Braintree takes brunt of MBTA May shutdowns

Get ready for sporadic MBTA subway shutdowns.

• It’s the T's latest strategy to fix the track problems that have led to lengthy delays and train speed restrictions.

What's happening: Instead of forcing riders onto shuttle buses during working hours, T crews will be out fixing tracks in the evening hours, overnight and on weekends, meaning much of the T will be shut down past 8:45pm weeknights and altogether over some weekends.

The Braintree branch of the Red Line (Braintree to JFK/UMass) will shut down at 8:45pm each weeknight from Monday May 8 through Friday May 31, except for May 19 and 26.

• Before that, the entire Red Line between JFK/UMass and Park Street will close the weekend of Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7 with buses running the route.
• Red Line stations south of downtown (Andrew to Braintree or Ashmont) will be shut down the weekends of May 13-14 and May 20-21 with buses in place.

Also: The Orange Line will skip Haymarket on weekends May 13-14 and May 20-21 and the Green Line won't go between Government Center and North Station.

The weekend of May 27-28, work on the Green Line will mean no C Line between Cleveland Circle and Copley Square, no D Line Fenway to Copley and no service to Kenmore on the B Line.

Deehan's thought bubble: I wouldn't want to be from Quincy next month, but at least they have the Commuter Rail.