List of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yards

Last updated October 11, 2024

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority uses a number of yards and facilities for maintenance and storage of its road and rail fleets.

Active yards

Bus

List of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yards

3km
2miles

11

10

9

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6

5

4

3

2

1

Location of MBTA bus facilities

1

Albany Street Garage

2

Arborway Yard

3

Cabot Garage

4

Charlestown and Somerville

5

Everett Shops

6

Fellsway Garage

7

Lynn Garage

8

North Cambridge Carhouse

9

Quincy Garage

10

Southampton

11

Watertown Yard

Many of these facilities are former streetcar carhouses that were gradually converted to trackless trolley and bus use, although some like Southampton (built 2004) are of recent construction. Of the former streetcar carhouses, only Arborway and Watertown were Green Line yards during part of the MBTA era. Everett was an Orange Line yard until 1975.

Name	Location^[1]	Routes served^[1]
Albany Street Garage	Albany Street, South End, Boston	Local, Mass Pike Express, and crosstown routes
Arborway Yard	Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston	Local bus routes; former terminus of the Green Line E branch
Cabot Garage	Dorchester Avenue, South Boston	Local bus routes
Charlestown Garage	Arlington Avenue, Charlestown, Boston	Local bus routes
Everett Shops	Broadway, Everett	Heavy repair for buses and for subway components; former Orange Line terminus and yard
Fellsway Garage	Salem Street, Medford	Local bus routes
Lynn Garage	Western Avenue, Lynn	Local bus routes; North Shore express routes
North Cambridge Carhouse	Massachusetts Avenue, North Cambridge	Formerly storage and maintenance for Harvard-based trolleybus routes; being converted for battery buses
Quincy Garage	Hancock Street, Quincy	Quincy-based local bus routes
Somerville Garage at Charlestown	Arlington Avenue, Charlestown, Boston	Local bus routes
Southampton Bus Maintenance Facility	Southampton Street, South Bay, Boston	Silver Line dual mode buses; local bus routes
Watertown Yard	Galen Street, Watertown	Midday layover for local bus routes; former terminus of the Green Line A branch and Green Line heavy maintenance facility

Subway

5km
3miles

13

12

11

10

9

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6

5

4

3

2

1

Location of MBTA subway yards

1

Alewife Yard

2

Bowdoin Yard

3

Cabot Yard

4

Caddigan Yard

5

Codman Yard

6

GLX VMF

7

Lake Street Yard

8

Mattapan Yard

9

North Station Yard

10

Orient Heights Yard

11

Reservoir Yard

12

Riverside Yard

13

Wellington Yard

The subway lines each have one maintenance facility (except for three on the Green Line) and often several other yards used for overnight and midday storage. Tail tracks for temporary storage of trains are also present at Forest Hills (Orange Line) and Wonderland (Blue Line); the Green Line has sidings at Heath Street, Blandford Street, and Northeastern University.

Name	Location^[1]	Route^[1]	Use^[1]
Alewife Yard	north of Alewife	Red Line	layover/storage
Bowdoin Yard	west of Bowdoin	Blue Line	layover/storage
Cabot Yard	near Broadway	Red Line	maintenance and storage
Caddigan Yard	south of Braintree	Red Line (Braintree branch)	layover/storage
Codman Yard	south of Ashmont	Red Line (Ashmont branch)	layover/storage
Green Line Extension Vehicle Maintenance Facility	Inner Belt District	Green Line (D and E branches)	maintenance and storage
Lake Street Yard	at Boston College	Green Line (B branch)	maintenance and storage
Mattapan Yard	at Mattapan	Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line	maintenance and storage
North Station Yard	at North Station	Green Line	layover and storage
Orient Heights Yard	east of Orient Heights	Blue Line	maintenance and storage
Reservoir Yard	between Reservoir and Cleveland Circle	Green Line (C branch and D branch)	maintenance and storage
Riverside Yard	at Riverside	Green Line (D branch)	maintenance and storage
Wellington Yard	at Wellington	Orange Line	maintenance and storage

Commuter rail

All MBTA Commuter Rail lines except the Lowell Line have a dedicated layover near the end of the line |trainsets to be stored overnight. Some provide ground power and other facilities; others are simply several yard tracks off the mainline. The MBTA has one heavy maintenance facility on the northside, plus two light maintenance facilities on the southside. Equipment is transferred between the two sides via the Grand Junction Railroad.

