Construction schedule implemented on Fairmount Line to prepare for battery-electric trains 
Lowell Line and Newburyport/Rockport Line construction schedules end 

May 22, 2025 (BOSTON) – Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the MBTA’s operations and maintenance partner for the Commuter Rail, has announced several schedule changes that will take effect on June 2. A construction schedule will be in place on the Fairmount Line through the Fall to allow for $12 million worth of necessary rail replacement work that will also prepare the line for the introduction of battery-electric trains in 2028. This scope goes well beyond the amount of rail replacement work typically done in a year. 

Additionally, the construction schedules on the Lowell Line and the Newburyport/Rockport Lines will end, with mid-day trains added back to the schedule on June 2. The Lowell Line construction schedule was in place to allow for the reconstruction of Winchester Center Station, which will fully reopen in early June. Important track and infrastructure work was also completed on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. 

Keolis and the MBTA will replace all the rail on the Fairmount Line during this project. This will result in nearly 30 miles of new rail, and it is a first step in decarbonizing service on the Fairmount Line. While the construction schedule is in place, crews will also complete other important projects, including: power washing and deep cleaning all stations and platforms, removing graffiti, cleaning trash from the right of way, brush clearing, and improving drainage.  

Service on the Fairmount Line will be reduced between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and weekends through the Fall allow this work to take place. Passengers can consider nearby MBTA buses for alternative service. 

On weekends over the same period, three inbound trains and four outbound trains on the Franklin Line will operate via the Northeast Corridor between Readville and South Station instead of their normal route along the Fairmount Line. 

New schedules will be available soon at mbta.com/cr. 

Keolis Commuter Services has operated and maintained the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, the sixth largest commuter rail operation in North America, for over ten years. KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America (KNA), both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 people throughout the region. KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group, an innovative global leader in transit services with more than a century of passenger transportation experience and operations in 13 countries.   

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