Editing Red Line (MBTA) (section)

==History==
{{see also|History of the MBTA}}
[[File:Cambridge Bridge postcard.jpg|thumb|left|The new Cambridge (now [[Longfellow Bridge|Longfellow]]) Bridge pre-1912, viewed from the Boston end, with an unfinished heavy rail right-of-way down its center. Tracks visible at the sides are for streetcars.]]

===Cambridge tunnel===
The Red Line was the last of the four original Boston subway lines (the others being the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green]], [[Orange Line (MBTA)|Orange]], and [[Blue Line (MBTA)|Blue]] Lines, opened in 1897, 1901, and 1904, respectively) to be constructed.

Construction of the '''Cambridge tunnel''', connecting [[Harvard Square]] to Boston, was delayed by a dispute over the number of intermediate stations to be built along the new line.  Cambridge residents, led by Mayor Wardwell, wanted at least five stations built along the line, while suburbanites interested in faster through travel argued for only a single intermediate station, at Central Square.  The contending groups finally compromised on two intermediate stations, at Central and Kendall Squares, allowing construction to start in 1909.{{explain|date=May 2016}}<ref name="Cudahy">{{cite book|last1=Cudahy|first1=Brian J.|title=Change at Park Street Under: The Story of Boston's Subways|date=1972|publisher=Stephen Greene Press|location=Brattleboro, Vermont, US|isbn=0-8289-0173-2|url=https://archive.org/details/changeatparkstre00cuda}}</ref>{{rp|41}}

The section from [[Harvard (MBTA station)|Harvard]] (and new maintenance facilities at [[Eliot Yard]]) to [[Park Street station (MBTA)|Park Street]] was opened by the [[Boston Elevated Railway]] (BERy) on March 23, 1912.  At Harvard, a [[prepayment station]] provided easy transfer to streetcars routed through what is now the [[Harvard bus tunnel]].  From Harvard, the Cambridge tunnel traveled beneath [[Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston)|Massachusetts Avenue]] to [[Central (MBTA station)|Central Square station]].  It then continued under Mass. Ave until [[Main Street (Cambridge)|Main Street]], which it followed to reach [[Kendall/MIT (MBTA station)|Kendall]] station.  The underground line then rose onto the [[Longfellow Bridge]], using a central right-of-way which had been reserved during the bridge's 1900–1906 construction.  On the Boston side, the line briefly became an [[Rapid transit|elevated railway]], as vehicle lanes descended beneath it to [[Charles Circle (Boston)|Charles Circle]]; the tracks then immediately entered a tunnel beneath [[Beacon Hill, Boston|Beacon Hill]], leading to new lower-level platforms at Park Street Under. Charles Station (now [[Charles/MGH (MBTA station)|Charles/MGH]]) was added above the traffic circle in 1932.

===Dorchester Tunnel and extension===
[[File:Southerly view of easterly side of Columbia Station, August 1927.jpg|thumb|left|Columbia station (later JFK/UMass) on the Dorchester extension under construction in 1927]]
The '''Dorchester Tunnel''' to [[Downtown Crossing (MBTA station)|Washington Street]] and South Station Under opened on April 4, 1915 and December 3, 1916, with transfers to the [[Washington Street Tunnel (Boston)|Washington Street Tunnel]] and [[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]], respectively.  Further extensions opened to [[Broadway (MBTA station)|Broadway]] on December 15, 1917 and [[Andrew (MBTA station)|Andrew]] on June 29, 1918, both [[prepayment station]]s for streetcar transfer.  The Broadway station included [[Broadway (MBTA station)#Streetcar tunnel|an upper level with its own tunnel for streetcars]], which was soon abandoned in 1919 due to most lines being truncated to Andrew.  The upper level at Broadway was later incorporated into the [[Mezzanine (architecture)|mezzanine]].

