Construction for Major Accessibility Improvements at Symphony Station Begins June 6

Symphony Station will close for nearly three years while construction takes place.

The MBTA today announced that construction for major accessibility improvements at Symphony Station on the Green Line E branch will begin Saturday, June 6, 2026. Located in one of Boston's busiest cultural and historical neighborhoods, the 85-year-old Symphony Station is ready to be upgraded into a safer, fully accessible station featuring four new elevators and many other station enhancements. To accommodate these important safety and accessibility upgrades, Symphony will close for 35 months with Green Line trains bypassing the station in both directions while construction takes place. Regular Green Line service to all other E branch stations will continue during this time period.

"Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our Legislative partners for their continued focus on transportation projects such as Symphony Station that will improve the quality of life for communities and the public we serve," said Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. "I'm proud of our MBTA team, including our Grants team that successfully pursued $66.6 million in federal funds for this project. It is the partnerships that we have with the FTA, local stakeholders, and community groups that make projects like this possible. We know that construction and temporary closures of the station affect our riders, but when finished, Symphony Station will be a bright, modernized, and fully accessible station that all can be proud of for generations to come."

Currently, there are no step-free pathways from the entrances to the platforms at Symphony, and the station is not able to be accessed by people with wheeled mobility devices. When construction is complete in spring 2029, Symphony will be enhanced with four new accessible elevators, raised platforms for easier boarding, accessible bathrooms, improved wayfinding, more lighting, and upgraded safety features, making the station safer and easier to use for all riders.

Public Meeting on May 18

The MBTA invites the public to learn more about the project and upcoming station closure at an hybrid public meeting on Monday, May 18, from 6 PM to 8 PM within the Community Room at Symphony Towers, 333 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA. Members of the public who would like to attend virtually may register in advance here. Project staff will be available to listen to comments and answer questions.

Three-year Symphony Station Closure

To accommodate this critical work, beginning June 6, Symphony Station will be closed to riders for nearly three years. During this time, Green Line E branch trains will bypass the station (meaning trolleys will operate through the station in both directions, but will not stop).

• Riders who typically board or disembark at Symphony can instead board or disembark at Northeastern University or Prudential, which are 0.3 miles away (or about a five-minute walk) from Symphony.
  
• Riders are encouraged to instead consider travelling on the Orange Line at Massachusetts Avenue, which is 0.1 miles (or about a three-minute walk) from Symphony.
  
• Riders may also use the Route 39, which operates parallel to the E branch in both directions along Huntington Avenue.

Riders can find more information through station signage, public announcements, and the MBTA Go app. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X @MBTA for up-to-date service information.

Riders are reminded that Green Line E branch service will also be suspended the week prior to the station outage, May 30 - June 5, between Government Center and Heath Street to continue the installation of Green Line Train Protection System infrastructure. Riders can instead utilize parallel Route 39 bus service, which will be enhanced with additional service.

More about the Symphony Station Accessibility Improvements Project

The design contract for the Symphony Station Accessibility Improvements Project was awarded in 2019 with design completed in 2023. Utility relocations have been taking place since spring 2023 at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Huntington Avenue with excavations in four different locations to accommodate space for the four new elevators and stairway areas - this work is currently 95% complete. The current budget for utility relocation is approximately $20 million and $150.8 million for station renovations, funded in part with over $66.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration's All Stations Accessibility Program (FY22-23).