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A day-by-day guide to the MBTA's May service disruption schedule

An MBTA Red Line train barrels down the tracks on its way to Braintree Station in 2015. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
An MBTA Red Line train barrels down the tracks on its way to Braintree Station in 2015. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Weeknight closures of entire Blue Line. Shuttle buses swapping in for the Red Line's southern branches. Memorial Day weekend work on the Green Line.

May is set to be a month full of line closures on the MBTA. Crews are working on the tracks to alleviate speed restrictions that have bogged down service since the T discovered lapses in their track condition records in March. Officials aim to minimize the disruption by scheduling shutdowns during off-hours, like weekends and weeknights. But the long list of diversions is a lot to keep track of — pun intended.

Here's a breakdown of the disruptions, taking it day-by-day:

Monday, May 1 to Thursday, May 4

Blue Line: The full subway line will close at 8 p.m. each night, with shuttle buses replacing service between Government Center and Wonderland through the end of service due to overnight track work. (The shuttle buses will not serve Bowdoin, so users of that station will have to walk to Government Center.)

Commuter rail: Shuttle buses are replacing service between Haverhill and Reading on the Haverhill line due to the installation of a new safety signal system.

Shuttles are also replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

  • Both of these commuter rail diversions have been ongoing since April 22.

Friday, May 5

Silver Line: The SL1, SL2 and SL3 routes will be re-routed to street level around Courthouse station beginning at 8:45 p.m. due to construction at the station.

Commuter rail: Shuttle buses are replacing service between Haverhill and Reading on the Haverhill line due to the installation of a new safety signal system.

Shuttles are also replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

Saturday, May 6 to Sunday, May 7

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between Park Street and JFK/UMass stations all weekend so crews can do track work to lift speed restrictions.

Silver Line: The SL1, SL2 and SL3 routes will be re-routed to street level around Courthouse station during both days due to construction at the station.

Commuter rail: Shuttle buses are replacing service between Haverhill and Reading on the Haverhill line due to the installation of a new safety signal system.

Shuttles are also replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

Monday, May 8 to Friday, May 12

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between between JFK/UMass and Braintree starting at 8:45 p.m. so crews can work on lifting speed restrictions on the Braintree branch.

Commuter rail: Shuttles will replace commuter rail service on all three commuter rail lines running along the Red Line's Braintree branch — the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines — starting at 7:30 p.m. to make room for the Red Line track work.

The last outbound train from South Station to Braintree departs at 7:05 p.m on the Middleborough line, while the last inbound train departs Braintree Station at 5:13 p.m. Regular commuter rail service will continue south of Braintree.

Shuttles are also replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

Saturday, May 13 to Sunday, May 14

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace all train service south of Broadway station due to work on the Savin Hill Bridge on the Ashmont branch, and track work on the Braintree line.

Green Line: Trolley service will be suspended between North Station and Government Center Station because of demolition work on the Government Center garage.

  • There'll be no replacement shuttle service, so officials are advising Green Line riders to walk between Government Center and North Station — a three-quarters of a mile walk that they estimate will take 13 minutes.
  • Accessibility vans will also be available for those who can't walk. Just ask on-site MBTA personnel for information and assistance.

Orange Line: Trains will bypass Haymarket station due to demolition work on the Government Center garage. To get to the Haymarket area, T officials suggest getting off at North Station or State, both of which are less than a half-mile away.

Commuter rail: Shuttle buses will replace service between South Station and Braintree on the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines.

Shuttles are also replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

Monday, May 15

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between between JFK/UMass and Braintree starting at 8:45 p.m. so crews can work on lifting speed restrictions on the Braintree branch.

Commuter rail: Shuttles will replace commuter rail service on all three commuter rail lines running along the Red Line's Braintree branch — the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines — starting at 7:30 p.m. to make room for the Red Line track work.

The last outbound train from South Station to Braintree departs at 7:05 p.m on the Middleborough line, while the last inbound train departs Braintree Station at 5:13 p.m. Regular commuter rail service will continue south of Braintree.

Shuttles are replacing train service on the last two stops of the Rockport line — West Gloucester to Rockport — due to rock cutting and bridge work.

Tuesday, May 16 to Friday, May 19

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between between JFK/UMass and Braintree starting at 8:45 p.m. so crews can work on lifting speed restrictions on the Braintree branch.

Commuter rail: Shuttles will replace commuter rail service on all three commuter rail lines running along the Red Line's Braintree branch — the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines — starting at 7:30 p.m. to make room for the Red Line track work.

The last outbound train from South Station to Braintree departs at 7:05 p.m on the Middleborough line, while the last inbound train departs Braintree Station at 5:13 p.m. Regular commuter rail service will continue south of Braintree.

Saturday, May 20 to Sunday, May 21

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace all train service south of Broadway station due to work on the Savin Hill Bridge on the Ashmont branch, and track work on the Braintree line.

Green Line: Trolley service will be suspended between North Station and Government Center Station due to demolition work on the Government Center garage.

  • There'll be no replacement shuttle service, so officials are advising Green Line riders to walk between Government Center and North Station — a three-quarters of a mile walk that they estimate will take 13 minutes.
  • Accessibility vans will also be available for those who can't walk. Just ask on-site MBTA personnel for information and assistance.

Orange Line: Trains will bypass Haymarket station due to demolition work on the Government Center garage. To get to the Haymarket area, T officials suggest getting off at North Station or State, both of which are less than a half-mile away.

Commuter rail: Shuttle buses will replace service between South Station and Braintree on the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines.

Shuttles will also replace service between Bridgewater and Middleborough/Lakeville on the Middleborough/Lakeville line due to work on the South Coast Rail project.

Monday, May 22 to Thursday, May 25

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between between JFK/UMass and Braintree starting at 8:45 p.m. so crews can work on lifting speed restrictions on the Braintree branch.

Commuter rail: Shuttles will replace commuter rail service on all three commuter rail lines running along the Red Line's Braintree branch — the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines — starting at 7:30 p.m. to make room for the Red Line track work.

The last outbound train from South Station to Braintree departs at 7:05 p.m on the Middleborough line, while the last inbound train departs Braintree Station at 5:13 p.m. Regular commuter rail service will continue south of Braintree.

Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, May 28

Green Line: Shuttle buses will replace C branch service between Copley and Cleveland Circle. Shuttle buses will also replace D branch service between Copley and Fenway. Meanwhile, B branch trolleys will continue to run, but will bypass Kenmore station. (To get to Kenmore Square, the T suggests that B branch riders get off at Blandford Street or Hynes Convention Center, and walk.)

Monday, May 29 — Memorial Day

No planned subway or commuter rail diversions.

Tuesday, May 30 to Wednesday, May 31

Red Line: Shuttle buses will replace train service between between JFK/UMass and Braintree starting at 8:45 p.m. so crews can work on lifting speed restriction on the Braintree branch.

Commuter rail: Shuttles will replace commuter rail service on all three commuter rail lines running along the Red Line's Braintree branch — the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/Lakeville lines — starting at 7:30 p.m. to make room for the Red Line track work.

The last outbound train from South Station to Braintree departs at 7:05 p.m on the Middleborough line, while the last inbound train departs Braintree Station at 5:13 p.m. Regular commuter rail service will continue south of Braintree.

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Nik DeCosta-Klipa Newsletter Editor
Nik DeCosta-Klipa is the newsletter editor for WBUR.

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