Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line
Encyclopedia
The Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line or also known as the "M-Line" in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts
is considered to be part of the MBTA's
Red Line
, even though it uses different equipment (streetcars
) and passengers have to change at Ashmont
. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery
, the line opened on August 26, 1929. The term 'high speed line' is vestigial, as the route is neither characterized by a fully dedicated, grade separated right-of-way, nor by high-speed rolling stock
.
. That line later became part of the Old Colony Railroad
and then the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
after 1893. The steam-powered trains were discontinued in 1927 and the line was closed for two years while it was being modified for streetcar service. There was a debate at that time whether or not to continue the same subway trains from Boston to Ashmont and on to Mattapan without a need for passengers to switch to streetcars at Ashmont. Apparently, the added cost of full-scale subway service along the remainder of the route was considered to be too high. The right-of-way is owned by the MBTA and has only two at-grade crossings on its 2.6-mile route.
The portion of the line from Ashmont to Cedar Grove and through the cemetery follows the path of the original Shawmut Branch of the Old Colony Railroad
, which opened in 1872. The cemetery is the point where the Shawmut Branch intersects with the original Dorchester and Milton Branch.
The line's longest shutdown occurred June 24, 2006 while the Ashmont and Mattapan stations were renovated. Service was restored on December 22, 2007. Several of the stations have been renovated for better accessibility and modernization; all stations except Valley Road are now accessible. (Valley Road is located down a grade from the nearest road and there is no room for a ramp).
of the Ashmont–Mattapan Line consists of rebuilt PCC streetcar
s that formerly ran on the Green Line
. A similar streetcar can be seen in a side tunnel at Boylston
station on the Green Line
.
, the MBTA is conducting a pilot test of technology similar to a collision avoidance system in an automobile. It would use radar
and increasingly fast beeping to warn train operators of obstacles ahead. Like positive train control
, it would stop the train if the driver did not take action to avoid an impending collision. If successful, the system would be considered for deployment on the Green Line
, where several collisions had recently occurred.
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
is considered to be part of the MBTA's
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
, even though it uses different equipment (streetcars
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
) and passengers have to change at Ashmont
Ashmont (MBTA station)
Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, the line opened on August 26, 1929. The term 'high speed line' is vestigial, as the route is neither characterized by a fully dedicated, grade separated right-of-way, nor by high-speed rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
.
History and geography
The Ashmont–Mattapan Line follows the original right-of-way of the passenger and freight steam railway line that opened in December 1847 as the Dorchester and Milton Branch RailroadDorchester and Milton Branch Railroad
The Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 as a branch off the Old Colony Railroad main line from Boston to Plymouth...
. That line later became part of the Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
and then the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
after 1893. The steam-powered trains were discontinued in 1927 and the line was closed for two years while it was being modified for streetcar service. There was a debate at that time whether or not to continue the same subway trains from Boston to Ashmont and on to Mattapan without a need for passengers to switch to streetcars at Ashmont. Apparently, the added cost of full-scale subway service along the remainder of the route was considered to be too high. The right-of-way is owned by the MBTA and has only two at-grade crossings on its 2.6-mile route.
The portion of the line from Ashmont to Cedar Grove and through the cemetery follows the path of the original Shawmut Branch of the Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
, which opened in 1872. The cemetery is the point where the Shawmut Branch intersects with the original Dorchester and Milton Branch.
The line's longest shutdown occurred June 24, 2006 while the Ashmont and Mattapan stations were renovated. Service was restored on December 22, 2007. Several of the stations have been renovated for better accessibility and modernization; all stations except Valley Road are now accessible. (Valley Road is located down a grade from the nearest road and there is no room for a ramp).
Rolling stock
The rolling stockRolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
of the Ashmont–Mattapan Line consists of rebuilt PCC streetcar
PCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
s that formerly ran on the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
. A similar streetcar can be seen in a side tunnel at Boylston
Boylston (MBTA station)
Boylston is a station on the Green Line light rail service of the MBTA rapid transport network, and is located on the southeast corner of Boston Common at the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets.-Location:...
station on the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
.
Future
Using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
, the MBTA is conducting a pilot test of technology similar to a collision avoidance system in an automobile. It would use radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and increasingly fast beeping to warn train operators of obstacles ahead. Like positive train control
Positive Train Control
Positive train control is a system of monitoring and controlling train movements to provide increased safety.-Overview:The main concept in PTC is that the train receives information about its location and where it is allowed to safely travel, also known as movement authorities...
, it would stop the train if the driver did not take action to avoid an impending collision. If successful, the system would be considered for deployment on the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
, where several collisions had recently occurred.
Stations
- AshmontAshmont (MBTA station)Ashmont is located on the Red Line in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on September 1, 1928, and is the subway terminal for the Red Line's Dorchester Branch. Ashmont is also the terminus of the light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, which loops around on an elevated viaduct...
(transfer to Dorchester branch of the Red LineRed Line (MBTA)The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
) - Cedar GroveCedar Grove (MBTA station)Cedar Grove is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located at Adams Street and Milton Street in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Cedar Grove consists of two side platforms which serve the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed...
- ButlerButler (MBTA station)Butler is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located at Butler Street and Branchfield Street in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Butler consists of one island platform which serves the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed...
- MiltonMilton (MBTA station)Milton Station is a rail station on the border of Milton, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts on the MBTA Mattapan High Speed Line, which provides light rail service between Ashmont and Mattapan stations....
- Central AvenueCentral Avenue (MBTA station)Central Avenue is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located on Central Avenue off Eliot Street on the border of Milton, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts. Central Avenue consists of two side platforms which serve the...
- Valley RoadValley Road (MBTA station)Valley Road is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located on Valley Road off Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. Valley Road consists of two side platforms which serve the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line's two tracks. The station...
- Capen StreetCapen Street (MBTA station)Capen Street is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located on Capen Street off Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. The station opened on August 26, 1929, as did the rest of the line. On June 24, 2006, it closed for a yearlong...
- MattapanMattapan (MBTA station)Mattapan or Mattapan Sq. is the southern terminus of the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line in Boston, Massachusetts. It is in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. The station is a major transfer facility, served by several bus lines.- Reconstruction :...
External links
- MBTA: Red Line
- MBTA: Ashmont Station renovation
- MBTA: Mattapan Station renovation
- MBTA: Further Mattapan renovations