South Station

South Station is the busier of Boston's two main rail terminals, serving intercity trains to Boston, Washington, and Chicago, in addition to eight commuter branches.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Boston's branch of the Federal Reserve is located in a metal-clad skyscraper adjacent to South station — and even has its own direct entrance from the Red Line subway station.
Boston office buildings
South Station
South Station (originally South Union Station) was constructed as a union station to combine passenger and mail handing facilities for the Boston & Albany (New York Central) and New York, New Haven & Hartford railroads (including the Midland Branch and the Old Colony Railroad, originally independent railroads which had come under the New Haven's control). South Station successfully avoided the destruction that claimed many older stations, at the time of these photographs, an office tower and expanded bus station was under construction over the platforms, giving it fully protected platforms for the first time in history. The MBTA is still determined to pursue an ill-advised and unnecessary "South Station Expansion" project which will build additional passenger platforms.
MBTA Old Colony Red Line commuter rail FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line
South Station
A crane being used for erection of the steel framing of the new office tower
MBTA Old Colony Red Line commuter rail FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line
South Station
Dedication plaque to Mike Dukakis, on the wall of South Station
MBTA Old Colony Red Line commuter rail FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line
South Station
Interior of South Station, full of vendors which were largely closed due to the pandemic. The photo makes it look brighter and easier to navigate than it actually was. Behind me, stairs and escalators lead down to street level and to the underground Red Line station.
MBTA Old Colony Red Line commuter rail FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line
South Station
The office tower construction has cut off some of the outside light, but I don't well recall how this area looked in the Before Times.
MBTA Old Colony Red Line commuter rail FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line
South Station
Ther old fplit-flap Solari board is sadly long gone, but the LED sign is clear enough. Stupidly, the MBTA doesn't permanently assign trains to platforms.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
It was really dark back here.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Out on the platforms, the framework of the new tower is clearly visible, largely obscuring sight of (and access to) the bus terminal and parking garage.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
The construction contractor is apparently using part of the space for a laydown area, hence the fencing.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
On the west side of the station, track 1's platform also provides access to the bus station. (It did so before, but it's a bit harder to find now.)
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Looking east across the platforms
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Ridiculous that they don't know (or even apparently plan?) which tracks these trains will serve, every trip, days if not months in advance.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Bus terminal off to the right, if you can find it back there
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
I think this is tracks 3 and 4; note the columns supporting the office building are just plunked down on pilings between the tracks.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Looking north at the entrance to the station proper
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
The rounded white shape in back is South Station bus terminal and parking garage; there's a commuter train parked underneath it.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
More of the interface between the new office tower and the bus terminal, which is itself being expanded as a part of the construction.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
It's a bit dark under the bus station, even with the overhead lighting; once the new office tower is built and the whole platform area is covered, it will presumably all be artificially lit and the contrast will be less drastic.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
The platforms continue south of the bus terminal and parking garage; the elevated ramps serve to access the bus terminal from I-93 and Kneeland St. The ramps and the bus terminal were built as a part of the Central Artery/Tunnel project; the former bus terminal was located in Dewey Square across from South Station in a place now occupied by the Rose Kennedy Greenway and an II-93 ramp.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Looking off into the distance at Tower 1 interlocking, which controls access into and out of the South Station terminal platforms and the Southampton St. yard. It's constructed as an inefficient, low-speed "any to any" switch ladder, except for the later-added Old Colony route which is limited to only a few platforms on the east side.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Forest of catenary poles over the terminal interlocking
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Looking south from the end of one of the middle platforms, with the shorter Old Colony platforms at far left, adjacent to South Station Postal Annex. Notice that not all tracks have catenary. A Central Artery vent building pokes up immediately south of the Postal Annex; the Fort Point Channel Tunnel, which carries I-90 into South Boston, was jacked under the tracks in one of the most sensitive and difficult parts of the Central Artery construction.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Looking north at the filthy south side of the bus terminal where the MBTA's diesel engines stop when pulling into the station. Hoe can anyone look at that degradation of a public asset and not demand immediate electrification?
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Another look south toward the bus terminal, from a more easterly vantage point where the framing for the office tower had yet to be erected.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Track 13, which was originally used for mail services, does not pull all the way up to the terminal building.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
If I understand the plans correctly, "South Station Expansion" would acquire the South Station Postal Annex, left, from USPS and construct more tracks there. It's a total waste of money as modern operating practices would totally obviate the need for any additional tracks.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail
South Station
Another look at the northern ends of the platforms; you can see from these pilings that the new office tower will eventually extend all the way over these tracks too.
MBTA Old Colony FraminghamWorcester Line Providence Line Franklin Line Needham Line commuter rail

Garrett Wollman

South Station