June 23, 2023
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Savin Hill Station as it looked in December 2022. (Gintautas Dumcius photo)
MBTA officials on Friday abruptly closed Savin Hill Station to riders after inspections to two staircases between the lobby and the train platform. The station on Saturday reopened to riders.
“Structural engineering consultants last evening recommended closing one of the staircases following an inspection,” T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in a Friday afternoon email. “The consultants made the same recommendation following an inspection of the second staircase this morning.”
Crews worked through the night to make repairs.
On Friday, Red Line trains ran past the station without stopping. For riders who planned to get on Savin Hill, the T offered shuttle buses that took them to Fields Corner and JFK/UMass stations, where they could transfer to the Red Line. The shuttle buses were available at Dorchester Avenue and Savin Hill Avenue.
“Because of the conditions of these staircases, both were scheduled to be replaced in August 2023,” Pesaturo said.
The station's last major overhaul occurred roughly 20 years ago.
The sidewalk outside Savin Hill Station was also undergoing repairs, after a separate inspection last fall revealed issues with the bridge above the train tracks. The inspection found problems with a beam under the bridge.
Savin Hill Station’s shutdown came as the hobbled Red Line already has speed restrictions in place due to safety concerns. There is no end date for the “slow zones,” as they’re called. The state agency has also been under scrutiny by the Federal Transit Administration.
This post was updated Saturday morning.
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