Wollaston MBTA Station Closure Begins January 8

20-month closure of Wollaston Station means no customer access to the Red Line at that station.

Learn more about Wollaston Station Improvements.

BOSTON – Today, the MBTA announced its final plans relative to the closure of Wollaston Station, which will begin on January 8. The closure is necessary to expedite the schedule to reconstruct the deteriorated station.

A news conference was held today with Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez, Senator John Keenan, Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, other state elected official, and members of the Quincy City Council to discuss customer accommodations during the station closure.

"Safety is the priority as we replace Wollaston Station," said Secretary Pollack. "Red Line trains will continue to be provided along the Red Line, but the trains will not stop at Wollaston in the interest of the safety of our customers. We believe we have a comprehensive and efficient plan in place to continue to help customers get to where they need to go, as bus shuttles will operate out of the station and parking will still be available."

Working in coordination with city officials, T customers, and Wollaston residents, the T will be operating bus shuttle service from Wollaston to both North Quincy and Quincy Center Stations for the 20 months that the station is closed. While the Wollaston parking lot will see a reduction of approximately 110 spaces, T customers can continue to use the remaining approximately 425 spaces in that lot. Parking is also available at North Quincy, which can be accessed via Newport Avenue.

Additionally, for the duration of the closure of Wollaston, the T is accepting Zone 1A fares at Quincy Center for those customers desiring to board the commuter rail with valid passes or tickets accepted. In anticipation of the increase in Commuter Rail riders, additional seating capacity will be made available on the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Middleborough/Lakeville Lines, which pass through Quincy Center.

"Working in collaboration with the city and elected officials, and in response to community concerns about the closure’s timing, we've decided to move the closure date to January 8 to give our customers more time to plan ahead," said MBTA General Manager Ramírez. "While we recognize that the station closure will be an inconvenience to our customers now, in the long run, we’ll be able to complete this project under an expedited schedule and with our customers' safety in mind. I want to thank the city of Quincy for their partnership and I look forward to transforming Wollaston into a modern and fully accessible station."

"Today marks a crucial step forward for the Wollaston Station Improvement project. The mitigation plan released today reflects months of communication between state and local officials, members of the public, MassDOT, and the MBTA," said State Senator John Keenan. “We are committed to continuing our work in order to mitigate disruptions to commuters. The reconstruction of Wollaston Station, combined with a new Red Line fleet and updated signalization, will provide commuters with a reliable and efficient transportation system."

In advance of the station’s closure, a bus shuttle began operating Sundays through Thursdays starting November 12 from 9 PM through the end of service between North Quincy and Braintree Stations. This shuttle service allows for ongoing early construction activities in an effort to expedite the overall reconstruction.

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Some of the Wollaston improvements include major accessibility enhancements, state-of-the-art safety features, and new drainage and flood prevention infrastructure. Currently the only non ADA-accessible station on the Red Line, Wollaston will be transformed into a modern, fully accessible facility, making the entirety of the Red Line 100-percent accessible. Additional upgrades to the station include new elevators, additional customer paths, upgraded stairways, new bathrooms, and additional lighting. New electrical, fire protection, security, flooding mitigation, and site utility upgrades will also occur to support the accessible improvements. The estimated construction value of the Wollaston Station Improvements is $33 million.

Meanwhile, the MBTA is improving infrastructure at other station locations. Demolition work at the Quincy Center Station Garage, which was closed in July 2012 due to structural concerns, is also scheduled to begin in early 2018. As part of the work at Quincy Center Station, the existing elevator will be completely replaced and an accessible entrance at Burgin Parkway will be added. Construction of the project will occur through December 2018 for a construction value of $13 million. The station will remain open and fully functional during construction.

Additional Red Line south shore upgrades are also planned at the Braintree and Quincy Adams parking garages. Renovations to the garages at these stations will bring the facilities to a state of good repair with an anticipated useful life of forty years, improve accessibility, and provide for more efficient and improved parking layout. Included are structural repairs, replaced drainage systems, upgraded fire alarm, CCTV, electrical, and emergency power systems, and full replacement of lighting systems. Accessibility upgrades include two new elevators at Braintree Garage as well as improvements to both garages in wayfinding signage and better traffic circulation for accessibility vehicles, wheelchair access, and pedestrian movement. Construction of both garages is anticipated to begin in early 2018 with an estimated construction contract value of $90 million. Both garages will remain in service during the construction period. This work will be advertised for construction next week.

The MBTA has committed $911 million to Red Line south shore projects, including 252 new Red Line cars that will begin full revenue service in November 2019. The renovations at Wollaston Station are a major part of a series of signal, rail, and other infrastructure upgrades along the Red Line. Previous MBTA successes in renovation construction with station shutdowns include Government Center, Orient Heights, and Science Park Stations.

For more information, visit the project page for Wollaston Station Improvements.