Fairmount station (MBTA)

Fairmount
Fairmount station in March 2012
General information
Location	Fairmount Avenue at Truman Highway Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°15′14″N71°07′09″W / 42.2538°N 71.1191°W / 42.2538; -71.1191
Line(s)	Midland Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	MBTA bus: 24,  33
Construction
Parking	51 spaces
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	1A
History
Opened	1855; November 3, 1979
Closed	1944
Rebuilt	2003–2005
Previous names	Hyde Park
Passengers
2018	543 (weekday average boardings) [1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Readville Terminus Fairmount Line Blue Hill Avenue toward South Station Readville toward Forge Park/495 or Foxboro Franklin/​Foxboro Line Route 128 toward Stoughton Providence/​Stoughton Line Limited service Blue Hill Avenue One-way operation
Former services Preceding station MBTA Following station Route 128 toward Providence or Stoughton Providence/​Stoughton Line 1971-2004 Morton Street toward South Station Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Glenwood toward Readville Boston–​Readville via Midland Branch River Street toward Boston
Location

Fairmount station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Fairmount Line. It is located in the Hyde Park area, under the Fairmount Avenue overpass. Fairmount station opened in 1979 during Southwest Corridor reconstruction; intended to be temporary, it eventually became a permanent stop.

History

Previous service

Early postcard of Fairmount station

Service on the Fairmount Line (as the Dorchester Branch of the Norfolk County Railroad and later the New York and New England Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) began in 1855 and lasted until 1944. The service included a stop named Hyde Park at Fairmount Avenue, and a stop named Fairmount (also called Glenwood) near Glenwood Avenue. ^[2] Another station, currently known as Hyde Park, is located in Hyde Park six blocks to the west. During their histories, both stations were referred to both as "Hyde Park" and as "Fairmount". ^[3] The grade crossings at Fairmount Avenue, and at Dana Street (Bridge Street) nearby, were replaced with road bridges in 1909. ^[4]

Fairmount Line

The Dorchester Branch (also known as the Midland Route) was reopened as a bypass in November 1979 during Southwest Corridor construction, including stops at Uphams Corner, Morton Street, and Fairmount. ^[5] This station was originally built at minimal cost, with small low-level platforms and no direct access to Morton Street. The station was not handicapped accessible, as service over the route was intended to be temporary. However, it was popular with residents of the communities the line passed through: by 1983, over 600 riders per day boarded at Fairmount, enough to justify service to both Fairmount and nearby Hyde Park after the end of construction. ^[6]

When the Southwest Corridor reopened in October 1987, the Fairmount shuttle service was retained as the Fairmount Line. ^[5] Fairmount was the terminus of the line until it was extended to Readville on November 30, 1987. ^[5]

Renovation

These ramps and mini-high platforms were added in the 2005 renovation

A major renovation of Fairmount station began in early 2003. ^[7] The $7 million project, which was completed in 2004-05, added 1-car-length high platforms and ramps to the Fairmount Avenue overpass to make the station handicapped accessible. ^{[8] [9]} During the construction, new temporary platforms were built slightly northeast of the station.

Uphams Corner and Morton Street stations received full-length high level platforms in renovations that finished in 2007. When Blue Hill Avenue, the last of four new stations, was completed in 2017, Fairmount and Readville became the only stations on the line without full-length high-level platforms. The MBTA wishes to eventually add high-level platforms at Fairmount to speed boarding, but there are no current plans to do so. ^[10]

As part of a long-term shift of the Fairmount Line from commuter rail to a rapid transit-like service, Fairmount was shifted from Zone 1 to Zone 1A on July 1, 2013, making a trip to South Station equal to a rapid transit fare. This equalized all fares on the line except trips to/from Readville. ^[11] On May 20, 2024, Fairmount became the outer terminal for some midday Fairmount Line service. ^{[12] [13]}

References

1. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
2. Rand Mcnally Maps (1903). "Boston 1903". Ward Maps. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
3. Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 146, 295. ISBN   9780942147087.
4. "Hyde Park Proud and Progressive". Boston Globe. March 29, 1909. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
6. Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. p. Inside front cover. ISBN   9780685412947.
7. Edwards and Kelcey Inc. (June 2004). "Fairmount Corridor Improvement Project: Needs Assessment (Executive Summary)" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. viii. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
8. "Accessibility Projects at the MBTA" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
9. "MBTA Begins Upgrading Fairmount Line" (PDF). TRANSreport. Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
10. Jacobs, Edwards; Kelcey Engineering (April 2008). "Fairmount Line Corridor Improvements Project: Service Enhancements Study (Final Report)" (PDF). Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
11. Rocheleau, Matt (June 24, 2013). "Fairmount commuter rail line to see service boost, some cheaper fares". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
12. "Fairmount Line Fall/Winter Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. October 2, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2023.
13. "Fairmount Line Spring/Summer Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. May 20, 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 20, 2024.

External links

Media related to Fairmount station (MBTA) at Wikimedia Commons

• MBTA – Fairmount