MBTA

Red Line’s Ashmont Branch Closed Through Monday

The Red Line's Ashmont Branch will take a 5-day break starting at 6 p.m. May 14, through Monday, May 18.

1:43 PM EDT on May 12, 2026

A diversion diagram showing the Red Line from South Station (left) to Braintree (center right) with parallel purple line commuter rail service connecting to the Red Line at South Station, JFK/UMass, Quincy Center, and Braintree. A dotted black line indicating bus shuttle service branches off from the Red Line at JFK/UMass to serve the temporarily closed stations at Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut, and Ashmont. The dotted line also connects JFK/UMass to Andrew and Broadway, which will not be served by Red Line trains during the closure.

Red Line May 14-18 diversion diagram. Courtesy of the MBTA.

The MBTA is shutting down the Red Line Ashmont branch for a long weekend, starting 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, and continuing through Monday, May 18.

The Mattapan Line will also have a shorter suspension overlapping within the same period, starting 6 p.m. on Thursday and continuing through Saturday, May 16.

These closures will overlap with an ongoing 12-day closure of the Green Line’s C branch in Brookline.

The MBTA is planning to finish its testing and commissioning work on the Red Line’s new signal system, which has been in the works since the end of 2018.

The new digital signals are expected to be more reliable than the aging analog equipment they’re replacing.

The T also plans to perform regular track maintenance work between Savin Hill and Fields Corner this weekend, and upgrade the Codman Yard Facility’s electrical substation, which powers the Mattapan Line.

During the closures, the T is promoting several alternative modes of travel in Dorchester and Mattapan:

Free, accessible shuttle buses will operate between Broadway and Ashmont, and also along the Mattapan Line from Ashmont and Mattapan during the shorter Mattapan Line shutdown.
Regular Braintree branch service will operate between JFK/UMass and Braintree, but there will be no subway service between JFK/UMass and Broadway. Braintree branch riders will need to take shuttle buses between Broadway and JFK/UMass, or transfer to the commuter rail.
Fare gates will be open at Broadway and JFK/UMass.
Commuter Rail rides between South Station and Braintree, with stops at JFK/UMass and Quincy Center, which will be free during the closure. Riders arriving and departing from South Station should request free passage through the South Station fare gates from Keolis staff. Regular fares will apply to rides beyond Braintree.
Riders using shuttles bus service should plan for considerably longer rides.