Major Green Line shutdown begins Monday

Major disruptions on the Green Line through the heart of downtown Boston start Monday as the T begins two week s worth of improvements to make riding safer and more reliable From Dec to Dec a combination of shuttle bus commuter rail and Orange Line utility will replace the Green Line from North Station to Babcock Street B branch Kenmore C and D branch and Heath Street E branch The diversion gives the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority the opportunity to replace wooden overhead troughs that house electrical wiring The -plus-year-old troughs are original to Green Line tunnel built in the s During the -day-shutdown the MBTA is also planning on modernizing signals inspecting tunnels brightening stations and continuing work on the Green Line Train Protection System which prevents head-on collisions on the tracks Although the pause in function is vital it s a part of a strategy to make the T safer and more reliable so that riders who previously avoided community transit because of frequent delays will consider returning to the T MBTA CEO and General Manager Phillip Eng explained the strategy at the agency s board of directors meeting last month With increased improvements the number of planned trips on the Orange Red and Blue Lines has also increased That is going to bring people back We re seeing that little by little every month he reported adding that ridership in October was the highest it has been since the pandemic Related Articles Massachusetts schools mistakenly informed about funding loss amid MBTA zoning fights MBTA sees strongest ridership numbers since pandemic Massachusetts senator State puts students in crosshairs of MBTA zoning fight Next stop Green Line impacts in December Forced labor reviews influencing MBTA train deliveries While segments of Green Line facility are down riders can take free and accessible shuttle arrangement to Back Bay where they can continue their ride downtown on the Orange Line The T is also offering free fares on the Worcester Line of the Commuter rail between South Station and Lansdowne during the closure