Weekend Bus Shuttle Service Effective April 7 on Franklin Line Between Forge Park/495 and Readville Stations for 8 Weekends

To accommodate the installation of federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) infrastructure, the MBTA will replace weekend Franklin Line train service with free bus shuttle service from Forge Park/495 to Readville Stations beginning Saturday, April 7, and ending on Sunday, May 27.

The free weekend bus shuttle service along the Franklin Line between Forge Park/495 and Readville will make stops at all stations (except Plimptonville and Hyde Park Stations, as there is no regular weekend train service to these stations). Inbound bus shuttles will follow weekend Franklin Line schedules, with outbound bus shuttles leaving Readville approximately 5 minutes after the train arrives. Bus shuttles will connect to regular weekend Franklin Line train service at Readville Station where trains will make all stops between Readville and South Station for a Zone 2 fare. All bus shuttles are accessible for persons with disabilities. Bicycles are prohibited on all shuttle buses during all service hours.

This shutdown of Franklin Line train service between Forge Park/495 and Readville on weekends from April 7 to May 27 is necessary for crews to begin installation activities that include installing poles, fiber optic cables, signal houses, and antenna for the federally mandated PTC system, which is designed to prevent train-on-train collisions. Amtrak is installing PTC infrastructure between Readville and South Station, allowing this portion of the Franklin Line to remain open.

The first MBTA PTC installation began the weekend of July 8, 2017, on the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line, with various commuter rail lines across the system currently at various stages of PTC hardware installation. The MBTA’s PTC Implementation Plan submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration provides for the installation of hardware on all commuter rail lines and 2 pilot lines (Stoughton Line and Lowell Line) by the end of 2018, with full PTC implementation by December 31, 2020.

Learn more about the Franklin Line weekend bus shuttles