Next came the '''Dorchester extension''' (now the '''Ashmont branch'''), following a [[Right-of-way (railroad)|rail right-of-way]] created in 1870 by the '''Shawmut Branch Railroad'''.  In 1872, the right-of-way was acquired by the [[Old Colony Railroad]] to connect their main line at [[Harrison Square (Boston)|Harrison Square]] with the [[Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad]], running from the Old Colony at [[Neponset, Boston|Neponset]], west to what is now [[Mattapan (MBTA station)|Mattapan station]].  The [[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad]] succeeded the Old Colony in operating the branch, but passenger service ceased on September 4, 1926, in anticipation of the construction of the BERy's Dorchester extension.<ref>[http://world.nycsubway.org/us/boston/red.html End of service on Old Colony's Shawmut Branch]</ref>

The BERy opened the first phase of the Dorchester extension, to [[Fields Corner (MBTA station)|Fields Corner station]], on November 5, 1927, south from [[Andrew (MBTA station)|Andrew]], then southeast to the surface and along the west side of the Old Colony mainline in a depressed right-of-way. [[JFK/UMass (MBTA station)|Columbia]] and [[Savin Hill (MBTA station)|Savin Hill]] stations were built on the surface at the sites of former Old Colony stations.  The remainder of the extension opened to [[Ashmont (MBTA station)|Ashmont]] and [[Codman Yard]] on September 1, 1928, and included [[Shawmut (MBTA station)|Shawmut station]], where there had been a surface Old Colony station, but where the new rapid transit station was placed underground.  The first phase of the [[Mattapan Line|Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line]] opened on August 26, 1929, using the rest of the Shawmut Branch right-of-way, including [[Cedar Grove station]], and part of the old [[Dorchester and Milton Branch]].

On January 13, 1961, the MTA began operating "[[Skip-stop|modified express service]]" on the line during the morning rush hour, following the introduction of similar service on the Forest Hills–Everett line the month before. Every other train bypassed Shawmut, Savin Hill, Columbia, and Charles stations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137738689/ |title=MTA Boosts Service For New Year's Eve |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=December 29, 1960 |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> This was discontinued in September 1961 to reduce wait times at the skipped stations, most of which were outdoors.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137738740/ |title=M.T.A. Dropping Morning Express |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 27, 1961 |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Charles was renamed Charles/MGH in December 1973, and Kendall was renamed Kendall/MIT on August 7, 1978.<ref name="netransit" /> In January 1981, the MBTA proposed to close the Ashmont branch on Sundays – and the Mattapan Line at all times – beginning that March due to severe budget issues.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38328446/the_boston_globe/ |title=Public Hearing Notice  |date=January 28, 1981 |author=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |newspaper=Boston Globe |page=65 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}</ref> The closure was cancelled, though the lines were closed from June 20, 1981, to January 16, 1982, for track replacement and tunnel repairs.<ref name=netransit />

===MBTA era and branding===
[[File:Tichnor Brothers Harvard Square postcard, circa 1930s.jpg|thumb|right|The station entrance in Harvard Square]]

The line was sometimes referred to as the '''Cambridge–Dorchester line'''<ref>{{cite journal |title=Developed at Boston |journal=Transit Journal |date=December 1932 |volume=76 |issue=12 |page=512 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=620TAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Cambridge%E2%80%93Dorchester+line%22}}</ref> and the '''Cambridge–Dorchester subway'''.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Horace Nathaniel Gilbert |author2=Charles Insco Gragg |title=An Introduction to Business: A Case Book |date=1929 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |page=313}}</ref> It was marked on maps as "Route 1".<ref>{{cite map |title=System Route Map |date=1966 |title-link=:commons:File:1966 MBTA system map.png |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |first=Richard F. |last=Lufkin |via=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref> After taking over operations in August 1964, the MBTA began rebranding many elements of Boston's public transportation network. Colors were assigned to the rail lines on August 26, 1965 as part of a wider modernization developed by [[Cambridge Seven Associates]], with the Cambridge–Dorchester line becoming the '''Red Line'''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56546635/the-boston-globe/ |title=...Meanwhile, Back on the Circle-T |newspaper=Boston Globe |first=Robert B. |last=Hanron |date=August 26, 1965 |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> [[Peter Chermayeff]] claims to have assigned red to the line because of Harvard's association with [[crimson]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.citylab.com/design/2018/09/how-boston-got-its-t/570004/ |title=How Boston Got Its 'T' |magazine=[[CityLab (web magazine)|CityLab]] |quote=I remember sitting in my Cambridge office preparing for a meeting with the MBTA in which I would be proposing colored lines. I had markers in front of me and I chose red for the line that went to Harvard since it’s a well-known institution whose main color is crimson. |date=September 17, 2018 |first=Mark |last=Byrnes}}</ref>
<!--In 1968, letters were assigned to the south branches, "A" for Quincy (planned to extend to South Braintree) and "C" for Ashmont. "B" was probably reserved for a planned branch from Braintree to [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]]. As new [[rollsign]]s were made, this lettering was phased out. In 1994, new electronic signs included a different labeling, "A" for Ashmont, "B" for Braintree, and "C" for Alewife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://groups-beta.google.com/group/misc.transport.urban-transit/browse_frm/thread/a39e96e4ecc836ca/a9a23545f09a35c6 |title=misc.transport.urban-transit &#124; Google Groups |work=Groups-beta.google.com |access-date=2012-06-10}}</ref>-->

