BOSTON (WHDH) - MBTA Red Line riders encountered a new round of service disruptions Monday as the T kicked off a week of planned maintenance work between the JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT stops.
Train service between JFK/UMass and Kendall stations will be suspended daily through Sunday, Aug. 25. Shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains. Commuter Rail service will also be free between Porter Square and North Station and between Braintree and South Station.
Shuttle buses will be free of charge between JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT, making stops at all stations except Park Street and Downtown Crossing.
“The important work accomplished during this Red Line service suspension means riders will experience a more reliable trip with fewer unplanned service disruptions related to older tracks, older infrastructure, signal issues, or power problems,” the MBTA said in a statement announcing the disruption. “Riders will also be provided with a safer ride as a result of this state of good repair work.”
This shutdown is part of the MBTA’s Track Improvement Program, which involves replacing tracks and ties in an effort to alleviate speed restrictions.
The T has said it plans to maximize opportunities for work during service disruptions by performing additional signal work and station amenity upgrades, including new lighting, painting, tiling, and power washing.
The latest disruption on the Red Line follows a more than two-week partial shutdown last month. It also comes ahead of an expected 24-day shutdown of train service along the Red Line’s Braintree branch next month.
The T said it removed nine speed restrictions through track work during the July shutdown.
While the T has promised to further speed up service, riders were still frustrated Monday as they navigated new delays.
“It keeps on messing up and it keeps on stopping,” said commuter Dhruv Dewedd.
Dewedd spoke to 7NEWS at the JFK/UMass station and said he was waiting for friends to pick him up.
“Every few months they say they are fixing the track but still it’s going slow,” he said.
Despite his frustration, he said he is hoping for the best from the current disruption.
For more information on current track work, visit mbta.com/TrackProgram.
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