30km
20miles

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Location of MBTA Commuter Rail facilities

1

Bradford Layover

2

Franklin Layover

3

Greenbush Layover

4

Kingston Layover

5

MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility

6

Middleboro Layover

7

Needham Layover

8

Newburyport Layover

9

Pawtucket Layover

10

Readville Interim Repair Facility

11

Rochester Maintenance Facility

12

Rockport Layover

13

Southampton Street Yard

14

Stoughton Layover

15

West Cambridge Maintenance Facility

16

Westminster Layover

17

Worcester Layover

Name	Location^[1]	Route^[1]	Use^[1]
Bradford Layover	at Bradford	Haverhill Line	layover/storage
Franklin Layover	east of Franklin/Dean College	Franklin/Foxboro Line	layover/storage
Greenbush Layover	at Greenbush	Greenbush Line	layover/storage
Kingston Layover	at Kingston	Kingston Line	layover/storage
MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility	Inner Belt, Somerville	northside lines	Heavy maintenance for all commuter rail equipment; layover/storage
Middleboro Layover	at Middleborough	Middleborough/Lakeville Line	layover/storage
Needham Layover	south of Needham Heights	Needham Line	layover/storage
Newburyport Layover	south of Newburyport	Newburyport/Rockport Line	layover/storage
Pawtucket Layover	Pawtucket, Rhode Island	Providence/Stoughton Line	layover/storage
Readville Interim Repair Facility	north of Readville	southside lines	Running maintenance and layover/storage. Expansion into a southside maintenance facility is planned for construction from 2023 to 2028.^[2]
Rochester Maintenance Facility	Cape Main Line in Rochester		Overhaul and maintenance^[3]
Rockport Layover	at Rockport	Newburyport/Rockport Line	layover/storage
Southampton Street Yard	south of South Station, Boston	southside lines	running maintenance and midday storage – primarily an Amtrak heavy maintenance facility
Stoughton Layover	at Stoughton	Providence/Stoughton Line	layover/storage
West Cambridge Maintenance Facility	south of Alewife		Maintenance of way equipment storage
Westminster Layover	west of Wachusett	Fitchburg Line^[4]	layover/storage
Worcester Layover	east of Worcester	Framingham/Worcester Line	layover/storage

Future yards

10km
6miles

5

4

3

2

1

Location of future MBTA yards

1

Beacon Park Yard

2

Quincy Bus Maintenance Facility

3

Wamsutta Layover

4

Weaver's Cove Layover

5

Widett Circle

Name	Location	Routes served
Beacon Park Yard	At Beacon Park Yard	Midday layover for the Worcester Line. To be constructed by 2032 as part of the realignment of I-90.^[5]
Quincy Bus Maintenance Facility	North of Quincy Adams	Will replace Quincy Garage. Bidding process restarted in mid-2022^[6]
Wamsutta Layover	North of New Bedford	Under construction as part of South Coast Rail, expected to open in mid-2024^[7]
Weaver's Cove Layover	North of Fall River	Under construction as part of South Coast Rail, expected to open in 2024^[7]
Widett Circle	Inside Widett Circle	Layover yard for southside lines. The MBTA Board authorized negotiations for property purchase in December 2022.^[8]^[9] The MBTA took possession of the property in April 2023.^[10]

Former yards

30km
20miles

4

3

2

1

Location of former MBTA Commuter Rail yards

1

Attleboro Layover

2

Fitchburg Layover

3

Haverhill Layover

4

Ipswich Layover

3km
2miles

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Location of former MBTA subway and bus yards (including subway yards converted to bus facilities)

