the line was re-extended as far as ayer (one stop inbound of shirley) later in 1965 and cut back to south acton in 1975. service was extended out to gardner in january 1980, but the stops at shirley and west acton were not restored. shirley reopened in may 1981 at phoenix street, east of the former site, with a small plexiglass bus stop shelter on the inbound side. the bus shelter was replaced by a hip-roofed wooden structure - its style based on the original shirley station - in 1993.