If you ride the Green Line into downtown, your commute changes Saturday. The MBTA is shutting down Green Line service through the central subway for nine consecutive days, Nov. 7 through Nov. 15, to replace a signal system that the agency says is as old as the tunnel itself, according to a reminder the T posted Monday.
Trains will not run between North Station and Babcock Street on the B Branch, Cleveland Circle on the C Branch, Kenmore on the D Branch and Heath Street on the E Branch. The MBTA says riders should budget ample extra time. A trip from Cleveland Circle to Park Street, for example, should take at least 25 minutes longer than usual.
How to get around
On the B Branch, free and accessible shuttle buses will run between Babcock Street and Back Bay. Fares will not be collected at surface stops between Babcock Street and Boston College, and the Route 57 bus along Commonwealth Avenue will be fare-free.
On the C Branch, shuttles will run between Cleveland Circle and Back Bay. They will not stop at Saint Mary’s Street, Kent Street or Brandon Hall in either direction, so riders there should walk to the next nearest stop.
On the D Branch, shuttles will run between Kenmore and Back Bay. Fare gates will be open at Kenmore and Riverside, and fares will be free at all surface stops west of Kenmore.
On the E Branch, the Route 39 bus will replace trains between Heath Street and Back Bay. The MBTA says it will add extra buses to the 39, which will be fare-free.
Riders on every branch can connect to the Orange Line at Back Bay to continue through downtown toward North Station. The Worcester Commuter Rail Line will also be fare-free between South Station, Back Bay and Lansdowne. Regular fares apply beyond Lansdowne and on other commuter rail lines.
Accessibility
All shuttle buses are accessible, though some weekday buses will be lift-equipped coach-style buses, and weekend shuttles will be low-floor buses with ramps, the MBTA said. Accessible van service will run between North Station and Kenmore, including Copley and Back Bay. Riders can ask station staff or use a station call box to request it.
What the work is for
The main job is the Green Line’s signal system in the central tunnel, which the MBTA says dates to the era of the first electric trolleys in North America. Crews have already installed 56 miles of new signal cable during earlier shutdowns. Over these nine days they plan to add about 16 more miles of signal cable and about 1 mile of fiber optic cable, finish signal connections at Copley and begin testing the new system at several spots in the tunnel.
The MBTA says the new signals will improve train detection and spacing and lay the groundwork for more frequent service. They are also built to work with the new Type 10 Green Line cars the agency plans to put into passenger service next year.
Crews will also keep working on accessible platforms at seven C Branch stops: Englewood Avenue, Dean Road, Tappan Street, the combined Fairbanks Street and Brandon Hall station, Summit Avenue, Saint Paul Street and Hawes Street. When that project is done, every C Branch station will be accessible, the MBTA said.
BU Today noted this is the fourth time this year that Green Line service has been suspended for more than a week. The MBTA says closing a section around the clock is the most efficient way to do the work, since it cannot be done overnight and would be costly to split into single weekends.