Fairmount Line to use limited bus shuttles as new station is built

A rendering shows what a completed Blue Hill Avenue station platform will look like.

Fairmount Line riders can expect “some limited suspensions of train service” beginning in early June while a new station is built near Blue Hill Avenue at Mattapan, MBTA officials said this week.

Beginning Sat., June 3, weekend Fairmount Line trains will be replaced with dedicated shuttle buses between Morton Street and Readville Stations in both directions, though service between Morton Street and South Station will be unchanged. On weeknights, starting Mon., June 5, the last two outbound Fairmount Line trains from South Station will be replaced with dedicated shuttle buses serving all stops through to Readville.

A center island platform and two covered, fully accessible pedestrian ramps are planned for the ninth station on the commuter rail line, the only such route to operate solely within the city of Boston. The $16.97 million construction contract was awarded to McCourt Construction last January.

This service change will come just two weeks after the conclusion of a free-ridership promotion along the line that was financed by US Congressman Michael Capuano and designed to boost ridership. The MBTA conducted headcounts during the two-week period, and the results will be released at a later date.

Asked if the MBTA has concerns about the service change impacting any new ridership gained through the promotion, spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an emailed statement: “At $200 million and growing, the investments in the Fairmount Line clearly demonstrate the MBTA's strong commitment to providing the corridor's neighborhoods with accessible and reliable transit service that will serve residents for decades to come.”


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