MBTA Green Line Extension Medford Branch to open soon

Green Line Extension Medford Branch set to open in November.

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The MBTA announced that the Medford Branch of the Green Line Extension (GLX) is anticipated to open in late November.

In order to help facilitate the opening of the Medford Branch and to allow crews to perform final-phase construction work, temporary shuttle buses will replace all Green Line service between Government Center and Union Square stations in both directions beginning Monday, Aug. 22, through Sunday, Sept. 18. This diversion in service is also necessary to allow for continued work at the private Government Center Garage project. Regular Green Line trolley service will resume at these stops on Monday, Sept. 19.

The opening date of the Medford Branch has been shifted from its previous target date of late summer 2022 to late November 2022 due to a number of contributing factors, including necessary additional work and re-testing of the Medford Branch’s power systems. Much of the work to be performed during the diversion in service from Aug. 22 to Sept. 18 is tied to the opening of the Medford Branch, including the advancement of final-phase construction elements on the GLX project and the East Cambridge Viaduct. The start date has also been affected by the availability of Safety and Operational support crews that were previously prioritized for GLX, but are now re-allocated to other critical MBTA construction work, including in the MBTA’s response to the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection directives. The MBTA is in full support of making these safety-related changes, and appreciates the support of riders and the public as the Medford Branch is brought into passenger service.

The temporary diversion of Green Line riders onto shuttle buses will provide contractors with around-the-clock access to the tracks and overhead wire system, enabling them to safely and quickly complete work deemed critical to the opening of the new Medford Branch.

For more information about the project, please visit the MBTA website.

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