MBTA Reminds Riders of Upcoming Red Line Service Suspension, Announces Update to This Weekend July 13 – 14 and Weekend of July 27 – 28’s Red Line Service Changes | News

Updated July 18, 2024*

Red Line service will be suspended between Alewife and Kendall/MIT beginning at approximately 8:15 PM through the end of service on Friday, July 12, and from Alewife to JFK/UMass during the weekends of July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28.

Red Line service continues to be suspended between Alewife and Kendall/MIT July 15 – 26 on weekdays, between Alewife and Park Street during weekend of July 20 – 21 and weekday evenings beginning at 8:30 PM July 15 – 26.

Shuttle service graphic for the Red Line closure

The MBTA is today reminding riders of the upcoming multi-day Red Line service suspension and providing an update on weekend service outages on July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28.

Red Line service will be replaced with shuttle bus service between Alewife and Kendall/MIT beginning at approximately 8:15 PM through the end of service on Friday, July 12. Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops at all stations.

Planned Red Line service change during the weekends of July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28 have been extended with service suspended from Alewife to JFK/UMass. This decision comes after a thorough review of the work required and logistical challenges following recent overnight work to prepare for the work taking place during the service outage. With the goal of significantly improving service reliability and reducing travel times for thousands of daily riders, the extended outage during these weekends allows for the installation of over three and a half miles (19,200 feet) of new rail that will allow the MBTA to lift seven speed restrictions along this heavily traveled corridor.

“Our priority is to provide safe, reliable service while addressing long-standing infrastructure needs. The scope of this project is unprecedented, involving the replacement of over three and a half miles of running rail,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “More than five miles of scrap rail from past Red Line work also needs to be removed from our right of way areas. By extending the closure to JFK/UMass this weekend and the weekend of July 27 – 28, we’re creating the access needed to bring in new materials and remove old rail efficiently, demonstrating our commitment to doing the job right and addressing issues that were previously left undone. As we strive to continuously improve how we perform work and minimize impacts, we are adding new Red Line maintenance access points at Alewife, which we fully funded in the existing Capital Investment Plan to facilitate future maintenance and capital work.”

During the July 13 – 14 weekend service suspension, the following alternate service options will be available:

Shuttle Buses:
- Local shuttle bus services will make all stops to all closed stations between Alewife and Park Street.
- An additional local shuttle bus service will make all stops to all closed stations between Park Street and JFK/UMass.
- Riders desiring to travel beyond Park Street in either direction will need to transfer between these shuttle services at Park Street. Shuttle service has been designed in this way to keep shuttle buses moving through traffic efficiently, utilize existing shuttle plans from previous service suspensions, and best manage the length of the service shutdown.
Commuter Rail:
- The Commuter Rail will be fare free between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Braintree.
- Riders are encouraged to consider the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line for fare-free service between Porter and North Station. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Porter.
- Bus Route 77 will be fare-free within Cambridge.

During the July 27 – 28 weekend service suspension, the following alternate service options will be available:

Shuttle Buses:
- Local shuttle bus service will make all stops to all closed stations between Alewife and Park Street.
- An additional local shuttle bus service will make all stops to all closed stations between Harvard and JFK/UMass with the exception of Park Street and Downtown Crossing.
  - Riders heading southbound should instead disembark at Otis Street @ Summer Street and use the Winter Street concourse to travel between Downtown Crossing and Park Street.
  - Riders heading northbound should instead disembark at Federal Street @ Franklin Street and use the Winter Street concourse to travel between Downtown Crossing and Park Street.
  - Shuttle buses will also serve State (on the Orange and Blue lines) and Haymarket (on the Orange and Green lines) for easier connections to other subway lines.
- This alternate service is in direct response to feedback from riders following the July 13 – 14 weekend service suspension.
- The MBTA encourages riders travelling south beyond Park Street and north beyond Harvard to transfer to shuttle buses at Kendall/MIT.
- Shuttle service has been designed in this way to keep shuttle buses moving through traffic efficiently, utilize existing shuttle plans from previous service suspensions, and best manage the length of the service shutdown.
Commuter Rail:
- The Commuter Rail will be fare free between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Braintree.
- Riders are encouraged to consider the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line for fare-free service between Porter and North Station. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Porter.
- Bus Route 77 will be fare-free within Cambridge.

As previously announced, Red Line service will be also suspended between Alewife and Kendall/MIT from July 15 – 26. During the weekend of July 20 – 21 and during weekday evenings starting at approximately 8:30 PM through the end of service, the service suspension will be extended to Park Street (meaning Red Line service will be suspended between Alewife and Park Street).

Bus Route 77 will continue to be fare-free within Cambridge. There will also be three free and accessible shuttle bus options for Red Line riders:

Local shuttle buses will make all stops to all closed stations.
- Weekdays after 8:30 PM and on weekends, the local shuttle bus will make stops at all closed stations.
Express shuttle buses will make stops between Alewife, Porter, and Kendall/MIT on weekdays before 8:30PM.
A shuttle bus “loop” will make stops at Harvard, Central, and Kendall/MIT on weekdays before 8:30PM.

Riders also continue to be encouraged to consider the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line for fare-free service between Porter and North Station. Regular fares should be purchased beyond Porter. An additional weekday “shuttle train” will operate hourly between North Station and Porter. This shuttle train along with the existing service on the Fitchburg Line means trains will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays between Porter and North Station, essentially doubling Commuter Rail service.

Full information on alternative travel options during this Red Line service suspension, including bus shuttle stop locations, will be available soon at mbta.com/RedLine.

This service change is in place to support critical work as part of the MBTA’s Track Improvement Program work. The Track Improvement Program will replace tracks and ties to alleviate speed restrictions along the line while crews maximize the outage by performing signal work and station amenity upgrades, including new lighting, painting, tiling, power washing, and more. Work taking place during this service changes also includes:

Replacing about one-third of a mile (1,800 feet) of restraining rail and 800 feet of third rail.
Resurfacing and tamping over a mile and a half (9,300 feet) of rail.
Replacing 250 ties.
Installing 64 new concrete slabs to support the rails.
Replacing over 5,000 rail fastening plates.

This extensive work will benefit over 85,000 weekday trips in the Alewife-to-Park Street segment, which is the most heavily used portion of the Red Line. Following this important work, riders will experience a more reliable trip with fewer unplanned service disruptions related to older tracks, older infrastructure, signal issues, or power problems. Riders will also be provided with a safer ride as a result of this state of good repair work.

The MBTA understands how these service changes affect riders’ daily travels during this period, but we are committed to improving your travels long term with more reliable, timely, and safe service. We thank riders for their patience as we deliver this important work and for continuing to ride our system.

More information is also available through in-station signage and public announcements. 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.

* On July 18, the above was edited to update alternate shuttle bus service plans for the weekend of July 27 – 28. Previously, shuttle buses were planned to operate between Alewife and Park Street, and between Park Street and JFK/UMass with riders encouraged to transfer between shuttle bus services at Park Street. After receiving rider feedback following the July 13 – 14 service suspension, shuttle bus plans for the July 27 – 28 weekend were updated to those noted above.