===South Shore line===
On July 28, 1965, the MBTA signed an agreement with the [[New Haven Railroad]] to purchase {{convert|11|miles}} of the former Old Colony mainline from [[Fort Point Channel]] to South Braintree in order to construct a new rapid transit line along the corridor. The line was expected to be completed within two years. The agreement also provided for the MBTA to subsidize commuter service on the railroad's remaining commuter rail lines for $1.2 million annually.<ref name=netransit /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38297699/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA Buys Old Colony Line For a South Shore Express |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=July 29, 1965 |first=Robert |last=Carr |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Original plans called for the South Shore line to be largely independent of the existing Red Line, with either a northern terminus at the surface level at South Station or a tunnel leading to a stub-end terminal between [[Post Office Square (Boston)|Post Office Square]] and State Street.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38297773/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA Plans Downtown Tunnel |newspaper=Boston Globe |page=4 |date=November 20, 1965 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}</ref> However, it was later decided to have the line be a new southern branch of the Red Line.

The first section of the South Shore line, under construction since 1966, opened on September 1, 1971, branching from the original Red Line at a [[flying junction]] north of Columbia (now [[JFK/UMass (MBTA station)|JFK/UMass]]). It ran along the west side of the Old Colony rail right-of-way (which has since been reduced to one track), crossing to the east side north of Savin Hill. The northernmost station was [[North Quincy (MBTA station)|North Quincy]], with others at [[Wollaston (MBTA station)|Wollaston]] and [[Quincy Center (MBTA station)|Quincy Center]]. Service began alternating between Ashmont and Quincy. Ashmont service operated with 1400-series cars, while the Quincy branch only had 1500- and 1600-series cars because they had cab signaling.<ref name="netransit" />

In December 1969, the MBTA purchased [[Penn Central]]'s Dover Street Yards for $7 million.<ref name=chronicle>{{cite book |url=http://web.mit.edu/cron/project/uncertainty/Dowd_Data/Baum_Snow/boston-history.txt |title=A Chronicle of the Boston Transit System |year=1992 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |via=MIT |last=Sanborn |first=George M. |access-date=2016-01-19 |archive-date=2019-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416214442/http://web.mit.edu/cron/project/uncertainty/Dowd_Data/Baum_Snow/boston-history.txt |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=rollsign1972>{{cite magazine |magazine=Rollsign |title=MBTA South Bay Maintenance Center Contract |volume=9 |issue=8/9 |date=August–September 1972 |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association}} Via [https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793905 Tremont Street Subway NHL documentation].</ref> The site was used for the South Bay Maintenance Center (later Cabot Yard), which included Red Line shops (to replace Eliot Yard) and an adjacent bus garage. A $7.8 million construction contract was awarded in 1972, with groundbreaking on September 16.<ref name=chronicle /><ref name=rollsign1972 /> The facility was dedicated on June 24, 1974; on December 28, Bartlett Street garage in Roxbury was closed.<ref name=chronicle />

Three southbound trains collided inside the Beacon Hill tunnel on August 1, 1975, injuring 132 passengers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clarke |first=Bradley H. |title=The Boston Rapid Transit Album |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |year=1981 |location=Cambridge, Mass. |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43833787/the_boston_globe/ |title=132 hurt in rush-hour crash of 3 MBTA trains |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=August 2, 1975 |page=1 |first1=Charles E. |last1=Claffey |first2=David |last2=Richwine |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

====Braintree extension====
[[File:Quincy Adams garage facing northeast, January 2016.JPG|thumb|left|Quincy Adams (pictured) and Braintree stations include massive parking garages to accommodate suburban commuters.]]
Beyond Quincy Center, the '''Braintree extension''' runs southward to [[Braintree (MBTA station)|Braintree]], opened on March 22, 1980, via an intermediate stop at [[Quincy Adams (MBTA station)|Quincy Adams]] which opened on September 10, 1983 due to delays.<ref name="netransit" /> The extension was part of the massive 1965 extension plan, although it was delayed due to questions over station siting in Braintree.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38302568/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA to Unveil Master Plan Soon For 75-mph Service to Far Points |newspaper=Boston Globe |page=48 |date=November 7, 1965 |first=Robert |last=Hanron |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}</ref> The [[Boston Transportation Planning Review]], published in 1969, proposed North Braintree and South Braintree stations following the [[Quincy Center (MBTA station)|Quincy Center]] station.

