Brookline's C-branch Green Line riders face nine days without train service starting Saturday, August 8, as the MBTA shuts down the entire branch through Sunday, August 16 to rebuild station platforms along Beacon Street.

It's the second of three planned week-long shutdowns for the C-branch accessibility project. The first was completed in May.

During the closure, free shuttle buses will run between Cleveland Circle and Back Bay, where riders can transfer to the Orange Line for downtown connections. Three stops get no shuttle service at all: Saint Mary's Street, Kent Street, and Brandon Hall. Riders at those locations will need to walk to the next nearest shuttle stop.

The MBTA advises budgeting at least 25 extra minutes of travel time. A trip from Cleveland Circle to Park Street, for example, will take at least 25 minutes longer than usual.

What crews will be doing

Contractor Jacobs-Barletta will have crews working around the clock on 12-hour shifts, according to a town alert posted Wednesday, July 29. The primary work: installing large precast concrete platform edge units with yellow tactile surfaces at four Beacon Street stations — Hawes, St. Paul, Summit, and Brandon Hall. Catenary pole relocations are also scheduled, with lighter work at Tappan, Dean, and Englewood.

The town alert noted that this trackside construction requires craning equipment near the overhead electrical catenary and can only proceed safely when service is suspended and power is cut.

Matt Conover, the MBTA's Deputy Chief of Green Line and Blue Line Programs, told a Brookline committee in February that stations like St. Paul lack barriers from automotive traffic, calling it a daily safety concern for riders. The new platforms are designed to address those conditions.

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The MBTA's August service advisory lists additional disruptions bookending the nine-day closure:

  • Outbound trains are not stopping at Summit Avenue from Monday, July 20 through Friday, August 7.
  • After the shutdown ends, trains in both directions will bypass Brandon Hall from Monday, August 17 through Sunday, October 4, while construction continues there.
  • The Worcester Commuter Rail Line will be fare-free between South Station, Back Bay, and Lansdowne during the August 8–16 shutdown, offering another option for riders heading downtown.

Progress and what's ahead

New accessible platforms at Englewood and Tappan stations opened in July, though they still need guardrail fencing, lighting, signage, shelters, and tree planting. The overall project targets completion in spring 2027.

The Hawes Street inbound U-turn on Beacon Street eastbound remains restricted during construction. The Brookline Transportation Board has commissioned an alternatives analysis and plans a public hearing on lane management options, though no date has been set. Residents can submit questions to [email protected].

Drivers and cyclists should use caution near Brandon Hall and the Lancaster/Fairbanks stairs on Beacon Street westbound, where ADA-compliant ramps are under construction.

The MBTA project team can be reached at [email protected] or (781) 234-8641.