1

Arborway Yard

2

Bennett Carhouse and Eliot Shops

3

Everett Shops

4

Forest Hills Shops

5

Lechmere Yard

6

Sullivan Square Shops

7

Watertown Yard

Name	Location	Routes	Use	Closed & reason
Attleboro Layover	south of Attleboro	Providence/Stoughton Line	layover/storage	2006; replaced by Pawtucket Layover
Bennett Carhouse	south of Harvard Square, Cambridge	Harvard-based streetcar and trackless trolley routes	maintenance and storage	1970; Eliot Shops closed
Eliot Shops	south of Harvard Square, Cambridge	Red Line (also Blue Line from 1924–1952)	maintenance and storage	1970; redevelopment
Fitchburg Layover	east of Fitchburg	Fitchburg Line	layover/storage	2016; replaced by Wachusett Layover
Forest Hills Shops	south of Forest Hills	Orange Line	maintenance and storage	1987; completion of the southwest Corridor
Haverhill Layover	north of Haverhill	Haverhill Line	layover/storage	1987; replaced by Bradford Layover
Ipswich Layover	south of Ipswich	Newburyport/Rockport Line	layover/storage	1998; extension to Newburyport
Lechmere Yard	at Lechmere	Green Line	layover/storage	2020; relocation of Lechmere station
Sullivan Square Shops	at Sullivan Square	Orange Line and streetcars	maintenance and storage	1975; completion of the Haymarket North Extension

Related Research Articles

Harvard station is a rapid transit and bus transfer station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Located at Harvard Square, it serves the MBTA's Red Line subway system as well as MBTA buses. Harvard averaged 18,528 entries each weekday in FY2019, making it the third-busiest MBTA station after Downtown Crossing and South Station. Five of the fifteen key MBTA bus routes stop at the station.

Wellington station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Orange Line rapid transit station in Medford, Massachusetts, near the border of Everett. It is located on the Revere Beach Parkway, slightly east of its intersection with Route 28. Wellington functions as a park and ride with more than 1,300 spaces, and a bus hub with eight routes terminating at the station. The Station Landing development, connected to the station by an overhead walkway, includes residential and retail buildings and additional parking. Wellington Carhouse, the primary repair and maintenance facility for the Orange Line, is located adjacent to the station.

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 135 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1, 2014, from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).

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.

Lechmere station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located on the east side of Monsignor O'Brien Highway near First Street, adjacent to the NorthPoint development. The accessible elevated station has a single island platform, with headhouses at both ends. It opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Lechmere station is served by Green Line D branch and E branch service.

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.

Reservoir station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Cleveland Circle area of Brighton. The station is adjacent to Reservoir Yard and Carhouse, with the Cleveland Circle terminus of the C branch just a block away. With a daily ridership of 3,395, Reservoir is the second-busiest surface stop on the D branch.

The Green Line D branch is a light rail line in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line. The line runs on a grade separated surface right-of-way for 9 miles (14 km) from Riverside station to Fenway station. The line merges into the C branch tunnel west of Kenmore, then follows the Boylston Street subway and Tremont Street subway to North Station. It is the longest and busiest of the four Green Line branches. As of June 2024, service operates on 6 to 8-minute headways at weekday peak hours and 7 to 13-minute headways at other times, using 13 to 19 trains.

Arborway station was an MBTA light rail stop and bus transfer location in Boston, Massachusetts. It served the MBTA Green Line E branch. It was located in Arborway Yard near the Forest Hills station complex. It closed in 1985 when the outer section of the branch was temporarily—and ultimately permanently—closed.

The Haverhill Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts to Haverhill. The service operates on the Western Route of the former Boston and Maine Railroad, which extends north to Portland, Maine, though MBTA commuter rail service has not continued north of Massachusetts since 1967.

Cleveland Circle station is a Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, at Cleveland Circle. It is the western terminal of the C branch of the Green Line. Cleveland Circle station is accessible, with raised platforms to accommodate low-floor light rail vehicles.

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 the MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount, Franklin/Foxboro, and Providence/Stoughton Lines. 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 Attleboro Line tracks at ground level and the Dorchester Branch above. Franklin/Foxboro Line trains that run on the Northeast Corridor use a connecting track with a separate platform. An MBTA maintenance and storage yard and a CSX Transportation freight yard are located near the station.