Several outlying sections of the MBTA subway system, including Quincy Adams and Braintree, originally charged a double fare to account for the additional costs of running service far from downtown. Passengers paid two fares to enter at the stations, and an [[exit fare]] when leaving the station. Double fares on the Braintree extension, the last on the system, were discontinued in 2007 as part of a wider fare restructuring.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/?id=10132 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014518/http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/?id=10132 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |title=Frequently Asked Questions on the Fare Restructuring and Increase}}</ref>

===Northwest extension===
[[File:Red Line hatches at Thorndike Field, October 2011.jpg|thumb|right|Subway exit hatches at the northern end of the line, where a future extension to [[Lexington, Massachusetts|Lexington]] may someday be added]]
By 1922, the BERy believed that Harvard would be the permanent terminus; the heavy ridership from the north was expected to be handled by [[Green Line Extension#History|extending rapid transit from Lechmere Square]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52404512/the-boston-globe/ |title=Three New Subways Planned |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 25, 1922 |page=71 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The 1926 ''Report on Improved Transportation Facilities in the Boston Metropolitan District'' proposed an extension from Lechmere to North Cambridge via the [[Lowell Line|Southern Division]] and the [[Fitchburg Cutoff]], with a possible further extension along the [[Lexington Branch]]. An extension of the Cambridge–Dorchester Line under Mount Auburn Street to Watertown, and thence along the [[Watertown Branch]] to Waltham, was also raised as a possibility.<ref name=1926report >{{cite book |title=Report on Improved Transportation Facilities in Boston |date=December 1926 |publisher=Division of Metropolitan Planning |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015049422689}}</ref> A northwards extension from Harvard to the North Cambridge/Arlington border was proposed by Cambridge mayor [[John D. Lynch]] in 1933 and by then-freshmen state representative [[Tip O'Neill]] in 1936, but was not pursued.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56476134/the-boston-globe/ |title=T puts last link in Red Line extension |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=March 31, 1985 |page=34 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

The 1945 Coolidge Commission report – the first major transit planning initiative in the region since 1926 – recommended an extension from Harvard to Arlington Heights via East Watertown.<ref>{{citation |title=[[:commons:File:1945 BERy extensions map.jpg|Air View: Present Rapid Transit System – Boston Elevated Railway and Proposed Extensions of Rapid Transit into Suburban Boston]] |date=April 1945 |author1=Boston Elevated Railway |author2=Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities |via=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref><ref name=transplan>{{cite web |url=http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/boston.html |title=The Transportation Plan for the Boston Region – Volume 2 |date=November 15, 1993 |publisher=National Transportation Library |author=Central Transportation Planning Staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024654/http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/boston.html |archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> The 1947 revision recommended an extension north to Porter Square instead, with branches along the [[Fitchburg Railroad|Fitchburg Division]] to Waltham and the Lexington Branch to Lexington.<ref name=transplan /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42959374/the_boston_globe/ |title=10 Electric-Train Lines Proposed by Board in Report to Legislature |first=Gene R. |last=Casey |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=April 6, 1947 |pages=1, 28 |via=Newspapers.com}} ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42959392/the_boston_globe/ second section], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42959409/the_boston_globe/ third page]) {{open access}}</ref> The 1966 ''Program for Mass Transportation'' by the 1964-created [[MBTA]] called for an immediate extension to Alewife Brook Parkway via Porter Square, with possible future extensions to Arlington or Waltham.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/comprehensivedev00mass/page/n83/mode/2up |title=A Comprehensive Development Program for Public Transportation in the Massachusetts Bay Area |year=1966 |pages=V-16 to V-19 |via=Internet Archive |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> Original plans called for a subway under Massachusetts Avenue to Porter Square, then a surface route along the Fitchburg Route to Alewife.<ref name=NWEIS />{{rp|I-3}} In the late 1960s, the project was expanded to follow the Lexington Branch to a terminal at [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]].<ref name=NWEIS />{{rp|I-5}}

