Fairmount station (MBTA)

Fairmount
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
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)
Services
Location

Last updated April 20, 2024

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

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

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]

Related Research Articles

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Forest Hills station is an intermodal transfer station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA rapid transit Orange Line and three MBTA Commuter Rail lines and is a major terminus for MBTA bus routes. It is located in Forest Hills, in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Most Providence/Stoughton Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line trains, and all Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains, pass through the station without stopping. Forest Hills station is fully accessible on all modes.

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The Fairmount Line or Dorchester Branch is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Except for a short portion in Milton, it lies entirely within Boston, running southwest from South Station through the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park. Weekend service began on November 29, 2014. Most trains reverse direction at the south end at Readville, but some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use the Fairmount Line rather than the Northeast Corridor.

The Franklin/Foxboro Line is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts. Most trains use the Northeast Corridor before splitting off onto the namesake Franklin Branch at Readville, though some trains use the Dorchester Branch to reach Readville. Most weekday trains, and all weekend trains, bypass Hyde Park.

Roxbury Crossing station is a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Orange Line, and is located on Tremont Street in the Mission Hill neighborhood. The current station opened in 1987 as part of the renovation and relocation of the southern Orange Line. Like all stations on the Orange Line, Roxbury Crossing is accessible.

The Providence/Stoughton Line is an MBTA Commuter Rail service in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, primarily serving the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Most service runs entirely on the Northeast Corridor between South Station in Boston and Providence station or Wickford Junction station in Rhode Island, while the Stoughton Branch splits at Canton Junction and terminates at Stoughton. It is the longest MBTA Commuter Rail line, and the only one that operates outside Massachusetts. The line is the busiest on the MBTA Commuter Rail system, with 17,648 daily boardings in an October 2022 count.

Hyde Park station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It primarily serves the Providence/Stoughton Line, and also serves rush-hour Franklin/Foxboro Line trains. It is located on the Northeast Corridor in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Readville station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station located in the Readville section of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line. Readville is the outer terminus for most Fairmount service, though some trips continue as Franklin/Foxboro Line trains. The station is located at a multi-level junction, with the Northeast Corridor tracks at ground level and the Dorchester Branch above; Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use a connecting track with a separate platform. Platforms are available for the Providence/Stoughton Line on the Northeast Corridor tracks, but they are not regularly used. An MBTA maintenance and storage yard and a CSX Transportation freight yard are located near the station.

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.

Morton Street station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on Fairmount Line located on Morton Street in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. With two full-length high-level platforms and ramps to the street, the station is fully wheelchair accessible. The station was reconstructed in 2006, with the official reopening in 2007.

Uphams Corner station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Fairmount Line. It is located on Dudley Street in the Uphams Corner area of the Dorchester neighborhood. It was reopened in 1979 after the line had been closed for 35 years. The station is fully accessible with two full-length high-level platforms and ramps to the street, which were added during a construction project that finished in 2007.

Four Corners/Geneva station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Fairmount Line. It is located in the Mount Bowdoin section of the Dorchester neighborhood. The new station was being built as part of the Fairmount Line Improvement Project, which included four new stations as well as infrastructure upgrades. It has two full-length high-level platforms with walkways connecting them to Washington Street and Geneva Avenue. Four Corners/Geneva Ave opened on July 1, 2013, along with Newmarket.

Newmarket station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Fairmount Line and a small number of Franklin/Foxboro Line trains. It is located off Massachusetts Avenue at Newmarket Square in the Dorchester neighborhood. The station has two 800-foot (240 m) high-level platforms and sloping walkways connecting it to Massachusetts Avenue. Originally planned to be in service in 2011, it opened on July 1, 2013, along with Four Corners/Geneva station.

Talbot Avenue station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Fairmount Line. It is located near Codman Square in the Dorchester neighborhood. The station includes two full-length high-level platforms located north of Talbot Avenue, which are also accessible from Park Street and West Park Street. The station opened on November 12, 2012 as the first of four new stations on the Fairmount Line. Talbot Avenue was the first completely new rail station to open in the City of Boston since Yawkey opened in 1988.

Blue Hill Avenue station is a regional rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line located in the Mattapan neighborhood of Dochester, Boston, Massachusetts. The station consists of a center island platform between the line's two tracks, with handicapped-accessible ramps to Blue Hill Avenue and Cummins Highway. Originally intended to open along with Newmarket, Four Corners/Geneva, and Talbot Avenue, it was significantly delayed due to local controversy. Construction began in 2017, and the station opened on February 25, 2019.

Mount Hope station was a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor in Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts. The station consisted of two separate depots on opposite sides of the tracks. The brick outbound depot was located just north of the Blakemore Street bridge, while the wooden inbound depot was located south of the overpass.

The history of rail in Dedham, Massachusetts begins with the introduction of the first rail line in 1836 and runs to the present day. Multiple railroads have serviced Dedham since then, and current service is provided by the MBTA. The station in Dedham Square built in 1881 out of Dedham Granite was demolished in 1951 and the stones were used to put an addition on the Town's library. There are two active stations today, and multiple others in close proximity.

References

↑ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
↑ Rand Mcnally Maps (1903). "Boston 1903". Ward Maps. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
↑ 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.
↑ "Hyde Park Proud and Progressive". Boston Globe. March 29, 1909. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
↑ 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.
↑ 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 28 May 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
↑ "Accessibility Projects at the MBTA" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
↑ "MBTA Begins Upgrading Fairmount Line" (PDF). TRANSreport. Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
↑ 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 8 January 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
↑ Rocheleau, Matt (24 June 2013). "Fairmount commuter rail line to see service boost, some cheaper fares". Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 June 2013.

External links

MBTA – Fairmount
Google Maps Street View: from Walnut Street, from Fairmount Court, from Fairmount Avenue

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[CRcounts-1] Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

[2] Rand Mcnally Maps (1903). "Boston 1903". Ward Maps. Retrieved 22 June 2012.

[depots-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.

[netransit-5] 1 2 3 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.

[150years-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 28 May 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.

[8] "Accessibility Projects at the MBTA" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2012.

[9] "MBTA Begins Upgrading Fairmount Line" (PDF). TRANSreport. Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 29 December 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 8 January 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2012.

[11] Rocheleau, Matt (24 June 2013). "Fairmount commuter rail line to see service boost, some cheaper fares". Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 June 2013.

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