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Signal Work Shuts Down Forest Hills-Back Bay Segment of the Orange Line ‘Til March 8

A diagram of alternative transit service during a closure of the Orange Line. The map shows a dashed black line between Forest Hills and Back Bay station, indicating closed subway stations served by a free on-street bus shuttle route.

Orange Line service will be suspended between Back Bay and Forest Hills from February 28 until March 8.

The MBTA will close the southern end of the Orange Line south of Back Bay station for nine days to conduct signal upgrades and modernization work from Saturday, Feb. 28th through Sunday, March 8.

During the closure, the T will operate free shuttle buses to serve each stop between Back Bay and Forest Hills. The T warns riders to budget extra travel time if they plan to ride the bus shuttles, which could add up to 30 minutes to their regular commute between Forest Hills and downtown Boston.

Additionally, the T will offer free commuter rail service on the Needham, Providence/Stoughton, and Franklin Lines for trips between Forest Hills, Ruggles, and South Station.

In an press release for the closure, the T reported that its work to upgrade and modernize its subway signals "will significantly increase operational efficiency and improve scheduling reliability for riders."

More information is available at MBTA.com/OrangeLine.

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