In 1970, Cambridge began advocating for the project, and for the consideration of an all-subway route under Garden Street.<ref name=NWEIS />{{rp|I-4}} That October, then-governor [[Francis Sargent]] suspended most highway construction inside Route 128 and created the Boston Transportation Planning Review, which focused on the implementation of new transit routes.<ref name=NWEIS />{{rp|I-4}} In 1972, a new all-subway route via Porter Square and Davis Square was considered (and ultimately chosen).<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Rollsign |title=Harvard-Alewife Extension |volume=9 |issue=8/9 |date=August–September 1972 |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association}} Via [https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793905 Tremont Street Subway NHL documentation].</ref> By the mid-1970s, the project was split into two phases: an all-subway extension to Arlington Heights via Alewife, with a later extension to Route 128.<ref name=NWEIS>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/redlineextension01mass |title=Final Environmental Impact Statement: Red Line Extension – Harvard Square to Arlington Heights |year=1977 |volume=1 |publisher=Urban Mass Transportation Administration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>{{rp|I-5}}

Arlington did not wish for Arlington Heights to be even a temporary terminal.<ref name=NWEIS />{{rp|I-5}} In March 1977, Arlington voters rejected the project in a nonbinding referendum, citing fears of increased taxes and congestion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42960537/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA weighs Arlington Red Line 'no' vote |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=March 7, 1977 |page=3 |first=Jerry |last=Taylor |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> A May 1977 state bill prohibiting extension into Arlington was vetoed by then-governor [[Michael Dukakis]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42960552/the_boston_globe/ |title=Arlington MBTA ban loses |newspaper=Boston Globe |first=Robert L. |last=Turner |date=May 5, 1977 |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The [[Environmental Impact Statement]], released in August 1977, primarily evaluated the Arlington Heights terminus but also provided for a shorter Alewife extension.<ref name=NWEIS /><ref name=dont /> By the time the northwest extension began construction in 1978, opposition in Arlington and reductions in federal funding had caused the MBTA to choose the shorter Alewife alternative.<ref name=dont>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42960549/the_boston_globe/ |title=Don't halt MBTA job, judge advised |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 16, 1979 |page=15 |author=David McKay Wilson |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

The Red Line was extended temporarily to Harvard–Brattle over former yard and storage tracks on March 24, 1979. This allowed for bus transfers to be provided. The Harvard bus tunnel was closed temporarily at the time. On January 31, 1981, the original [[Harvard (MBTA station)|Harvard]] station was permanently closed, as its demolition was required. To replace it, a temporary station at Harvard–Holyoke was built across the tracks. The two temporary stations were closed on September 2, 1983 in preparation for the opening of the new Harvard station. On September 6, 1983, the new station at Harvard opened, with trains changing direction at Davis Square without carrying passengers.<ref name="netransit" /> Eliot Yard was demolished; [[Harvard Kennedy School]] now sits inside its retaining walls.

The line was extended to [[Davis (MBTA station)|Davis]] with a station at [[Porter (MBTA station)|Porter]] on December 8, 1984. The line was extended to its current terminus at [[Alewife (MBTA station)|Alewife]] on March 30, 1985. At the time, all off-peak trains terminated there, but due to the incomplete construction of a yard at Alewife, only Ashmont trains ran to Alewife during rush hours. Davis was the terminal for rush hour Braintree trains. These trains were finally extended to Alewife during rush hours on December 26, 1985, with the completion of the yard at Alewife.<ref name="netransit" /> During the expansion, the MBTA pioneered an investment in the "[[Arts on the Line]]" [[public art]] program. Fill from the tunnel excavation was used to create [[Danehy Park]] on the former site of the Cambridge City Dump, and to restore Russell Field in Cambridge and Magnolia Park in Arlington.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42548935/the_boston_globe/ |title=T dedicates new Harvard station |date=March 3, 1985 |newspaper=Boston Globe |first1=Douglas S. |last1=Crocket |first2=Paul |last2=Hirshon |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1993/10/13/dump-succeeds-as-park-pthe-city/ |title=Dump Succeeds As Park |newspaper=Harvard Crimson |date=October 13, 1993 |first=Terry H. |last=Lanson}}</ref>

