Boston, March 26, 2014, — Beginning Saturday, April 25, through Sunday, November 11, weekend Fitchburg Line service will be suspended along the entire line due to the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Project. Busing will not be provided during weekend service interruptions. Customers are advised to seek alternate modes of transportation. Weekday service is not affected by the ongoing improvement work.
MBTA buses and trains broken down frequently this past winter with record snowfall (file photo).
Regular weekend service will be provided on Memorial Day weekend (May 23-24), Fourth of July weekend (July 4-5), Labor Day weekend (September 5-6), and Thanksgiving weekend (November 28-29).
Affecting the following stops:
North Station
Porter
Belmont
Waverly
Waltham
Brandeis/Roberts
Kendal Green
Hastings
Silver Hill
Lincoln
Concord
West Concord
South Acton
Littleton/Route 495
Ayer
Shirley
North Leominster
Fitchburg
The Following is a statement from MBTA on the Fitchburg Line Improvement Project.
The Fitchburg Line Improvement Project will improve reliability of service and reduce trip
times for commuters.
This $277 million investment in the line’s infrastructure is scheduled for completion by
the end of 2015.
The Project includes:
• Construction of a second track between Acton and Ayer;
• A new Littleton Station with additional parking (opened summer 2013);
• A new South Acton Station;
• Upgraded signal system and track improvements to allow maximum train speed to be increased from 60 mph to 80 mph; and
• Improvements to 7 bridges.
In order to support this level of construction and complete the improvements in a timely
manner, it is required that weekend service be suspended on all or a portion of the line
for extended periods through 2015.
Interruption of service is inherent in this project given its size and scope. The objective is
to limit disruptions to weekends to minimize the impact of construction on weekday
service.
Alternate bus service will not be provided during these shutdowns. Given the number of
weekends required, busing during these shutdowns would be unpredictable and
impractical to provide given the limited busing resources available and the needs of
other construction projects on the MBTA system.
Similar weekend service suspensions have been employed on other major projects and
will allow for consistent service suspensions rather than unpredictable weekend-byweekend
busing.
MBTA recognizes the inconvenience that these weekend service suspensions will cause, but they are the only practical way to ensure that project is completed on time so our customers will be able to realize the Project benefits by December 2015.
No credits are extended for those purchasing monthly passes during this time; customers may want to consider other alternatives such as using 10-ride passes.
Customers can contact the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Project by email at FitchburgProject@MBTA.com or the project hotline at 617-721-7506.