Massachusetts Avenue station is a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
station in the
South End and
Symphony neighborhoods of
Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the
MBTA Orange Line, and is located at 380
Massachusetts Avenue. The station opened in 1987 as part of the renovation and relocation of the southern Orange Line into the
Southwest Corridor. The Orange line runs parallel to the
Northeast Corridor, which carries
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
trains and several MBTA
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...
lines.
Station layout
Like all stations on the Orange Line, Massachusetts Avenue is
accessible
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...
. The station has a single
island platform
An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...
serving the two tracks of the Orange Line. The main headhouse is located on the south side of Massachusetts Avenue; a pedestrian tunnel leads to a secondary entrance on the north side. An exit-only staircase at the south end of the platform leads to a footbridge connecting Gainsborough Street and Camden Street.
The MBTA plans to add a fare lobby and elevator at the footbridge, and to replace the existing elevator at the main entrance. A $4.7 million design contract for and Massachusetts Avenue was awarded in April 2020.
Design work reached 30% completion in 2021 and 75% completion in 2022.
History
Chickering station, located northeast of Camden Street where it crossed the rail line, was opened by the 1870s. It was closed in 1896 because
Back Bay station
Back Bay station (also signed as Back Bay · South End) is an intermodal passenger station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located just south of Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. It serves MBTA Commuter Rail and ...
was under construction just to the northeast. A 1919 petition to reopen the station was rejected by the state Public Service Commission.
The modern station opened as part of the
Southwest Corridor project in 1987. The entire Orange Line, including Massachusetts Avenue station, was closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022, during maintenance work.
References
External links
MBTA - Massachusetts AvenueMBTA – Elevator Accessibility Upgrades
*Google Maps Street View
Massachusetts Avenue entrancesGainsborough Street exitCamden Street exit
{{MBTA Subway Stations
Orange Line (MBTA) stations
Railway stations in Boston
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1987
Stations along Old Colony Railroad lines
1987 establishments in Massachusetts
MBTA subway stations located above ground