===Station renovations===
[[File:Wollaston station construction from Beale Street, August 2018.JPG|thumb|left|Reconstruction of {{bts|Wollaston}} in 2018]]
A 1979 renovation of {{bts|Park Street}} added two elevators, making it the first [[accessible]] station on the Red Line.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1979mass_0 |title=1979 Annual Report |year=1979 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=[https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1979mass_0/page/27 27] |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> In the early 1980s, the MBTA began extending platforms for six-car trains: {{bts|Ashmont}} and {{bts|Shawmut}} in 1981, {{bts|Charles/MGH}} in 1982, and {{bts|Fields Corner}} and {{bts|Savin Hill}} in the mid-1980s.<ref name=netransit /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/fmcb-meeting-docs/2019/04-april/2019-04-29-fmcb-P-longfellow-contract.pdf |title=MBTA Contract No. B43PS02: Longfellow Approach Architecture and Engineering Services |date=April 29, 2019 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> (The Northwest and South Shore extensions had been built for longer trains, while {{bts|JFK/UMass}} had been modified in 1970.)<ref name=netransit /> In the mid-1980s, the MBTA spent $80 million to extend the platforms of seven underground Red Line stations ({{bts|Central}}, {{bts|Kendall/MIT}}, Park Street, [[Downtown Crossing station|Washington]], {{bts|South Station Under}}, {{bts|Broadway}}, and {{bts|Andrew}}) and three Orange Line stations.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1985mass_0 |title=1985 Annual Report |year=1985 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=[https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1985mass_0/page/13 13] |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Six-car trains entered service on January 21, 1988.<ref name=netransit />

Central, Kendall/MIT, Park Street, and Downtown Crossing (renamed from Washington in 1987) were completed in 1988.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1987mass_0 |title=1985 Annual Report |year=1987 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=[https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1987mass_0/page/19 19] |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> A major reconstruction of JFK/UMass added a platform for the Braintree branch, which opened on December 14, 1988.<ref name=chronicle /><ref name=netransit /> Renovations to Broadway were completed in October 1989.<ref name=chronicle/> {{bts|Quincy Adams}} and {{bts|Braintree}} were accessible by 1989, if not from their original construction.<ref name=2007doc>{{cite web |url=https://old.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/Accessibility/final%20report%20082407%20on%20CD.pdf |title=Evaluation of MBTA Paratransit and Accessible Fixed Route Transit Services: Final Report |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |author=Tran Systems and Planners Collaborative |date=August 24, 2007}}</ref><ref name=bluebook1990>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/ridershipservice990mass |edition=3 |title=Ridership and Service Statistics |date=November 1990 |pages=1–4 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |author=Operations Directorate Planning Division |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="netransit" /> South Station was completed around 1992, followed by Andrew in 1994.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/mbtaaccessguidet00mass#page/14/mode/2up |title=MBTA : ACCESS; The Guide to Accessible Services and Facilities |page=15 |date=June 1992 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name=2007doc /><ref name=netransit />

The 1990 passage of the [[Americans with Disabilities Act]] spurred the renovation of additional stations. {{bts|Quincy Center}} was modified in 1991, followed by {{bts|North Quincy}} in 1998.<ref name=2007doc /><ref name=chronicle /> Charles/MGH was rebuilt from 2003 to 2007.<ref name=mbtaproject>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406022956/http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/?id=982 |archive-date=April 6, 2008 |title=Charles MGH Renovation |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/?id=982}}</ref><ref name=opens>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2007-03-27/new-charlesmgh-station-opens |title=New Charles/MGH Station Opens |date=March 27, 2007 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The agency began design for the four Ashmont branch stations in 2001.<ref name=audit>{{cite report |title=Official Audit Report – Issued June 16, 2014: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, For the period January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2012 |date=June 16, 2014 |url=https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/ww/201305833a.pdf |publisher=Auditor of the Commonwealth}}</ref>{{rp|33}} Savin Hill was closed from May 2004 to July 31, 2005 for reconstruction.<ref name=netransit /> It was followed by the completion of the rebuilt Fields Corner station in 2008, the modified Shawmut in 2009, and the rebuilt Ashmont in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/governor-patrick-celebrates-ashmont-station-completion/ |title=Governor Patrick Celebrates Ashmont Station Completion |date=October 21, 2011 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |access-date=October 19, 2015 |archive-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025022129/http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/governor-patrick-celebrates-ashmont-station-completion/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://mbta.com/news/2008-09-23/governor-patrick-mayor-menino-celebrate-completion-fields-corner-station |title=Governor Patrick, Mayor Menino Celebrate Completion of Fields Corner Station |date=September 23, 2008 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The final Red Line station to be modified for accessibility was {{bts|Wollaston}}, which was closed from January 2018 to August 2019 for a complete reconstruction.<ref name=netransit />
{{clear left}}

