Copyright MassLive
The MBTA is preparing to close much of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch for more than a week to complete track maintenance work and other projects. For nine days, from Nov. 15 to Nov. 23, the T will shut down the subway line between Braintree and North Quincy, the agency said. In place of the normal Red Line service, the agency will direct riders to shuttle buses and commuter rail trains for free transportation between the affected stops. The MBTA said the closure will allow work crews to perform “essential infrastructure upgrades, track renewal, and other critical revitalization work” unencumbered. The projects are part of its regular maintenance schedule, will help ensure the “long-term stability“ of the system’s infrastructure and will help the T continue running Red Line trains at 50 mph in the area, which it achieved earlier this year for the first time in more than two decades, the agency said. The maintenance crews will replace outdated tracks and upgrade the Red Line’s signal system, a key component of the transit system that the MBTA has been working to modernize. Some of the work will occur at the Quincy Center crossover, the T said, “an area of complicated track that connects the main Braintree Branch to subway car storage track areas nearby.” With the area closed, maintenance crews will also upgrade security systems, repair and inspect bridges, and repair and clean stations. “When service resumes following this service change, riders will experience an even more reliable trip on the Red Line with fewer disruptions due to older infrastructure and outdated signals,“ the MBTA said in a statement. The agency said riders could find detailed instructions on alternate travel via shuttle buses and commuter rail on its website. Riders should budget extra travel time into their commutes if using the shuttle buses. A trip from Park Street Station in Downtown Boston to Braintree, for example, could take an additional 35 minutes, the T said. The agency also encouraged riders to take the Fall River/New Bedford, Kingston or Greenbush commuter rail lines for free travel between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass and South Station. Trains run every 20 to 30 minutes. The T said it would add extra cars to the trains to accommodate the extra passengers. Trips south of Braintree are not free, the T said.
