Auburndale station (MBTA)

Last updated
Auburndale
Outbound train stopped at Auburndale.JPG
An outbound train stopped at Auburndale in May 2012
General information
Location477 Lexington Street
Auburndale, Newton, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°20′45″N71°15′01″W / 42.3458°N 71.2503°W / 42.3458; -71.2503
Line(s) Worcester Line
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
Construction
Parking35 spaces ($4.00 daily)
Bicycle facilitiesRacks available
Other information
Fare zone2
History
OpenedEarly 1850s [1]
Rebuilt1881, 1961
Passengers
2018248 (weekday average boardings) [2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Wellesley Farms
toward Worcester
Framingham/​Worcester Line West Newton
toward South Station
Former services
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Riverside
toward Albany
Boston and Albany Railroad
Main Line
 West Newton
toward Boston
Location
Auburndale station (MBTA)

Auburndale station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Auburndale, Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. It is located next to the Massachusetts Turnpike near Lasell College. The modern station platform, built around 1961, replaced a highly acclaimed 1881 depot building designed by H. H. Richardson. A full renovation of the station for accessibility is planned.

Contents

History

Opening

The Boston and Worcester Railroad opened the segment from West Newton to Wellesley Hills in July 1834. [3] A second track was added in 1839, and in 1843 the railroad began offering season fares for around $60, making it one of the first commuter rail systems. [3] Due to the popularity of the other Newton stops, a station at Auburn Dale (soon Auburndale) was opened by the late 1840s. [1] [4] [5] A new station building was constructed in 1850–51 at an expense of $1,219. [6] [7] It was located on the south side of the tracks in a large open area at the intersection of Auburn Street, Lexington Street, and several other roads. [8] In 1867, the Boston & Worcester joined with the Western Railroad to become the Boston & Albany Railroad. [3]

H.H. Richardson depot

1881 station on an early color postcard Auburndale old color postcard.jpg
1881 station on an early color postcard

Beginning in 1881, the Boston & Albany began a massive improvement program that included the building of over 30 new stations along its main line as well as the Highland branch, which it bought in 1883. Acclaimed architect H. H. Richardson was hired to design several stations (eventually nine) along the line, starting with Auburndale. Although not as grand as some of his other B&A works like Framingham and Palmer stations, the Auburndale station's design was highly praised. Henry-Russell Hitchcock called it "the best he ever built" in The Architecture of H.H. Richardson and His Time, and a 1904 architecture journal claimed that Richardson's depots at Auburndale and Chestnut Hill "created a new standard of way-station construction." [9] [10]

The 1881 station was constructed in Richardson's signature Richardsonian Romanesque style, with influence from Japanese architecture as well as Romanesque Revival architecture. The one-story building was built from "red and light grey granite", with "heavy masonry and dominant roof." [9] The interior was divided into a pair of waiting rooms for men and women, with a ticket counter between. [11] The platform was shaded by a canopy, which wrapped around the east end of the building into a porte-cochère. [9] [10] Construction, by the Norcross Brothers firm, cost $16,290. [11] As with a number of other stations on the line, Frederick Law Olmsted designed the landscaping, which included large trees, shrubs, and Japanese ivy. [9] [10] [11] A replica of the station, still standing, was built by the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway in 1911 in Orchard Park, New York.

Demolition and modern era

Modern metal shelter and bare platform Auburndale shelter front.JPG
Modern metal shelter and bare platform

Despite the accolades, H. H. Richardson's depot was torn down in 1961 after 80 years in service. The extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike from Route 128 to downtown Boston involved removing two of the line's four tracks from Auburndale to downtown. The historic stations at Auburndale, West Newton, Newtonville, Newton Corner, and Brighton were demolished; only the Allston depot survived. Auburndale, West Newton, and Newtonville stayed in service, but with extremely diminished facilities – bare asphalt platforms with simple metal shelters. The single side platform provides access to only one of the line's two tracks; passengers use short asphalt strips to access trains on the other track. The 1961-built platform stretches from Woodland Street to Auburn Street, just west of the previous station locations.

Service to West Newton and Auburndale stations was reduced to one daily round trip on January 30, 1981, as part of a series of service cuts due to a budget crisis. [12] [13] Normal service resumed to the two stations on March 16, 1981. [12]

Planned renovations

Due to the low-level platforms and the stairs to street level, Auburndale is not currently accessible Woodland Road stairs and Auburndale platform.JPG
Due to the low-level platforms and the stairs to street level, Auburndale is not currently accessible

The bare platform and steep metal stairs make Auburndale station inaccessible. In the future, the station is planned to be rebuilt with a high-level platform and elevators or ramps to street level to meet ADA guidelines. In April 2004, the Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization voted to add $368,000 (funded by a federal earmark) for planning Auburndale renovations to its 2004-2008 spending plan. [14] However, the project was not pursued at that time.

