Green Line Extension Lechmere to Medford

Visited Boston on the Downeaster Friday. Lots of work still to do on the GX on the Lowell Line, but the service facility near BET looks (on the outside) to be complete. In the distance the viaduct looked like it had catenary, although only posts are up next to the Lowell Line. Some spots have track, others don't. No stations were complete yet.

Opposite the GX there's a lot of solid fencing going up, presumably to block light and noise. Not sure I'd want to live in an apartment or house that has a view of a concrete wall, with or without tags.

Has anyone heard of an opening date for the Union branch?

I drove through Union Square last week on my way to Malden from Cambridge, and the Union Square station didn't look remotely close to finished. It has to be a couple of months at least.

Tentative schedule is for the Union Square/D branch to open in December 2021, followed by the Medford/E branch in May 2022. Whether or not they stick to that schedule is another matter entirely, but that's the word they've given.

Any word on the downtown terminals between the opening of the Union Square (D) branch and the Medford/Tufts (E) branch?

Will the E stay at North Station for the time or will it be extended to Union Square or back to Gov Center or Park?

Same goes for the other lines

If Union Sq is "D" then trains will run from Union Sq to Riverside. If Medford is "E" then trains will run from Medford to Heath St. Do they still use the "not" sign for the other direction? Do the signs in the GLX stations refer to Inbound/Outbound or some kind of compass direction?

I can't foresee them short-turning trains at the new Lechmere station, so the E branch will probably continue to terminate at North Station until the Medford branch opens. Will be interesting to see if the B/C switch to Gov't Center happens right away with the opening of the Union Square branch or waits until Medford.

Probably will not be turning trains at Lechmere; the nearest crossover is well to the north, at the south end of the Red Bridge viaduct. It might be workable for situations where Lechmere is a temporary terminus (ie if trackwork affects both branches), but not when the Union Square Branch is operating, as it fouls the leads to that branch.

Crossovers on GLX are at the south end of Red Bridge, east of Union Square (the regular turnback for that branch), south of East Somerville, north of Magoun Square, and south of Medford/Tufts (regular turnback). All are universal except for Magoun Square, which is trailing point only. Neither East Somerville nor Magoun Square are likely to be used as termini during track work etc, as neither has any bus layover area available for the shuttles.

B and c branches will terminate where they do now once the extended d and e branches opens up. D will be first to open while the E is last if everything goes according to plan which never happens at the Mbta in general.

T's alerts web page says that effective Sunday, 24-Oct-2021, B&C will terminate at GovCen, and D will terminate at North Station.

Interesting. They planned to turn the B trains at GC years ago but killed the idea because the run was so long and subject to delay that they couldn't do it consistently. There will probably be a lot of short turning at Park Street.

I think they'll keep the BC at Gov't Center, but I wouldn't be surprised if they extend the C back to North Station not long after the Medford branch opens. Doesn't make much sense to me to not start any empty trains at a major commuter rail hub when you have the option.

Next year they will be whining how overcrowded the Central Subway is with all the GLX passengers...

Any chance of rush hour turnbacks at the Brattle Loop?

Where does it say that b and c branches will terminate at govt ctr?