MBTA Orange Line Shutdown: All You Need To Know

The upcoming Orange Line and Green Line shutdowns will be hard for all of us. However, there are travel alternatives available! Read the flyer to find out what method works best for you. For more information on how to plan your trip, please read here. When the Orange Line opens back up in September, we will hopefully see fully repaired rails, served by a brand new fleet of cars! Because of the shuttles, riders who can work at home are encouraged to do so. It is recommended to avoid driving within the city during rush hour as traffic is expected to be much worse.

The Need-to-Know Facts of the Shutdown!

Shuttle buses for the Orange Line will run from Forest Hills Station to Copley (Green Line Station), and from Government Center to Oak Grove, serving every Orange Line stop except Tufts Medical Center, Chinatown, Downtown Crossing, and State. Riders who wish to transfer between the shuttle lines should take the Green Line from Copley to Government Center and vice versa. By Mass. General Law, all shuttle buses are fully accessible and there will be MBTA transit ambassadors available at stops to assist riders. Specialized wheelchair-capable vans are also provided to riders who request them, these vans will stop at every Orange Line stop. All shuttle buses are FREE!

Commuter Rail 🚈

During the shutdown, the Commuter Rail is an excellent way to travel. Passengers can use their Charlie Cards or Charlie Tickets to ride the Commuter Rail FREE within zones 1, 1A, and 2 (refer to map below for zones). Commuter Rail stops along the Orange Line include Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay, North Station*, Malden Center, and Oak Grove. The Providence/Stoughton lines of the Commuter Rail will make an additional stop at Forest Hills for the duration of the shutdown. We encourage riders new to the Commuter Rail to check out the MBTA's Guide.

*Riders who wish to transfer to the Commuter Rail at North Station will have to take a short walk to the Commuter Rail section of the station.

Simply show your Charlie Card or Charlie Ticket to the conductor when they are checking tickets on board the train, so you can ride for FREE!

Green Line 🚋

The Green Line is able to connect riders between the two Orange Line shuttle stops. Riders who wish to commute to City Hall can take the Green Line to Government Center instead of disembarking at State before the shutdown. Riders can also connect to the Green Line E Branch from Ruggles by taking a short walk through the Northeastern University campus. During this time, Green Line service between Union Square and Government Center will be suspended in order to finish the Green Line Extension Project. Shuttle buses will be provided.

Blue Line 🚎

Riders who wish to connect to the Blue Line can do so at Government Center, which is served by the Green Line and the Oak Grove branch of the Orange Line Shuttle. Blue Line service is unaffected by the shutdown.

Red Line 🚇

Riders who wish to transfer to the Red Line can either take the Green Line to Park Street Station or take a five minute walk from Government Center to Downtown Crossing which is still open to the Red Line. Additionally, riders can take the Route 92 and 93 buses from Sullivan Square Station to Downtown Crossing.

Silver Line 🚝

Silver Lines SL4 and SL5 will have an increase in frequency and rider capacity during the shutdown to accommodate riders. The Silver Line is able to connect riders to Tufts Medical Center, Chinatown, and Downtown Crossing. 

Buses 🚌

The Route 39 bus can take riders from Forest Hills Station to Back Bay Station via Huntington Ave.. Riders can transfer to the Green Line along the 39's route.

The CT2 bus can directly connect riders from Sullivan Square to Ruggles and the Route 43 bus connects Ruggles to Park Street.

The RIDE 🚐

RIDE users can have free trips as long as their journeys begin and end within 3/4 mile of the Orange Line. Note, the RIDE is only provided to disabled passengers who require assistance. 

BLUEbikes 🚴🏻‍♂️

BLUEbikes are rentable bicycles in the Boston Metropolitan Area. The MBTA is offering 30-day free BLUEbikes passes to riders. Riders are encouraged to use this form of commute as there are many new bike lanes in Boston. A map of BLUEbikes stations can be found here. Instructions on how to receive a 30-day free pass can be found here. If you have any questions regarding BLUEbikes service, please email bikeshare@boston.gov.

Mission Hill LINK Bus

During the shutdown from Monday to Friday, the Mission Hill LINK Bus will have FREE service connecting Ruggles Station with much of the Longwood Area. Service is from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. A full schedule and map are provided below.