Beginning in 2008, Representative Barney Frank secured $3 million in funding for design of the replacement station. 30% design plans were released in July 2013, at which point construction was estimated to cost $11.5 million. [15] 100% design was completed in January 2017, with construction scheduled for April 2017. [16]

The 100% design was unveiled at a public meeting in February 2017. It includes a full-length high-level platform on the north side of the tracks, with ramps to provide an accessible route to the village center. Because the platform would be on the opposite side of the tracks from the other Newton stations, a new interlocking would be added east of the station. [17] Although the improved access to the village center was popular with residents, the new station design was criticized by transit advocates because it would likely degrade service on the line. Trains switching tracks to access Auburndale station would prevent trains from passing in the opposite direction, which could reduce the number of trains that could be operated on the line. The MBTA did not perform traffic modeling to determine whether the station design would cause operational issues. [17]

The proposal was abandoned due to service impacts. [18] A new set of accessibility plans, with all three Newton stations receiving identical new platforms on the north side, were announced in 2019. Design reached 30% in November 2020 and was expected to be complete in spring 2022. [19] The designs were later changed to have two platforms to reduce operational impacts. The new design reached 30% completion in early 2022, with design completion expected in February 2024. [20] Drilling for geotechnical surveying took place in October–December 2022. [21] [22] Design work for the Newton stations was paused at 75% completion in September 2023 because project costs had risen to $255 million. [23] In April 2024, the MBTA indicated that it would proceed with Newtonville before the two other stations. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBTA Commuter Rail</span> Greater Boston commuter rail system

The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over 394 mi (634 km) of track to 134 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1, 2014, from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston College station</span> Light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Boston College station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line B branch. It is located at St. Ignatius Square on the Boston College campus near the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Lake Street, on the border between the Brighton neighborhood of Boston and the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts. Originally opened in 1896, it has been the terminus of the Commonwealth Avenue line since 1900. The current station is planned to be replaced by a new station located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue just east of Lake Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverside station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Riverside station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station located in the Auburndale village of Newton, Massachusetts. It is the western terminal of the Green Line D branch service. The station is located near the interchange of Interstate 95 and the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) and serves as a regional park and ride station. West of the station is Riverside Yard, the main maintenance facility and largest storage yard for the Green Line. The station is fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Framingham/Worcester Line</span> MBTA commuter railroad line

The Framingham/Worcester Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system runs west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts through the MetroWest region, serving 17 station stops in Boston, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, Ashland, Southborough, Westborough, Grafton, and Worcester. It is the third longest and third busiest line in the MBTA Commuter Rail system. Service on the line is a mix of local and express trains serving Worcester plus short-turn Framingham locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waban station</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Waban station is a surface-level light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Green Line D branch, located just south of Beacon Street at Waban Square in the Waban section of Newton, Massachusetts. The station is located below grade; access to both platforms is via Wyman Street on the outbound side of the tracks or a stairway from Beacon Street. Waban is not accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenway station</span> Light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Fenway station is a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located under Park Drive near the Riverway in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It opened along with the rest of the D branch on July 4, 1959, when trolleys replaced Highland branch commuter rail service. The station is fully accessible from Park Drive via the Landmark Center parking lot, as well as from Miner Street. Named after the Fenway parkway rather than Fenway Park, it is further from the stadium than Kenmore, though still used during events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookline Village station</span> Light rail station in Brookline, Massachusetts, US

Brookline Village station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in the Brookline Village neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts, United States. It was originally a commuter rail station on the Boston and Albany Railroad's Highland branch; it closed with the rest of the line in 1958 and reopened on July 4, 1959 as a light rail station. With 3,230 daily boardings, it is the third-busiest surface station on the D branch and the sixth-busiest surface station overall. Brookline Village station has raised platforms for accessibility with low-floor light rail vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaconsfield station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Brookline, Massachusetts, US

Beaconsfield is an MBTA light rail station in Brookline, Massachusetts. It serves the Green Line D branch. It is located off Dean Road and Beaconsfield Road just south of Beacon Street. Like the other stops on the line, it was a commuter rail station on the Boston and Albany Railroad's Highland branch until 1958, when the line was closed and converted to a branch of what is now the Green Line. The station reopened along with the rest of the line in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natick Center station</span> Train station in Natick, Massachusetts, US

Natick Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Natick, Massachusetts served by the Framingham/Worcester Line. The station, located below grade in a wide cut adjacent to North Main Street, has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. The second-busiest non-accessible station on the system, it is undergoing a major accessibility renovation and modernization from 2020 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton Highlands station</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Newton Highlands station is a surface-level light rail station located in Newton, Massachusetts on the Green Line D branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton Centre station</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Newton Centre station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in the Newton Centre village of Newton, Massachusetts. A former commuter rail station, it was converted for light rail use and reopened on July 4, 1959, along with the rest of the line. The 1891-built station and express office are part of the Newton Railroad Stations Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodland station</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Woodland station is a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located off Washington Street (MA-16) between the Newton Lower Falls and Auburndale villages of Newton, Massachusetts, United States. It serves as access to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, as well as a park and ride station for nearby Route 128.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansdowne station (MBTA)</span> Railway station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Lansdowne station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. Lansdowne is located next to the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood near Kenmore Square, below grade between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtonville station</span>

