A Red Line train in service at JFK-UMass station in 2022. File photo
Red Line riders on the Ashmont branch will see largely uninterrupted service during the next phase of major signal upgrades near JFK-UMass station, but disruptions are expected for Braintree commuters, MBTA officials said today.
Beginning Thursday (March 26), the third phase of an ongoing project will require Braintree riders to transfer at JFK/UMass during evening hours, while trains on the Ashmont branch continue running directly between Ashmont and Alewife.
The work, scheduled nightly after 8 p.m. for roughly two weeks, is part of a broader effort to replace outdated signal infrastructure at Columbia Junction—the critical stretch of track just north of JFK/UMass where the Ashmont and Braintree lines merge.
For Dorchester residents who rely on the Ashmont branch, the impact is expected to be minimal compared to earlier Red Line disruptions. Trains will continue to run along the full Ashmont-Alewife route, preserving a one-seat ride for most local commuters.
Transit officials say the project is essential to improving reliability systemwide, particularly at the busy junction where train movements have been constrained since a 2019 derailment damaged signal equipment. The upgraded digital system is designed to allow dispatchers to reroute trains more quickly, turn them around faster, and recover from delays more efficiently.
MBTA officials recommend budgeting an extra 10 to 15 minutes for trips during the construction period. A fourth phase of the project, expected to begin in early April, will flip the service pattern—bringing transfers to Ashmont riders while restoring through service for the Braintree line.
