Large section of Green Line to shut for repairs for half of December

"All of the MBTA Green Line's downtown portion and much of its branches will be closed for 15 days in December to fix a nearly 130-year-old tunnel piece, the transit agency announced. From Dec. 8 through 22, the Green Line's main branch will be closed from Kenmore to North Station. The E Branch will be entirely closed, and the B Branch will run from Boston College to Babcock Street, with shuttle buses running from Babcock to Back Bay. The C and D Branches will run only between their terminuses and Kenmore."

"During the shutdown, the MBTA will replace the wooden trough inside the Green Line tunnel that holds overhead wires, also called catenary wires. The trough is original to the tunnel's construction in the 1890s, the T said. A modern, metal trough will be installed to house the Green Line's overhead wires, the MBTA said. While that work is ongoing, the T plans to address other goals, including signal modernization, tunnel inspections, and "station brightening work." More installations are planned for the T's Green Line Train Protection System, which updates vehicles and track equipment to avoid train collisions and speeding."

The MBTA will shut down the Green Line downtown trunk from Kenmore to North Station from Dec. 8 through Dec. 22, closing the entire E Branch and truncating B Branch service at Babcock Street with shuttles to Back Bay. The closure will replace the original wooden trough that holds catenary wires with a modern metal trough and allow signal modernization, tunnel inspections, and station brightening work. Additional installations for the Green Line Train Protection System will occur to improve collision and speeding protections. Riders are advised to use the 39 for E Branch trips, the 57 for B Branch travel, and shuttle connections to the Orange Line; the C and D Branches will operate only to Kenmore.

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