November Service Changes Will Allow Crews to Continue Improvement Work Across MBTA System

Service changes are planned for the Red, Orange, and Haverhill lines.

The MBTA today announced service changes in November on the Red, Orange, and Haverhill lines. The MBTA will continue working to improve service reliability across the system. Additional service changes may take place in November and will be announced when details are finalized.

On the Red Line:

• Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between Alewife and Kendall/MIT Stations during the weekend of November 4-5. This service change allows crews to perform rail welding and track work in order to alleviate speed restrictions.
   
• Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Red Line trains between JFK/UMass and Park Street Stations beginning at approximately 8:45 PM through the end of service Tuesday through Thursday on November 14-16 as well as during the weekend of November 18-19. This service change allows crews to perform track work between Broadway and South Station in order to alleviate speed restrictions.

On the Orange Line:

• Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Orange Line trains between Oak Grove and Wellington Stations from the start of service until approximately 2 PM on Sunday, November 5. This service change is taking place to accommodate an emergency response learning exercise taking place near Malden Center. The exercise is an opportunity for public safety officials to exercise emergency response plans, policies, and procedures. 
   
• Accessible shuttle bus service will replace Orange Line trains between Oak Grove and North Station beginning at approximately 8:45 PM through the end of service Tuesday through Friday on November 7-10 as well as during the weekend of November 11-12. This service change allows MBTA crews to perform critical work at the Oak Grove crossover track area as well as in and around the tracks at Sullivan Square and Community College Stations. 

On the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line:

• As previously announced, accessible shuttle buses are replacing Haverhill Line trains between Ballardvale and North Station through November 5. This service change allows crews to perform Automatic Train Control (ATC) work. ATC is a federally mandated safety system that sends signals to trains about potentially unsafe conditions, automatically slowing and stopping a train if needed.  
   
  • Shuttle buses will replace train service between Reading and Oak Grove where passengers can connect to Orange Line subway. 
     
  • A shuttle bus will also provide service between Reading and Anderson/Woburn for connections to the Lowell Line and Haverhill Line. 
  • The shuttle service between Reading and Oak Grove will stop in Wakefield, Greenwood, Melrose Highlands, Melrose Cedar Park, Wyoming Hill, and Oak Grove. 
  • North Wilmington Station will not have shuttle bus service with passengers encouraged to utilize Lowell Commuter Rail Line service at Wilmington Station instead. 
    ​​​​​​​
  • Train service for passengers between Ballardvale and Haverhill will be re-routed along the Lowell Line after Ballardvale, making one additional stop at Anderson/Woburn and then running express to North Station. Riders desiring service to or from Reading and Oak Grove should disembark at Anderson/Woburn and board the shuttle bus service.
     
  • A dedicated diversion schedule will be in effect and is available on mbta.com.

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/alerts. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site to offer information and assistance during these service changes. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X (the site formerly known as Twitter) @MBTA for up-to-date service information. 

The MBTA previously announced service changes in October. More information is available here.

The MBTA apologizes for the inconvenience 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.

More Information