August 12, 2025 |MBTA, News, State of MA, Transportation

MBTA Announces Extended Service for Fall 2025, All Modes Free After 9 PM for Five Fridays and Saturdays 

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From the MBTA:

Extended Subway Service on Fridays and Saturdays. Extended Service Seven Days a Week for Five Frequent Bus Routes, on Fridays and Saturdays on Eight Additional Frequent Bus Routes. Extended Ferry Service on Fridays and Saturdays for Some Routes Through September.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today announced that, effective August 24 as part of Fall 2025 service changes, all subway lines and eight frequent bus routes will offer extended service on Fridays and Saturdays with five of the MBTA’s most frequent bus routes with the highest number of later riders offering extended service every day of the week. Trip end times for these lines and routes will be about one hour later compared to current service end times. Extended service will also be added on some ferry lines on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September with additional trips added.  

“The MBTA is working every day to deliver the high-quality, reliable service that riders deserve,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We know that people travel at all times of the day and night, whether they just wrapped a night shift or were enjoying our incredible restaurants, nightlife, sports, or concerts, so having this extended nighttime service will make a real difference. It’s also great that the T is offering free service on the weekends to encourage students coming back to school and workers returning from vacation to take the T.” 

“General Manager Eng and his team are continuing to show that they are responsive to the feedback of their riders,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “In addition to making service more safe and reliable, they are now extending service on the subway, buses, and ferries, while also making nighttime service free to kick off the fall season. We hope riders and visitors alike take advantage of these exciting updates.” 

To encourage riders to take advantage of the extended service, all subway lines, bus routes, ferries, Commuter Rail lines, and the RIDE trips will be free on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 9 PM through the end of service on September 5 – 6, September 12 – 13, September 19 – 20, September 26 – 27, and October 3 – 4.  

“Thanks to the leadership of the Healey Driscoll administration, residents and visitors across Massachusetts have more ways than ever to get where they need to go by public transportation,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits Nutt. “We are building a transit system shaped by the voices, needs, and values of our communities. By expanding service hours and offering free fares at key times, we are making it easier for thousands more people to connect to jobs, schools, housing, shopping, and the moments that matter most in their lives. Every trip is a chance to open doors, strengthen neighborhoods, and bring our Commonwealth closer together.” 

Extending service later into the night is a frequent request and longstanding interest of the riding public. Later public transit options enhance quality of life, improve the economic vibrancy of the region, and better position the Greater Boston area to be competitive among other world-class cities that offer late-night public transportation. With the goal of increasing mobility during the nighttime hours for workers and travelers, this targeted approach to extending service prioritizes current evening ridership, improves connectivity across the network, and is a strategic investment that is within the MBTA’s current operating budget. 

“Safe and reliable transportation is essential and the MBTA wants to do our part with ensuring that the public has access to mass transportation when they need it,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “We are not satisfied with simply restoring our system to what we once provided but pushing ourselves to continuously improve. Extended service is something that we have been working towards and I’m proud that the investments being made in the MBTA allows us to now provide later service on subway, bus, and ferries, giving the public the opportunity to choose transit. We could not have done this without the hard work of the MBTA workforce and the commitment to transportation by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Legislature.” 

Weekend Extended Service  

• Subway: Service for the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green lines will be extended by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be about every 30 minutes on the Ashmont and Braintree branches of the Red Line and each of the Green Line branches, and about every 15 minutes between Alewife and JFK/UMass on the Red Line, on the entire Orange Line, and on the entire Blue Line.  
• Bus: Service on Bus Routes 1, 22, 39, 66, 110, SL1, SL3, and SL5 will extend by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be approximately every 30 minutes. 
• Ferries: Service for some ferry lines will extend by one to two hours with additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays beginning Friday, August 29, through Saturday, September 27: 
  • On Fridays: Hingham/Hull Ferry: An additional Hingham/Hull Ferry roundtrip will be added to the schedule departing about one hour later than current schedules. This trip departs Hingham to Long Wharf at 10:15 PM; the trip departs Long Wharf to Hull and Hingham at 11 PM.
  • The current last departure from Hingham is at 9:15 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf at 9:55 PM. 
  • On Fridays and Saturdays: East Boston Ferry: Additional East Boston Ferry trips will be added to the schedule with service extended to 10 PM. The last trip from East Boston to Long Wharf will depart at 9:30 PM; the last trip from Long Wharf to East Boston will depart at 9:45 PM. 
  • The current last departure from East Boston on Fridays is at 7:30 PM and on Saturdays is at 8:30 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf on Fridays at 7:45 PM and on Saturdays is at 8:45 PM. 
  • On Fridays and Saturdays: Charlestown Ferry: Additional Charlestown Ferry trips will be added to the schedule with service extended to 10 PM. The last trip from Charleston to Long Wharf will depart at 9:30 PM; the last trip from Long Wharf to Charlestown will depart at 9:45 PM.  
  • The current last departure from Charlestown on Fridays is at 8:15 PM and on Saturdays is at 6:15 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf on Fridays at 8:00 PM and on Saturdays at 6:00 PM. 
  • Lynn, Winthrop, and Quincy Ferries: The last trip for these routes will remain as they are on Fridays and Saturdays.  
  • Updated Ferry schedules will be available soon at mbta.com/Ferry. 

