Red Line (trunk)
JFK/UMass station
Originally called "Columbia", JFK/UMass Station was expanded after the Braintree Branch was constructed in order to allow South Shore riders easy access to the nearby UMass–Boston campus. The Old Colony commuter rail stop was also added late in the process for the reopening of those lines; originally it was planned that commuter trains would not stop between Quincy Center and South Station. A man was killed after these photos were taken when one of the stairways down from Columbia Road collapsed. North of the station, Columbia Junction provides the only access to the Red Line's inconveniently located Cabot Yard, the overnight storage and maintenance facility for the Braintree Branch.
JFK/UMass station
This very odd station configuration, with separate but parallel platforms for the Braintree and Ashmont branches, was built this way because Greater Boston was really, really racist; the branches should have diverged south of Savin Hill (the four tracks run parallel all the way) but management thought that South Shore suburbanites wouldn't take the Red Line to the financial district if their trains stopped in a Black neighborhood. As a result, the newer Old Colony commuter rail suffers from a severe bottleneck here was the five tracks are squeezed in next to the Southeast Expressway. Both Red Line branches took over rights of way belonging to the Old Colony Railroad or its predecessors.
JFK/UMass station
Looking north along the southbound Braintree platform, with the Ashmont platforms off to the left and the station building above center.
JFK/UMass station
Looking southeast from the Braintree platform over at the Old Colony platform, showing a more modern departure sign.
JFK/UMass station
Looking northeast at the commuter-rail platform and a rather confusing set of ramps as an Alewife-bound train departs the station. Barely visible beyond the commuter platform is a bus stop for various MBTA routes.
JFK/UMass station
Looking north from the south end of the Braintree branch platform; the Braintree and Ashmont branch platforms are offset by a good bit, for no obvious reason.
JFK/UMass station
Notice the treads missing from the closed stairway. Why is it even still standing?
JFK/UMass station
North end of the Braintree platform as seen from the Ashmont side
JFK/UMass station
Maintenance overall at this station seems to leave rather much to be desired.
Kendall/MIT station
Kendall Square has been a hotbed of development since the late 1970s, but in the 2000s most of that activity was concentrated on the northeast side of the square proper, and along Binney St. After that district was largely built out, development moved back to Main St., west of the square, where the main Red Line headhouses were moved when platforms were extended for six-car trains in the 1980s. A number of the buildings on the south side of Main St. have been demolished for a large MIT-led commercial redevelopment, and on the north side of the street, one of the 1980s Cambridge Center building was demolished and replaced, and several others saw gut renovations for tech companies (notably Google). As a part of this redevelopment, the headhouses on both sides of the station are being replaced at no cost to the MBTA by the developers of the adjacent buildings. This peek behind the construction fence shows what remains of the old inbound headhouse. The station remained open with a new (temporary/) headhouse seen at right.
Kendall/MIT station
Across Main St., what's left of the old outbound headhouse still servers riders while its replacement is built behind the scrim wall. It was announced in the spring that the outbound station would be closed for several weeks to facilitate construction of the new headhouse, but this does not seem to have come to pass by year's end.
Kendall/MIT station
Another look at the construction zone surrounding the outbound headhouse, at the base of the new Google skyscraper that replaced the old, low-rise MIT Coop building.
Kendall/MIT station
Back on the south side o the street, the new building replaces the old low-rise Cambridge Savings Bank building and a parking lot; while most of the building is commercial office space, the lower floors house the relocated MIT Museum, and the admissions department.
Kendall/MIT station
It's a bit of a walk down to the remaining entrance of the north headhouse, but at least it's where the top of the escalator has always been, so riders are well accustomed to going that way.
Kendall/MIT station
And on the southbound side, it's a bit of a walk past the scrims to either the stairs or the elevator — no escalators here. The red fire-department sign on the red scrim wall identifies this as the "interim headhouse".
Kendall/MIT station
Some fare bending machines on the ground floor of the new headhouse
Kendall/MIT station
The fare array and the rest of the inbound platform are unchanged by the construction. The old entrance connected at right, now walled off.
Kendall/MIT station
Paul Matisse's "Kendall Band", a series of three remotely operated musical instruments, was part of the "Arts on the Line" program for the Red Line platform extension. Sadly, it has fallen into disrepair and the controls on inbound platform are now disconnected.
Kendall/MIT station
Looking west along the platform from in front of the fare gates
Kendall/MIT station
I thought this history exhibit (and a similar one about the neighborhood) was really cool when I started working at MIT in 1994. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated since it was erected 35 years ago.
Kendall/MIT station
I think the advertising agency rather overstates the role advertising plays in the MBTA's financial picture (the vast majority of the T's non-operating revenue comes from the state sales tax).
Kendall/MIT station
When the platforms were extended, the MBTA was still operating its obsolete #5 Cambridge–Dorchester cars — which were not retired until 1994 — and those cars could only operate as two- or four-car trains. These signs hanging from the ceiling tell the operators where to stop when operating short trains (although this never happens any more: the Red Line runs six-car trains at all hours regardless of demand).
Kendall/MIT station
The original Kendall station was actually located in Kendall Square proper, just a simple stairway down from street level. When the platforms were extended, the east entrances were made exit-only, and token sales moved to the more spacious, new west entrances. When tokens were phased out, the entrance was reopened with new electronic faregates.
Kendall/MIT station
Our inbound train is arriving, led by #01869. The #3 Red Line cars cannot trainline with the old Pullman-Standard #1 and #2 cars.
Kendall/MIT station
The new Kendall station headhouse is seen from the Carleton St. side, with the Kendall Square Marriott in the background. On either side, 314 and 292 Main St. (MIT buildings E38 and E28, respectively).
Kendall/MIT station
Looking across the tracks at the west end of the outbound platform
Kendall/MIT station
A "Transit Ambassador" — a third-party contractor brought in to provide customer assistance after the elimination of token-booth clerks — stands by the fare array on the outbound platform. In addition to customer assistance, the ambassadors also log maintenance issues and check on the operation of the elevators.
Kendall/MIT station
An outbound train of #3 cars led by #01831, enters the station.
Kendall/MIT station
Looking out past the inbound fare array, the plywood walls block off the construction site where the old headhouses and elevator were removed and the new structure is being tied in.
Kendall/MIT station
All the construction surrounding the station necessitates careful monitoring, like this gauge measuring expansion of a crack in the tunnel. The developer (in this case MIT) is responsible for mitigating any damage to the preexisting subway tunnel.
Kendall/MIT station
Our ride has arrived, a train of mixed #1 and #2 cars, trailed by #01611.
Kendall/MIT station
On the way back home now, this is the original entrance/exit for the outbound platform. As with the inbound side, there's no elevator here, "iron maidens", fare gates, and a steep stairway.
Kendall/MIT station
The stairs I came out of to exit the station are just that, stairs, without even any weather protection.
Kendall/MIT station
I think this is future wayfinding, rather than an old sign being preserved during construction, but I've never spent much time in this neighborhood and have no clear memory.
Kendall/MIT station
The outbound headhouse hasn't really changed much, so far. On the far side, to the right of the elevator, there used to be an atrium giving access to the former food court — I have no idea what the plans for this space are.
Kendall/MIT station
Looking across the street at the new inbound headhouse, which looks very much like it's nearly ready to open. Earlier in the day, there were construction workers on site and it appeared that the elevators were being tested.