Closure of the Green Line D Branch Begins September 24 for Infrastructure Upgrades

Beginning Saturday, September 24, the Green Line D Branch will close for three nine-day, full-access closures. The closures will take place on a rolling basis through Sunday, October 30. During this closure, the MBTA will replace track, station crossings, and install wayside equipment for the Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS). 

“These kinds of full-access diversions allow the T to accelerate investments and improvements across the system,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “With three full-access diversions already successfully completed on the Green Line this summer, I am confident the Capital Transformation team will complete the D Branch promptly and on schedule, delivering an increased level of safety and reliability to our riders through track replacement work and the installation of GLTPS infrastructure. I want to thank our Green Line riders for their patience while we accomplish this critical work on a faster timeline.”

The Green Line Transformation team already completed three Green Line diversions this summer on the B, C, and E Branches, and the D Branch diversion is the final diversion in this project. The D Branch improvements require some prep work, which will begin Monday, September 19, and end Friday, September 23. Prep work will not interfere with regularly scheduled service. 

In order to cause less disruption to Green Line riders, this 27-day, full-access closure will be broken into three nine-day periods:

• Saturday, September 24 - Sunday, October 2 
• Saturday, October 8 - Sunday, October 16
• Saturday, October 22 - Sunday, October 30

“The Capital Transformation team continues to work diligently to deliver the best service possible for our riders,” said MBTA Chief of Capital Transformation Angel Peña. “Although this is the last scheduled surge for the Green Line this year, our team is always looking for ways to best serve our riders and deliver the safest and most reliable commute possible. Thank you to all of our Green Line riders this summer for your patience and understanding as we made these much-needed improvements across the line.”

During this closure, the MBTA will replace over 6,000 feet of track, upgrade over six station crossings, and install wayside equipment for GLTPS. A majority of the full-depth track replacement will take place between Eliot and Riverside stations. During the full-access closures, the parking lots at Waban and Eliot stations will be closed to the public due to track material and vehicle storage. 

Alternative service will be available for all D Branch riders throughout the closures. Free, accessible shuttle buses will stop at stations between Riverside and Kenmore. Shuttle buses will not stop at Beaconsfield station due to narrow roads in the area. Riders can use Reservoir station, or Dean Road on the C Branch in order to access the Green Line.

During the 16-day closure of the E Branch from August 6 to August 21, which was completed earlier than previously scheduled, crews replaced over 2,750 feet of track, two pieces of special track work, and installed wayside GLTPS equipment across the branch. During the 12-day closure of the C Branch from July 11 to July 22, crews replaced 1,500 feet of track from St. Mary’s to Kenmore stations and installed wayside GLTPS across the branch. During the 12-day closure of the B Branch from June 20 to July 1, crews replaced 3,200 feet of track, four units of special track work, one vehicular intersection, one pedestrian crossing, and installed wayside GLTPS equipment.

The MBTA’s Capital Transformation team follows a holistic approach to transforming the Green, Orange, and Red Lines that has a clear focus on safety. The program is aligned by six Levels of Transformation: Improving Safety & Bringing Infrastructure into a State of Good Repair, Enhancing Accessibility, Replacing Legacy Fleets, Increasing Passenger Capacity, Modernizing Rider Experience, and Expanding Service.

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