===2010s and 2020s===
{{anchor|Longfellow Bridge rehabilitation project}} A $255 million project, which started in Spring 2013, replaced structural elements of the [[Longfellow Bridge]], which carries the line across the Charles River between the [[Charles/MGH (MBTA station)|Charles/MGH]] and [[Kendall/MIT (MBTA station)|Kendall/MIT]] stations.  The project required at least 25 weekend shutdowns, including temporary relocation of the tracks and a substitute bus shuttle service.  All outbound roadway traffic was detoured from the bridge for the three years of construction.  The bridge finished construction in May 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-delayed-two-years/9m7OpQrAIpV6B2IF9mlegL/story.html|title = Longfellow Bridge construction extended until late 2018 - the Boston Globe|website = [[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref><ref name=Powers>{{cite news|last=Powers|first=Martine|title=Longfellow Bridge repairs, disruption to start in summer|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-begin-this-summer-with-major-traffic-diversions/gPqPYiWt2KmmWpxB5vmOaM/story.html|access-date=2 March 2013|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=February 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name=MassDOT>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=Longfellow Bridge|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|work=Accelerated Bridge Program|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-date=28 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328060558/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Bus Bridge at JFK-UMass Station, August 2015.jpg|thumb|right|Buses forming a "bus bridge" linking JFK/UMass and North Quincy in August 2015, during winter resiliency work]]
During the [[2014–15 North American winter#Northeastern United States|unusually frigid and snowy winter of 2014–15]], almost the entire MBTA rail system was shut down on several occasions by heavy snowfalls. The aboveground sections of the Orange and Red lines were particularly vulnerable due to their exposed [[third rail]] power feed, which iced over during storms. If a single train were stopped due to power loss, other trains behind it soon had to stop as well; without continually running trains pushing snow off the rails, the lines would become quickly blocked by heavy snowfalls. (Because the Blue Line was built with [[Overhead line|overhead catenary]] on its surface section due to its exposure to corrosive [[salt air]], it was not as easily disabled by the icing conditions.)

During 2015, the MBTA implemented its $83.7 million Winter Resiliency Program, much of which focused on preventing similar vulnerabilities with the Orange and Red lines. The section of the Braintree branch between JFK/UMass and Wollaston had old infrastructure and was largely built on an embankment, rendering it more vulnerable. New third rail with heaters and a different metal composition to reduce wear was installed, along with [[snow fence]]s and [[Railroad switch#Cold conditions|switch heaters]].<ref name=winteriscoming>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/business/news/2015/09/23/how-the-mbta-getting-winter-ready/SeTjLsOSUUZ1nGlIAc5p3N/story.html |title=Winter is coming, and the MBTA is getting ready |newspaper=Boston Globe |last=Vaccaro |first=Adam |date=23 September 2015 |access-date=4 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442454500&month=&year |title=Gov. Baker Announces $83.7 Million MBTA Winter Resiliency Plan |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=4 June 2015}}</ref> The work required [[bustitution]] of the line from JFK/UMass to [[North Quincy (MBTA station)|North Quincy]] on many weeknights.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442454945&month=&year= |title=Winter Resiliency Work Continues on the Red Line: WEEKEND TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN JFK/UMASS AND QUINCY CENTER SUSPENDED |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=9 September 2015}}</ref> This program did not include work south of Wollaston.<ref name=winteriscoming />

In July 2016, the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a $18.5 million contract to complete work along the remainder of the southern branches. The project included all remaining third rail replacement, track work between Fields Corner and Savin Hill, signal system work between North Quincy and Braintree, and track replacement at Quincy Center, Quincy Adams, and Braintree. The work was completed in the second half of 2016.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/mbta-next-phase-of-red-line-winter-resiliency-improvements-approved/ |title=MBTA: Next Phase of Red Line Winter Resiliency Improvements Approved |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |date=25 July 2016 |work=MassDOT Blog |access-date=26 July 2016 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126200558/http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/mbta-next-phase-of-red-line-winter-resiliency-improvements-approved/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On December 10, 2015, a Red Line train in revenue service traveled from {{bts|Braintree}} to {{bts|North Quincy}} without an operator in the cab before it was stopped by cutting power to the [[third rail]]. The MBTA initially said that the train appeared to have been tampered with and the incident was not an accident, but later determined operator error to have been the cause.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/12/10/red-line-train-leaves-station-without-operator/L5NzTcDEX8dMQCQLvC7UBN/story.html |title=Red Line train leaves station without operator |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=10 December 2015 |last1=Rosen |first1=Andy |last2=Dungca |first2=Nicole |access-date=11 December 2015}}</ref>

