible.
• Riders using shuttle buses during this service change should budget extra travelling time. For example, a rider travelling to Park Street from Braintree should anticipate an extra 40 minutes in addition to their regular commute. Again, riders are strongly encouraged to consider the fare-free Commuter Rail during this service change.
• There will be increased subway service on the Ashmont branch in order to maintain train frequency through the Red Line core between JFK/UMass and Alewife. Trains will operate at about an eight-minute frequency between Ashmont and Alewife.
• Riders can find complete information at mbta.com/RedLine.
• This service change is in place to perform work as part of the Track Improvement Program, including replacing tracks and ties, resurfacing track areas, and upgrading station amenities. The track work accomplished during these 24 days allows the MBTA to run service up the maximum allowable speed of 40 miles per hour, but also lays the groundwork for raising current Red Line train speeds.
On the Commuter Rail lines:
• Free and accessible shuttle buses will operate directly between South Station and Braintree, stopping only at South Station and Braintree. The schedule will be available online at mbta.com/CommuterRail.
• Passengers can use free and accessible shuttle buses replacing Red Line Braintree Branch service between Braintree and Ashmont.
• There will be no direct shuttle bus service to or from JFK/UMass.
• 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.
• This service change is in place to accommodate Track Improvement Program work taking place on the Braintree branch noted above. Suspending service on these Commuter Rail lines allows crews to be more productive during the planned work during these weekends thanks to the unencumbered access to the track area.
Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/alerts.
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