Brookline Hills station
In 2020–21, the town of Brookline expanded its high school, constructing a new building fronting Cypress St. and bridging the Highland Branch tracks at Brookline Hills station. In exchange for the air rights to build over the tracks, the town agreed to build a substantially upgraded station, with raised platforms, modern shelters and other amenities, and additional parking. The rebuilt station opened in December, 2021, although not all elements were completed (note, for example, the unfinished canopy support at left center).
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Lineschools2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
Note how the outbound platform is raised eight inches above the railhead (this is the height required for step-free access to Type 8 LRVs — once Type 10s are in service, platforms will be raised to 12 inches). The station entrance is on Tappan St.
Brookline Hills station
Brookline is a very wealthy school system; backing onto the tracks along Tappan St. are the high school's Arts Building, gymnasium, and aquatics center — the historic high-school building is actually located on Greenough St. out of frame to the right.
Brookline Hills station
Close-up view of the new-style rubberized accessible grade crossing. The raised platform ramps down at both ends; pedestrians are discouraged from crossing the tracks in between. Just beyond, a gated truck pad gives work vehicles access to the tracks.
Brookline Hills station
The new-style shelter is a significant improvement over what was here before. Hopefully it will be maintained better too.
Brookline Hills station
Looking east at the new BHS buildings (officially 22 Tappan St.) with a westbound train serving the station
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Lineschools2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
Still looking east, a small pay parking lot for the station
MBTAtrain stationsparking lotsGreen LineRiverside Lineschools2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
Landscaping of the plaza in front of the station is largely complete
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Lineschools. 2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
Looking west from Cypress St. towards the old high school (with flag flying, at center right)
Brookline Hills station
These steel supports have got to be for some sort of canopy that hasn't been installed yet, right? BHS Arts Building in background at center
MBTAtrain stationsschoolsGreen LineRiverside Line2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
The station platforms extend well east underneath the new school.
MBTAtrain stationsschools2021 constructionGrene LineRiverside Line
Brookline Hills station
Shelter on the inbound side
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Lineschools2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
MBTAtrain stationsschools2021 constructionGreen LineRiverside Line
Brookline Hills station
The renovated station has a new version of the classic "spider" map showing the D Line terminating at Union Square and the E Line going to Medford (which was planned to be open before this station reopened, but was delayed at least nine months).
MBTAtrain stationsmapsGreen LineRiverside Line2021 construction
Brookline Hills station
The sign says "FIRST CAR STOP HERE" but I did not see any train actually stop there — all trains stopped at the outdoor shelters rather than under the new high school.
Brookline Hills station
Another grade crossing at the east end of the station, which I would be surprised if it ever got much use.
Brookline Hills station
It's kinda dark and unpleasant in here under the school.
Brookline Hills station
All of the new construction on the Green Line has added these signs.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Line2021 constructionsurveillance cameras
Brookline Hills station
This was signed as an emergency exit, but it looks plenty real and it's not actually blocked off. Not sure it actually goes anywhere useful though.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside Line2021 constructionschools
Fenway station
Parked on a siding under the Park Drive overpass, a tamper is used to compact ballast underneath and around ties after track construction. Paddles mounted on the back of the equipment are driven down into the ballast and tilt towards each other to compact the crushed stone.
Fenway station
About half of the platforms in both directions is covered by the Park Drive overpass; the rest is exposed to the weather. A stairway at left leads to Park Drive, where the 47 and CT2 buses to Cambridge stop.
Fenway station
Looking a bit farther down the line toward Longwood
Fenway station
Looking up the line toward Fenway portal. A major flood of the Muddy River entered the Central Subway through the portal, closing the Green Line for days and destroying signal and power systems; a flood barrier door was recently added to prevent future inundations.
Fenway station
A pedestrian pathway around the perimeter of the Landmark Center development provides the best walking route from the station to Brookline Ave. and Fenway Park.
Fenway station
The Landmark Center, 401 Park Drive, was originally built to be a Sears mail-order warehouse and distribution center. It's now a retail/lab/office development, home to an REI store and the offices of Toast, an IT services provider for restaurants.
Fenway station
The building just west of the Landmark Center is a former Bed Bath & Beyond (I don't know what it was before that) which was closed during the company's recent retrenchment and is being turned into someting else.