Newtonville station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line, located between the Massachusetts Turnpike and Washington Street at Newtonville Square in the village of Newtonville in Newton, Massachusetts. Stairway entrances are located on the bridges over the Turnpike at Walnut Street and Harvard Street. Newtonville station is not accessible; renovations for accessibility are planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Newton station</span>

West Newton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Newton, Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line, and is located inside the Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 16 rotary in the village of West Newton. West Newton has had continuous rail service since 1834. The station consists of a single low side platform serving one of the line's two tracks, with small crossings to access trains on the far track. West Newton is not accessible; a renovation for accessibility is planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellesley Hills station</span> Rail station in Wellesley, Massachusetts, US

Wellesley Hills station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. It is located off Washington Street (MA-16) in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Wellesley Hills has two low platforms serving the line's two tracks; it is not accessible. Designed in 1885 and completed in 1886, the station was the last of nine stations that H.H. Richardson designed for the Boston and Albany Railroad. It replaced a previous station, built in 1834 with the completion of the Boston and Worcester Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellesley Square station</span> Railroad station in Wellesley, Massachusetts, US

Wellesley Square station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line, located just north of the MA 16-MA 135 intersection in downtown Wellesley, Massachusetts. It serves both walk-up and park-and-ride commuters, with a 224-space parking lot for the latter group. The station has low-level platforms and is not accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Newton, Massachusetts, US

Chestnut Hill station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located off Hammond Street north of Massachusetts Route 9 in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Newton, Massachusetts. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. Chestnut Hill station is not accessible, but renovations are planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Worcester, Massachusetts)</span> Railway station in Worcester, Massachusetts, US

Union Station is a railway station located at Washington Square in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the western terminus of the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line and a stop for the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited service. A bus terminal adjacent to the station is the hub for Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) local bus service; it is also used by PVTA, MART, Peter Pan, and Greyhound intercity buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Bay station</span> Railway station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Back Bay station 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 MBTA subway routes, and also serves as a secondary Amtrak intercity rail station for Boston. The present building, designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Wood, opened in 1987. It replaced the New Haven Railroad's older Back Bay station – which opened in 1928 as a replacement for an 1899-built station – as well as the New York Central's Huntington Avenue and Trinity Place stations which had been demolished in 1964.

References

  1. 1 2 Humphrey, Thomas J. & Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 22. ISBN   9780685412947.
  2. ↑ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  3. 1 2 3 Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 279–280. ISBN   0942147022.
  4. ↑ Woodward, E.F.; Ward, W.F. (April 1848). Map of the Town of Newton (Map). 1:18,600. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ "To Let, A Beautiful Country Residence [Advertisement]". Boston Evening Transcript. May 5, 1848. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Report of the Directors of the Boston and Worcester Railroad. Boston and Worcester Railroad. 1851. p. 8.
  7. ↑ Report of the Directors of the Boston and Worcester Railroad. Boston and Worcester Railroad. 1852. p. 12.
  8. ↑ "Plate L: Plan of Auburndale, Ward 4" (Map). Atlas of the city of Newton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. 1:3,600. J.B. Beers & Co. 1874. pp. 42–43.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Cummings, Abbott L. & Overby, Osmund R. (March 1961) [January 1960]. "Photographs: Written Historical and Descriptive Data" (PDF). Boston & Albany Railroad Station, Auburndale, Middlesex County, MA. Historic American Buildings Survey, Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey.
  10. 1 2 3 Charles Mulford Robinson (6 February 1904). "A Railroad Beautiful". American Architect and Building News. 83 (260): 1–4. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl (1984). H.H. Richardson, Complete Architectural Works. MIT Press. p. 242. ISBN   9780262650151.
  12. 1 2 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  13. ↑ "T changes start today". Boston Globe. February 1, 1981. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. ↑ "Boston MPO Action items" (PDF). TRANSreport. Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization. May 2004. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2010.
  15. ↑ Jones, Trevor (18 July 2013). "MBTA looking at new Newton commuter rail station for Auburndale". Wicked Local. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  16. ↑ Brelsford, Laura (December 5, 2016). "MBTA System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives: December 2016 Update" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Monat, Andy (February 25, 2017). "T is rebuilding station in worst possible way". Commonwealth Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  18. ↑ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (2019-07-25). "Auburndale, West Newton and Newtonville Commuter Rail Stations Improvements" (PDF).
  19. ↑ Brelsford, Laura (May 24, 2021). "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—May 2021" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility. p. 6.
  20. ↑ "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—December 2022" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility. December 6, 2022. p. 6.
  21. ↑ "Drilling Activities Continue at Newton Commuter Rail Stations". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Drilling Activities Continue at Newton Commuter Rail Stations". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 7, 2022.
  23. ↑ "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—November 2023" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility. November 27, 2023. pp. 6–7.
  24. ↑ "Newton Stations Accessibility Improvements" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. April 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.