Watertown Carhouse is a bus maintenance facility and former streetcar carhouse located in the southern section of Watertown, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Watertown Square. As Watertown Yard, the site also serves as a bus depot serving local and express routes 52, 57, 59, and 504, with additional connections available at Watertown Square station on the opposite end of the Watertown Bridge.

Bradford station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in the Bradford neighborhood of Haverhill, Massachusetts, served by the Haverhill Line. The Haverhill Line's layover yard is located adjacent to the station. It is temporarily the northern terminal of the Haverhill Line until mid-2025.

Rockport station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Rockport, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the Rockport branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station complex consists of a single side platform with one revenue track plus 4 layover tracks for parked trains and a short stretch of auxiliary track.

Kingston station is an MBTA Commuter Rail serving the Plymouth/Kingston Line, located off of Massachusetts Route 3 south of downtown Kingston, Massachusetts. It opened in 1997 during the restoration of Old Colony Lines service. Like all stations on the Old Colony Lines, Kingston station is fully accessible.

Wachusett station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line. It is northwest of the intersection of Massachusetts Route 2 and Route 31 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It serves as the northwestern terminus for Fitchburg Line trains. The opening of Wachusett extended service 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west from Fitchburg on the Pan Am Southern main line, lengthening the Fitchburg Line to 54 miles (87 km). The station was expected to draw 400 daily riders; by 2018, daily ridership was 132.

City Point Bus Terminal is a bus station in South Boston, Massachusetts. It serves MBTA bus routes 7, 9, 10 and 11. From 2004 to 2009, it was the terminus of Silver Line route SL3.

The North Cambridge carhouse is a bus garage for trolleybuses, and a former streetcar carhouse, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It was first built in 1874. The current structure dates from 1979 and is located in the North Cambridge neighborhood at 2375 Massachusetts Avenue. It is one of two MBTA garages used in operation of the Boston-area trolleybus system.

Widett Circle refers to a locale and its encircling roadway in South Boston, Massachusetts that has long been used as a wholesale food market, but which has been proposed for several redevelopment projects. Located in an industrial zone, it is situated between a bend in Interstate 93 and the MBTA rail yards, near the Massachusetts Avenue connector to I-93. Widett Circle was named for Harold Widett who was the attorney for the meat packers union.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
↑ "Executive Summary" (PDF). South Side Maintenance and Layover Facility EENF. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 2022.
↑ "Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority FY23-27 Capital Investment Plan (CIP): Proposed" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2022.
↑ "MBTA Wachusett Commuter Rail Extension Project". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
↑ "Allston Multimodal Project Fact Sheet". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. 2021.
↑ "Quincy Bus Maintenance Facility Project Update" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 2022.
1 2 Medeiros, Dan (September 29, 2023). "South Coast Rail passenger service is being delayed. Here's why, explained in 60 seconds". The Herald News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023.
↑ Henderson, Richard (December 15, 2022). "Widett Circle Acquisition" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
↑ "MBTA Seeks to Purchase Widett Circle Property for Commuter Rail Layover Yard" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 15, 2022.
↑ "MBTA completes purchase of land for new commuter yard". Trains News Wire. April 12, 2023.

External links

Media related to MBTA yards at Wikimedia Commons

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[bluebook-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.

[2] "Executive Summary" (PDF). South Side Maintenance and Layover Facility EENF. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 2022.

[3] "Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority FY23-27 Capital Investment Plan (CIP): Proposed" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2022.

[wachusett-4] "MBTA Wachusett Commuter Rail Extension Project". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.

[5] "Allston Multimodal Project Fact Sheet". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. 2021.

[6] "Quincy Bus Maintenance Facility Project Update" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 2022.

[SCR2024-7] 1 2 Medeiros, Dan (September 29, 2023). "South Coast Rail passenger service is being delayed. Here's why, explained in 60 seconds". The Herald News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023.

[8] Henderson, Richard (December 15, 2022). "Widett Circle Acquisition" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

[9] "MBTA Seeks to Purchase Widett Circle Property for Commuter Rail Layover Yard" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 15, 2022.

[10] "MBTA completes purchase of land for new commuter yard". Trains News Wire. April 12, 2023.

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