MBTA Completes Work on Green Line B, C, D Branches

MBTA crews work on the Green Line.

MBTA

BOSTON - The MBTA completes work on the Green Line B, C, and D branches.

Along its Green Line, crews installed Green Line Train Protection System infrastructure (GLTPS) and replaced catenary wire troughs near the Green Line portal throughout the month of April. GLTPS, according to MBTA, combines vehicle and wayside equipment to avoid on-train collisions, provide stop signal overrun protection, and incorporates speed enforcement on said line. This project is in two phases. The first phase will deploy a warning system to provide alarms to notify the operator of a speed violation or a potential collision. The second phase will deploy a train protection functionality “that features real-time train location and speed enforcement,” preventing overruns and collisions.

Interim Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said, “GLTPS will add an extra layer of safety across the Green Line. We’re committed to accomplishing this with [a] level of urgency that our public and workforce deserves. . . I’m proud that the MBTA team maximized this service outage to accomplish so much other critical work that will better the public, demonstrating our continued efforts to complete improvements more timely and efficiently. Thank you to our riders for their patience while this important work was completed.”

During the service outage, crews had full access to the work areas, and they were able to install GLTPS infrastructure. These were installed on the B branch located between Kenmore and Boston College. Crews installed power cable, messenger cable, and GLTPS anchors.

Elsewhere, crews replaced the wooden overhead catenary wire “trough” that was 130 years old, part of the tunnel’s original 1890s construction. These troughs house the catenary wire for the line. Crews replaced the old equipment with a fiberglass protection trough, making it more durable. Through November and December 2025, crews performed this work within the Green Line’s core tunnels. At the end of April 2026, crews worked near the portal areas of the B, C, and D branches.

Additionally, crews worked along Blandford Street to prepare for an upcoming fleet of longer Type 10 Green Line vehicles. The MBTA’s Maintenance of Way team also repaired switches and performed tunnel inspections along the line. Near Kenmore, crews replaced lights. At South Street, Boston College, and the Lake Street Yard, crews completed grade crossing upgrades. At stations throughout the service suspension area, crews cleaned and power washed while also performing routine maintenance.