MBTAtrain stationsLandmark Center401 Park DriveGreen LineRiverside Line
Former Bed, Bath & Beyond sign
If I didn't know that this used to say "Bed Bath & Beyond" I wouldn't have known what it was.
Fenway station
Seen from Park Drive, the "view corridor" along the pedestrian pathway towards the famous Kenmore Square CITGO sign
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineRiverside LineKenmore SquareCITGO Sign
Kenmore station
Bus 1851, operating on route 57 Watertown Yard–Kenmore, enters the Kenmore busway. This bus is a New Flyer XDE40 delivered in 2016.
Kenmore station
Bus 1737, a New Flyer XN40 (CNG) also delivered in 2016, is parked out of service in Kenmore busway (note orange chocks on rear wheel). Both 1737 and 1851 are assigned to Cabot garage, as is #1781, stopped under the canopy.
Kenmore station
This is the inbound entrance to the station from Comm. Ave., with stairs at left and a newer elevator at right. Note the sign board announcing shuttles to Riverside is in error: trains were operating as usual on the D–Riverside branch.
Kenmore station
The passage under Comm. Ave. was rebuilt some time in the 1990s or early 2000s at the same time as the busway was modernized and elevators were added to the station. After Red Sox games, this entire corridor can fill up with departing spectators.
Kenmore station
If I recall correctly ,the station did have escalators before, but they were replaced when the station was made accessible.
Kenmore station
Looking back at the fare=gate array from the inbound escalator
Kenmore station
Kenmore was designed as a flying junction station, with two center platforms allowing cross-platform transfers between Beacon St. and Commonwealth Ave. trains in both directions. The Riverside line, a former steam railroad branch, was added later with a flat junction (Beacon Jct.) coming off the C line downstream of the station. This is the inbound side (note arrivals advertised as "Park St." and "Govt Ctr" because of the tunnel closure: ordinarily, there would be "North Sta" trains shown as well.
Kenmore station
Looking north across the inbound B Line toward the outbound platform (B on the center tracks and C/D on the outside)
Kenmore station
Just east (inbound) of Kenmore is a little-used loop track allowing trains from the C and D Lines to short-turn and head back outbound. The loop is often used after Red Sox games to provide additional outbound capacity; the loop is large enough to hold three or four trains. (The lost inbound capacity can be made up with cars coming from the Blandford St. pocket track, using the center tracks.)
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineCentral Subwayturning loopsrailway junctions
Kenmore station
Showing the length of the inbound C/D platform and the switch to the Kenmore loop
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineCentral Subwayturning loopsrailway junctions
Kenmore station
A sign for train operators to remind them of which switch setting goes where. A punchbox allows the operator to operate the switch manually on the instructions of the dispatcher by opening their front door.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineCentral Subwayturning loopsrailway junctionsrailway signals
Union Square station
On Monday, March 21, 2022, Union Square station opened — the first entirely new MBTA station in seven years, and the first station of the Green Line Extension to see service after years of construction and even more years of delay for one of the state's legally required Central Artery/Tunnel Project mitigation commitments. The longer Medford branch of the GLX remains unfinished and will open at a later date in 2022.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
Union Square station
The Union Square branch of the Green Line is only a single station long, but it's expected to serve a substantial audience, thanks in no small part to the large amount of residential and commercial construction under development in the neighborhood. The branch is unusual in that it doesn't directly replace an existing bus route, although it serves part of the catchments of the 85 and 87 buses — it's likely that some riders of those routes who currently transfer at Lechmere will use the new Green Line service, but it's far from a replacement and is unlikely to reduce the overall need for bus service-hours in Somerville.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
Union Square station
The actual platform is a rather long walk from the station entrance, for no obvious reason. (There's no need to store trains here as the new Lechmere yard and vehicle maintenance facility is only one stop away.)
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
Union Square station
The station is rather visually confusing and poorly designed. The black-and-white sign with arrows on it is supposed to indicate from which platform the next train leaves, although at this point the headways on the Green Line are quite far from that being necessary to indicate.
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
Union Square station
A number of elements of the new station are to be constructed by the developers of the adjoining mixed-use tower, US2, and were not completed in time for the station opening, requiring passengers to use a temporary ramp to Prospect St. (The street address of the station is 60 Prospect St.)
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
Union Square station
Temporary street entrance
MBTAtrain stationsGreen LineGreen Line ExtensionUnion Square branch2022 construction
