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What to know about March MBTA service changes
Riders on several of the MBTA's subway and commuter rail lines face upcoming service changes in March.
Riders on the commuter rail and Orange, Red, and Blue lines can expect service changes in March, the MBTA announced Friday.
Those periodic shutdowns will help support several projects and initiatives, including signal upgrades at North Station and on the Orange and Red lines; maintenance work at Bowdoin; and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge superstructure replacements project, according to the T.
“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,” the agency said in a news release. “We thank riders for their patience as we deliver this important work and for continuing to ride our system.”
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Here’s what to know about next month’s changes.
Orange Line
March 1-2
- Service will be suspended between Jackson Square and North Station to accommodate signal upgrade work.
- Free and accessible shuttles will make all stops between Jackson Square and Back Bay, and riders can catch the Green Line at nearby Copley for continued service downtown.
- There will be free fares at Copley (inbound only) and at Jackson Square.
- Accessible van service will be available between North Station and Back Bay, and to Copley for continued subway service. Riders should ask station personnel for help.
- The commuter rail will be fare-free between Forest Hills and South Station.
March 7-9
- Service will be suspended between Oak Grove and North Station beginning around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, and continuing through the weekend. The shutdown supports MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge project.
- Free and accessible shuttles will make all stops between Oak Grove and North Station, with express shuttles stopping at Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station.
- The commuter rail’s Haverhill Line will be fare-free after 8:30 p.m. March 7, though service on the Haverhill Line is suspended between Ballardvale and North Station the weekend of March 8-9.
Red Line
March 8-9, March 22-23, and March 29-30
- Service will be suspended between JFK/UMass and Braintree to accommodate signal upgrade work.
- Free and accessible shuttles will make all stops between JFK/UMass and Braintree.
- The T is encouraging riders to use the commuter rail’s Middleborough, Kingston, and Greenbush lines for fare-free service between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station. (Riders will still need to pay regular fares for travel beyond Braintree.)
Blue Line
March 7-10 and March 21-24
- Bowdoin will be closed and service will end at Government Center to accommodate critical infrastructure upgrade work.
- The first closure will begin around 7 p.m. on Friday, March 7, and extend through the following Monday. The second closure will begin around 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21, and extend through the following Monday.
- Blue Line riders can board and disembark at Government Center, about a four-minute walk from Bowdoin.
- The T has advised Blue Line riders to expect slightly longer headways between trains — about seven to eight minutes — from 7 p.m. to the end of service on March 7 and 21.
Newburyport/Rockport Line
March 1-2 and March 8-9
- Service will be suspended between North Station and Swampscott to support signal upgrade work at North Station and MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge project.
- Express shuttles will operate directly from Swampscott to North Station. Shuttles will also make local stops “between Swampscott, Lynn within the busway at the legacy station, Wonderland for connections to the Blue Line subway, Chelsea Station for connections to the Silver Line 3 (SL3), and North Station,” the T said.
- The last outbound shuttle will make a special late-night stop at Salem and Beverly Depot.
- The commuter rail will be fare-free between Swampscott and Newburyport or Rockport.
- Riders can also use the SL3, or the Blue and Red lines.
Haverhill Line
March 1-2
- Service will be suspended between Oak Grove and North Station to allow crews to perform signal upgrade work at North Station.
- Riders can use Orange Line service between Oak Grove and North Station, and the Green Line for service between North Station and Copley. Free shuttles are replacing Orange Line service between Jackson Square and Back Bay.
March 8-9
- Service will be suspended between Oak Grove and North Station to support signal upgrade work at North Station and MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge project.
- Free and accessible shuttles will replace service between Oak Grove and North Station.
- The T will collect regular commuter rail fares between Bradford and Oak Grove.
- The 137 bus will be fare-free.
Lowell Line
March 1-2 and March 8-9
- Service will be suspended between Anderson/Woburn and North Station to allow crews to perform signal upgrade work at North Station.
- Free and accessible shuttles will replace service between Anderson/Woburn and North Station. Local and express shuttles will be available, though local shuttles won’t serve Winchester Center.
For more information on MBTA alerts and upcoming service changes, check out mbta.com/alerts.
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