What to know about upcoming MBTA subway and commuter rail weekend closures
The MBTA is preparing to close stretches of multiple subway and commuter rail lines for maintenance work on select upcoming weekends.
The shutdowns will affect the Orange, Blue and Red lines, as well as the Needham, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lowell and Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail lines, the agency said.
T maintenance crews will use the shutdowns to inspect the Orange and Blue line train tunnels, complete work on a bridge in West Roxbury and replace the signal systems of the Red Line and commuter rail lines running through North Station.
Passengers wait for an Orange Line train to open its doors at Back Bay Station on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2025, in Boston, Mass.(Sebastian Restrepo/MassLive)
Orange Line
MBTA authorities said the "proactive" tunnel inspections were "a critical and necessary part of maintaining the integrity of the system."
To complete the inspections, the Orange Line will be closed the weekend of Jan. 10–11 between Wellington in Medford and Back Bay.
The T will offer both local and express shuttle bus service free of charge to riders between Wellington and North Station during the Orange Line closure. However, transit officials said riders should budget extra time into their commutes if riding the buses.
Riders can also take the Green Line for trips through Downtown Boston. Fare gates will be open at Back Bay, Copley, Wellington and North Station. Riders can also take the commuter rail for free between Oak Grove and North Station and between Forest Hills and South Station.
The T will also provide accessible van service to Orange Line stations between Back Bay and North Station, as well as to the Green Line's Copley station.
An MBTA Blue Line train arrives at Suffolk Downs station. Tréa Lavery/MassLive
Blue Line
The Blue Line shutdown is planned for Jan. 24–25 between Bowdoin and Airport stations.
Fares will not be collected at other Blue Line stops that weekend.
Free shuttle buses will travel between Airport, Maverick and Haymarket stations during the closure, but will not stop at Bowdoin, Government Center, State or Aquarium. The East Boston ferry will also operate for free that weekend, with trips every 30 minutes.
A sign leading to the Red Line at South Station in Boston, Mass., pictured Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.Sebastian Restrepo
Red Line
The Red Line signal upgrades, part of an ongoing project scheduled to wrap up late next year, will make the line more efficient and reliable, according to the T. The signal system provides the critical central nervous system that controls how trains move along the tracks.
The Red Line will be closed from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 between Broadway and Ashmont on the Ashmont Branch, and between Broadway and North Quincy on the Braintree Branch.
While the line is closed, the T said it would also repair and clean stations, and prepare for a future maintenance project at Massachusetts Avenue Station.
During the closure, the T will provide shuttle bus service to each of the affected stops. Fare gates will be open at Broadway and North Quincy.
The agency urged riders to take the commuter rail's Fall River/New Bedford, Kingston and Greenbush (Old Colony) lines for fare-free service north of Braintree during the weekend shutdown.
Full details on alternative modes of travel during the closures can be found on the MBTA's website.
A gate blocks cars and pedestrians from crossing train tracks in Chelsea as an MBTA Commuter Rail train approaches.(Will Katcher/MassLive)
Commuter rail
The MBTA will also close the commuter rail's Needham Line on the weekend of Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 for work on the bridge carrying West Roxbury Parkway over the train tracks.
Passengers should instead take the Bus Routes 35, 36, 37 or 59 for alternate travel.
The MBTA also said its signal replacement project on trains terminating at North Station would force the agency to close parts of the Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lowell and Newburyport/Rockport lines.
The T will replace its obsolete analog signal system with a modern, digital alternative that requires less maintenance and causes fewer delays, it said.
"The area where work is taking place is a complex network of tracks and switches that connect the station tracks at North Station, five major Commuter Rail lines, and the Boston Engine Terminal where trains are stored and maintained," the T said.
From Jan. 17 to Jan. 19 and from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, the T will suspend Fitchburg Line service between North Station and Porter, Haverhill Line service between North Station and Oak Grove, Lowell Line service between North Station and Anderson/Woburn and Newburyport/Rockport Line service between North Station and Swampscott.
Fitchburg and Haverhill line riders can use the Red and Orange lines for alternate travel over those weekends.
The T will provide shuttle bus service for riders of the Lowell and Newburyport/Rockport lines. Details on shuttle bus travel can be found on the MBTA's website.
Keolis, the company that operates the commuter rail, said in a separate announcement that North Station signal work would also take place on Feb. 28 and March 1, March 7–8, March 21–22, March 28–29, April 11–12, and April 24-27.
The MBTA confirmed the scheduled closures announced by Keolis but said it could make changes as the dates approach.
A Jan. 24–25 closure previously announced by Keolis will not take place, the T said.
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