MBTA Announces Additional Blue Line Schedule Revisions

Work areas to focus on lifting speed restrictions.

Blue Line evening weekday shuttle bus diversions will begin at 8 PM April 24-27 and May 1-4.

The MBTA today announced a revision to the upcoming evening weekday shuttle bus diversions on the entirety of the Blue Line. Work will happen April 24-27 and May 1-4 beginning at 8 PM.

Blue Line evening weekday train service will be replaced with accessible shuttle buses between Government Center and Wonderland Stations beginning at approximately 8 PM on April 24-27 and May 1-4. Shuttle buses will not serve Bowdoin station. Shuttles bus schedules will work to match previous train frequency.

This service change will allow MBTA crews to continue track work on the Blue Line that will alleviate speed restrictions. Crews will be replacing close to 2,000 feet of rail, over 450 ties, and perform more than 3,000 feet of tamping.

The MBTA is prioritizing this area to maximize the Blue Line’s capacity to carry customers during the two-month closure of the Sumner Tunnel this summer. To capitalize on these two service diversions, the MBTA will be scheduling additional work at other locations along the Blue Line, including during non-revenue hours. Work will occur in multiple areas on the Blue Line with both MBTA and contractor crews. Any additional work impacting riders will be announced as the schedule is finalized.

Previously, work was scheduled to begin at 7 PM on the dates above. Since the announcement of the start time of these evening shuttle bus diversions on the Blue Line, the MBTA received feedback from public stakeholder groups who advocated for the MBTA to amend the start time of these evening shuttle buses to 8 PM and the MBTA shifted its work schedule to best serve its customers.

Based on progress made during the upcoming evening Blue Line diversions, the MBTA is exploring the opportunity for additional select evenings for “early access” (work beginning at 8 PM) service diversions during the month of June. The MBTA will share more information as plans are finalized.

Signage will be in place during all scheduled changes in service to direct riders to shuttle bus stops. Extra MBTA personnel and Transit Ambassadors will also be on-hand to assist riders. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on Twitter @MBTA for up-to-date service information.

The MBTA apologizes for the inconvenience of the amended start time of these scheduled service changes, and appreciates the understanding and patience of riders as this critical and necessary work to maintain, upgrade, and modernize the system takes place. The MBTA will announce additional service changes in advance as they are confirmed and scheduled.