On February 21, 2018, a Red Line train motor failed on approach to [[Andrew station]] causing the train to derail.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McDonald|first1=Danny|last2=Levene|first2=Alana|title=Red Line service resumes between Broadway and JFK stations – The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/02/21/red-line-problems-redux-buses-now-shuttling-passengers-between-dorchester-and-south-boston/KTSx9UlAZelUHbYgl98rbM/story.html|website=BostonGlobe.com|publisher=[[Boston Globe]]|access-date=23 February 2018}}</ref> On June 11, 2019, a Red Line train derailed just north of JFK/UMass station, damaging three sheds of signal equipment that control the complex interlockings around the station. The Red Line was limited to 10 trains per hour (instead of the usual 13-14) for several months while repairs were made.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2019-06-21/plans-accelerate-red-line-signal-repairs |title=Plans to Accelerate Red Line Signal Repairs |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=June 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/06/21/step-pace-red-line-signal-repairs/yGTeOs234uGab9gdcni6EJ/story.html |title=T says Red Line reduced schedule to last through summer |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 21, 2019 |first1=Matt |last1=Stout |first2=Diamond Naga |last2=Siu}}</ref> The derailment was caused by a broken axle, which had been made brittle by sparks from a faulty grounding component on a motor.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/09/16/attributes-red-line-derailment-broken-subway-axle/SlnOglTe0kZ6jSqWC8YnII/story.html |title=T attributes Red Line derailment to broken subway axle |date=September 16, 2019 |newspaper=Boston Globe |first=Michael |last=Levenson}}</ref><ref name=restored /> Full service resumed on September 25, 2019.<ref name=restored>{{cite press release |url=https://mbta.com/news/2019-09-25/completion-red-line-signal-repairs |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=September 25, 2019 |title=Completion of Red Line Signal Repairs}}</ref>

Speed restrictions were placed on much of the MBTA subway system in March 2023 due to deteriorated track conditions.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-03-12/mbta-reminds-riders-allow-extra-time |title=MBTA Reminds Riders to Allow for Extra Time |date=March 12, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> Portions of the line were shut down for several periods in 2023–2024 to allow for track work to remove the speed restrictions.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-11-09/mbta-announces-ambitious-track-improvement-program-eliminate-all-speed-restrictions |title=MBTA Announces Ambitious Track Improvement Program to Eliminate All Speed Restrictions by End of 2024 |date=November 9, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> A shutdown of the Braintree branch from September 6–29, 2024, was intended to "lay the groundwork" for a future speed increase as well as removing speed restrictions. The branch had been restricted to {{convert|40|mph}} for several decades, but the MBTA intended to eventually increase some portions to {{convert|50|mph}}.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-07-18/major-red-line-braintree-branch-improvement-work-take-place-september-6-29-mbta |title=Major Red Line Braintree Branch Improvement Work to Take Place September 6 – 29, MBTA to Remove 20+ Speed Restrictions |date=July 18, 2024 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/07/19/mbta-red-line-closure-braintree-branch-50-mph-trains-newsletter |title=MBTA to close part of Red Line for 24 days this September — with plans for future 50 mph trains |date=July 19, 2024 |first=Nik |last=DeCosta-Klipa |newspaper=WBUR |access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref> This would save up to 3 minutes per round trip.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-12/GM%20Report%20to%20the%20Board%2012.19.2024%20v12A.pdf |title=GM’s Report to the Board |page=12 |first=Phil |last=Eng |date=December 19, 2024 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> {{As of|2025|1|27|df=US}}, the increase was expected to occur within several days.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2025-01-27/icymi-red-line-hit-major-milestone-speeds-increase-50-mph |title=ICYMI: Red Line to Hit Major Milestone as Speeds Increase to 50 MPH |date=January 27, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>