MBTA plans tree removal near Green Line tracks

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has contracted Northern Tree Service Inc. to remove multiple trees adjacent to its Green Line rail route.

Dead and rotting branches are posing a threat to the line, MBTA officials said in a press release. In the past year, 21 downed trees or tree branches have fallen onto MBTA tracks or on overhead electrical wires, causing damage and service disruption.

The tree pruning and removal will occur along the Green Line's D Branch from the Fenway Station in Boston to Riverside Station in Newton, Mass. Eighteen of the 21 tree incidents occurred on that segment of the Green Line, MBTA officials said.

Today, an arborist from Northern Tree Service will conduct site surveys regarding the condition of the trees to identify any that present a safety hazard.