Third and Final Full Access Closure to Begin on the D Branch and Will Conclude Two Days Ahead of Schedule

This final shuttle bus diversion wraps up construction on the Green Line for the year.

This weekend, the MBTA’s Green Line Transformation (GLT) team, part of Capital Transformation, will begin the third and final full-access closure on the Green Line D Branch. This year, there have been five total closures along the Green Line: a 12-day full-access closure on the B and C Branches, a 16-day full-access closure on the E Branch, and two nine-day closures on the D Branch. With the completion of this third and final closure, construction will conclude on the Green Line for 2022. Due to the diligent work of Capital Transformation, this final closure will be completed on Friday, October 28, 2022 – two days ahead of what was initially scheduled with service resuming on Saturday, October 29. These surges gave crews access to install wayside components of the Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) and upgrade track.

“Capital Transformation has continued to put riders first as they work to improve the Green Line,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We are always looking for ways to improve safety and reliability, and the massive work accomplished on the Green Line this year is a prime example. Fostering riders’ trust is our priority and that trust is built by finishing work quickly so that they can get back on the Green Line to where they need to go.”

"We’re thrilled to be able to get trains back into service ahead of schedule for our riders,” said MBTA Chief of Capital Transformation Angel Peña. “We understand how these closures can impact their lives and are always looking for opportunities to finish work early and minimize the impacts they have on our riders. We have appreciated their patience through the first two closures of the D Branch and will continue working to reduce any inconveniences during future work on the Green Line.”

During this final surge starting on Saturday, October 22, through Friday, October 28, crews will fully reconstruct 2,000 feet of track near Eliot station, two pedestrian track crossings, and continue to install components of GLTPS wayside equipment. GLTPS combines vehicle and wayside equipment to enhance safety by adding red-light signal protection, avoiding train-on-train collisions, incorporating speed enforcement, and improving the safety for workers in the right-of-way. Once the final closure is completed, construction will conclude on the Green Line and bring the total full-depth track replacement to over 14,000 feet across the B, C, D, and E Branches. Additionally, 15 crossings and six units of special trackwork were replaced across all four branches. The work completed during these surges advances the reliability and safety of the system for all Green Line riders while offering a smoother, more dependable service.

The GLT team collaborated with several other departments and partners to amplify the results of these surges and deliver improvements to all riders across the Green Line. Improvements include station amenity upgrades, vegetation removal along the right-of-way, signal repairs, bridge and tunnel inspections, tree planting, fence repairs, and additional track upgrades.

Free, accessible shuttle buses replaced train service while crews made these necessary improvements. Using this accelerated approach, the Capital Transformation team was able to deliver results much sooner compared to completing the work on nights and weekends.

Capital Transformation follows a holistic approach to transforming the Green, Orange, and Red Lines. The program is aligned by six Levels of Transformation: Improving Safety & Bringing Infrastructure into a State of Good Repair, Enhancing Accessibility, Replacing Legacy Fleets, Increasing Passenger Capacity, Modernizing Rider Experience, and Expanding Service.

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