Daily Extended Service   

• Bus: Service on Bus Routes 23, 28, 57, 111, and 116 will be extended by about one hour every day of the week. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be approximately every 30 minutes. 

The current cost of the extended service on subway lines and bus routes for additional operations personnel hours is approximately $2 million. 

Schedules for all lines and routes vary. Riders are strongly encouraged to check schedules in advance and use the MBTA’s Trip Planner as well as the MBTA Go app to plan their travels. Regular fares will be charged for all extended services.   

The MBTA previously announced additional Fall 2025 service adjustments. More information and detailed service schedules are available here.  

The MBTA continues to serve a critical role in supporting the economic vitality of Massachusetts. Over the past two years, the agency has focused on providing dependable, frequent, and accessible service that riders can rely on. Through initiatives such as extending evening service and the Better Bus Project, the MBTA continues to optimize routes, improve connectivity, and enhance the rider experience.  

Statements of Support: 

“Extending MBTA service on evenings and weekdays will have a meaningful impact on the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, one of the region’s most significant employment and economic hubs,” said Karen Winger, Director of Transportation Planning for the Longwood Collective, a nonprofit organization that provides critical transportation and operating services, planning, placemaking, and stewardship for the workers, patients, students, and visitors of the LMA. “Thousands of employees and visitors rely on public transit to get to and from the LMA every day, and these added hours—paired with the fare-free weekends in September—will give our community greater flexibility and help support the safety and well-being of those traveling late at night. We applaud the MBTA for listening to riders’ needs and investing in service improvements that make a real difference for our region.” 

“Extended T service is a great for restaurant guests, and even more so for restaurant employees,” said Stephen Clark, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. “We applaud the T for continuing to work collaboratively to expand service where and when it is needed.” 

“Extending MBTA hours isn’t just about convenience — it’s about building the kind of reliable, affordable transit system our region needs,” said Caitlin Allen-Connelly, Executive Director of TransitMatters. “These changes make it easier to enjoy and get around on Friday and Saturday nights on the subway, keep frequent bus routes running later, and give late-night and early-morning workers a dependable ride. They also improve access to hospitals and connect more people to jobs, services, and opportunities. With free weekend service in September, it’s a great way to attract and welcome more people back to transit. This is a clear win for riders, workers, the community, and our local economy!” 

For more information, visit mbta.com/ServiceChanges or connect with the T on X @MBTA and @MBTA_CR, Facebook /TheMBTA, Instagram @theMBTA, Threads @thembta, or TikTok @thembta.

About the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) opened America’s first subway tunnel in 1897, pioneering public transportation in the United States. Today, the MBTA is one of the largest public transit systems in the country, operating an extensive network of subway, bus, Commuter Rail, ferry, and paratransit services across 176 cities and towns. The MBTA is undergoing a transformative period, focusing on cultivating a culture of safety and excellence, modernizing infrastructure, and improving reliability and accessibility. Current priorities include accelerating critical infrastructure repairs, expanding accessibility, and reducing emissions. The MBTA is committed to providing dependable, frequent, and accessible service that riders can rely on while supporting the region’s economic vitality. Through initiatives like the unprecedented Track Improvement Program, Bus Network Redesign, and Rail Vision, the MBTA aims to connect communities and improve riders’ daily experiences and trips. For questions or assistance, riders are encouraged to contact the MBTA Customer Center at 617-222-3200. Members of the press are encouraged to contact mediarelations@mbta.com. For the latest updates on MBTA services, projects, and initiatives, visit MBTA.com or follow @MBTA on social media.