Major disruptions on the Green Line through the heart of downtown Boston start Monday, as the T begins two week’s worth of improvements to make riding safer and more reliable.

From Dec. 8 to Dec. 22, a combination of shuttle bus, commuter rail, and Orange Line service will replace the Green Line from North Station to Babcock Street (B branch), Kenmore (C and D branch), and Heath Street (E branch).

The diversion gives the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority the opportunity to replace wooden overhead troughs that house electrical wiring. The 100-plus-year-old troughs are original to Green Line tunnel, built in the 1880s.

During the 15-day-shutdown, the MBTA is also planning on modernizing signals, inspecting tunnels, brightening stations, and continuing work on the Green Line Train Protection System, which prevents head-on collisions on the tracks.

Although the pause in service is significant, it’s a part of a strategy to make the T safer and more reliable, so that riders who previously avoided public transit because of frequent delays will consider returning to the T.

MBTA CEO and General Manager Phillip Eng explained the strategy at the agency’s board of directors meeting last month. With increased improvements, the number of planned trips on the Orange, Red, and Blue Lines has also increased.

“That is going to bring people back. We’re seeing that little by little, every month,” he said, adding that ridership in October was the highest it has been since the pandemic.

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While segments of Green Line service are down, riders can take free and accessible shuttle service to Back Bay, where they can continue their ride downtown on the Orange Line. The T is also offering free fares on the Worcester Line of the Commuter rail between South Station and Lansdowne during the closure.