MBTA Closures Oct 31-Nov 22: What Riders Need to Know

Featured image: An MBTA Green Line Type 9 train at Amory Street on the B Branch, one of the stops served by shuttle buses during the fall signal work. Photo: 4300streetcar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

MBTA service changes in November 2026 will hit Green Line, Red Line and Blue Line riders, with two Green Line subway shutdowns, a weekend of Red Line shuttles to Quincy and single-tracking at Wonderland. This guide lists every planned subway disruption the MBTA had posted on its alerts page as of Oct. 21, 2026, with dates, the alternatives the agency recommends and how much extra time to allow.

Green Line central subway shutdown: Oct. 31 to Nov. 1

On Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, no Green Line trains will run between North Station and Babcock Street on the B Branch, Kenmore on the C and D branches, and Heath Street on the E Branch. The MBTA says the closure is for critical signal upgrades in the central Green Line tunnel.

Shuttle buses will connect Babcock Street, Kenmore and Heath Street with Copley and Back Bay. For trips between North Station and Back Bay, the MBTA tells riders to use the Orange Line. The agency expects trips to take at least 25 minutes longer than usual.

Several free alternatives will be offered during the closure:

The Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail Line will be fare-free between Lansdowne and South Station.
Route 39, which runs parallel to the E Branch along Huntington Avenue, will be fare-free.
Route 57, which parallels the B Branch between Kenmore and Packard’s Corner, will be fare-free.

The MBTA also lists walking transfers to nearby rail stations: Government Center riders can use State (0.2 miles), Park Street riders Downtown Crossing (0.2 miles), Boylston riders Chinatown (0.1 miles), Arlington riders Chinatown (0.4 miles), Symphony riders Massachusetts Avenue (0.1 miles), and Northeastern University and Museum of Fine Arts riders Ruggles (0.3 miles).

Longer Green Line shutdown: Nov. 7 to Nov. 15

A second, nine-day closure for the same signal work runs Saturday, Nov. 7, through Sunday, Nov. 15. This one reaches farther west on the C Branch: there will be no trains between North Station and Babcock Street (B), Cleveland Circle (C), Kenmore (D) and Heath Street (E).

Shuttles will serve Babcock Street, Cleveland Circle, Kenmore and Heath Street from Copley and Back Bay, with shuttle stops along Beacon Street for the C Branch. The MBTA says there will be no shuttle stops at St. Mary’s Street, Kent Street or Brandon Hall. The same fare-free Commuter Rail and bus options, the 25-minute travel-time warning and accessible van service between Kenmore and North Station and at Downtown Crossing apply.

Red Line shuttles to Quincy: Nov. 20 to Nov. 22

From Friday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Nov. 22, shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between Broadway and North Quincy for switch and rail upgrades, according to the MBTA. Trains will still run between JFK/UMass and Ashmont.

The agency strongly encourages riders to use the Old Colony Commuter Rail lines (Fall River/New Bedford, Kingston and Greenbush), which will be fare-free between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass and South Station. Travel beyond Braintree requires a regular fare. As an example of the delay, the MBTA says a rider going from Braintree to Downtown Crossing by shuttle should budget at least 50 extra minutes.

Shuttle stops will be at the Broadway station on West Broadway, on Dorchester Avenue at Leeds Street (northbound) and Dexter Street (southbound) for Andrew, at the JFK/UMass busways and at the North Quincy busway.

Blue Line single-tracking at Wonderland: Nov. 14 to Nov. 15

On the weekend of Nov. 14-15, all Blue Line trains between Wonderland and Revere Beach will use the outbound track while crews do switch work at Wonderland. Trains on that segment will run about every 14 minutes, with delays of up to 15 minutes, the MBTA says. Countdown clocks will not show predictions between the two stations, and no fares will be collected at Wonderland. Service from Revere Beach to Bowdoin runs normally.

Green Line C Branch stop closures through early November

Separate from the shutdowns, the MBTA is skipping three C Branch stops for accessibility upgrades:

Brandon Hall: closed in both directions through Oct. 30. Use Fairbanks Street or Summit Avenue, 0.1 to 0.2 miles away.
Hawes Street (outbound): skipped through Nov. 7. Use St. Mary’s Street or Kent Street, 0.2 to 0.3 miles away.
Saint Paul Street (outbound): skipped through Nov. 7. Use Coolidge Corner or Kent Street, 0.2 miles away.

Symphony on the E Branch remains closed for a longer accessibility rebuild. The MBTA expects it to reopen in spring 2029 with four new elevators and raised platforms; until then riders can use Prudential, Northeastern, the Orange Line at Massachusetts Avenue or Route 39.

Orange Line and elevator work

On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, signal maintenance near Community College may mean longer than usual Orange Line waits. Two downtown elevators are also out for equipment upgrades through Tuesday, Dec. 1: Downtown Crossing Elevator 869 (Alewife platform to Summer Street concourse) and State Elevator 803 (Forest Hills platform to Washington and Milk streets). The MBTA posts step-by-step detours for both on its alerts page.

Related Boston transit coverage

Drivers sharing the road with shuttle buses should know the rules covered in our report on MBTA bus lane camera enforcement. For the wider debate over traffic and transit funding, see our story on Mayor Wu and congestion pricing, and for one of the city’s busiest bus corridors, our coverage of the Blue Hill Avenue bus lanes hearing.

Additional details

All shuttle buses during the Green Line and Red Line closures are accessible, and accessible van service is available; the MBTA asks riders to see station personnel for help.
Schedules can change. The MBTA updates its alerts page as work is added, moved or cancelled, and the dates above reflect postings updated between Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, 2026.
For general questions, the MBTA’s customer line is 617-222-3200, staffed weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sources

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MBTA Service Changes in November 2026: Green Line Shutdowns, Red Line Shuttles