Pittsburgh Regional Transit, and its Way Department, to replace a switch and signal in the "Jailhouse" trolley tunnel, will close a portion of the Downtown Subway between First Avenue and Steel Plaza Stations beginning Saturday morning, October 24, 2026.
Known locally as the "Jailhouse Tunnel", the former railroad and canal tunnel that begins and ends the Downtown Subway near Fourth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh is too narrow to allow simultaneous presence of moving light rail trains and workers, thus requiring its full closure beginning Saturday morning, October 24, 2026, through early Sunday morning, October 25, 2026.
Work in the tunnel will require its complete closure, necessitating the short turns of regular rail service at First Avenue Station.
To assist in the continuation of travel into Downtown and the North Side, a temporary bus replacement service between First Avenue and Steel Plaza Stations, as well as a temporary Subway Local rail replacement service between Steel Plaza and Allegheny Stations will be provided.
Work efforts, the closure and service adjustments will begin on Friday night, October 23, 2026, following completion of rail service for the night.
The rail turnback and replacement services will begin with the start of service Saturday morning, October 24, 2026, until Sunday Morning, October 25, 2026, at the start of service.
Start: 10/24/2026 — End: 10/25/2026
On occasion, when unscheduled disruptions to light rail service in the Downtown & North Side area occur, buses are acquired to replace a portion or all of the light rail service during the interruption until service is restored.
This routing encompasses all stations from First Avenue to Allegheny Station only. For routing breakdowns when a certain number of intermediate stations only are affected, or when the bus substitution must continue to Station Square or the South Hills, other routings will be utilized or adjusted by Pittsburgh Regional Transit staff at the scene.
Buses while in substitution service in the Central Business District (CBD) only are to use the Head Sign reading "Rail Shuttle" to avoid confusion as buses will terminate at First Avenue or Steel Plaza Station dependent upon the type of closure. For bus substitution service beyond Downtown Pittsburgh, buses will carry respective routing designations as applied along the disrupted part of the light rail system.
Start: 01/01/2026 — End: 12/31/2026