BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced it will offer free travel on its Fairmount commuter rail line during the upcoming 16-day closure of the rapid transit Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan trolley line, set to begin Oct. 14.
The agency had previously said it would offer increased bus service during the closure, which will allow major track maintenance work [see “MBTA plans 16-day shutdown …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 24, 2023]. The MBTA is also preparing a riders’ guide on travel alternatives during the closure, to be made available online.
“While this service change will be challenging for our riders, they have let me know that they appreciate that we are committed to improving their travels,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in a press release. “By offering alternative shuttle bus service and now announcing free travel on the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line during the closure, we want our riders to know that we want them to continue to use mass transportation while we perform this work, and that we value and understand how they rely on the MBTA and the services we provide.”
The MBTA held an online meeting regarding the closure on Wednesday evening. It will also hold an in-person meeting this Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Codman Square Health Center Great Hall, at 637 Washington Street in Boston, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
