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Kenmore (MBTA station)
Encyclopedia
Kenmore is an MBTA light rail
station in the Kenmore Square
area of Boston, Massachusetts, and serves the Green Line
B, C, and D branches. The station is located at the convergence of three major roads: Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline Avenue, and Beacon Street.
, the hub of the Green and Red Line
s. The station serves as the branching off point for the B, C, and D trains on the Green Line
. While all trains converge on the same route going inbound (excepting the E train which doesn't join the others until Copley Square
), when going outbound they split just before and somewhat after Kenmore station, branching off into different above-ground routes.
The tracks are configured for use as a dual-island platform
, with outbound trains for the C and D branches sharing the outer tracks, and trains for the B branch on the inner tracks. The B branch uses a flying junction
just west of the station to branch off, while the C and D branches continue together a short distance west of Kenmore station, and then split once more at an awkward flat junction. In addition, there is a special loopback track facing outbound, which allows inbound trains to loop back to outbound at Kenmore station rather than progressing further inbound.
The track layout is similar to, but not identical to the Kashirskaya
station on the Moscow Metro.
, located just one block away. However, some sports fans exit at Fenway
station despite its longer distance from the stadium, bypassing congestion in Kenmore Square.
overflowed its banks, completely submerging the platform and some of the mezzanine.
Passengers now must pay fares at all Green Line surface stops regardless of whether they are going inbound or outbound.
via Grove Hall, Dudley Station & Ruggles Sta.
Watertown Yard
via Newton Corner & Brighton Center (this bus route replaced the former Green Line "A" Branch service) Chestnut Hill via Brookline Village
& Cypress St. Brighton Center via Washington St., Brookline Village
& Brookline Ave.
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...
station in the Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square
Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
area of Boston, Massachusetts, and serves 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...
B, C, and D branches. The station is located at the convergence of three major roads: Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline Avenue, and Beacon Street.
Services
Kenmore station is five stops and a nominal 12-minute ride from Park StreetPark Street (MBTA station)
Park Street is a rapid transit and light rail station of the MBTA subway system in Downtown Boston. One of the four subway hub stations, Park Street is a transfer point between the Green and Red Lines. Park Street is the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network, with an average of 19,836 entries...
, the hub of the Green and 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...
s. The station serves as the branching off point for the B, C, and D trains 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...
. While all trains converge on the same route going inbound (excepting the E train which doesn't join the others until Copley Square
Copley (MBTA station)
Copley is a station on the MBTA Green Line light rail subway in Boston, Massachusetts. Located in and named after Copley Square, the station has entrances and exits along Boylston Street and Dartmouth Street....
), when going outbound they split just before and somewhat after Kenmore station, branching off into different above-ground routes.
The tracks are configured for use as a dual-island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, with outbound trains for the C and D branches sharing the outer tracks, and trains for the B branch on the inner tracks. The B branch uses a flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
just west of the station to branch off, while the C and D branches continue together a short distance west of Kenmore station, and then split once more at an awkward flat junction. In addition, there is a special loopback track facing outbound, which allows inbound trains to loop back to outbound at Kenmore station rather than progressing further inbound.
The track layout is similar to, but not identical to the Kashirskaya
Kashirskaya
Kashirskaya is a cross-platform station complex on the Moscow Metro. It was opened on 11 August 1969 as part of the Kakhovsky radius extension, and from 1983 was an interchange between the Kakhovskaya and the Orekhovskaya branches of the Zamoskvoretskaya Line...
station on the Moscow Metro.
Nearby attractions
Kenmore station is the primary station for passengers wishing to go to Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, located just one block away. However, some sports fans exit at Fenway
Fenway (MBTA station)
Fenway is a stop on the D branch of the MBTA Green Line. It is located in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts, under Park Drive near The Riverway. Named after the Fenway parkway rather than Fenway Park, it is not the nearest station to the stadium - Yawkey commuter rail and...
station despite its longer distance from the stadium, bypassing congestion in Kenmore Square.
Incidents and accidents
The station was closed for two months in 1996, after the Muddy RiverMuddy River, Massachusetts
The Muddy River is a series of brooks and ponds that runs through sections of Boston's Emerald Necklace, including along the south boundary of Brookline, Massachusetts...
overflowed its banks, completely submerging the platform and some of the mezzanine.
Fares
Until January 1, 2007, Kenmore was the last Green Line station heading outbound where passengers were required to pay a fare upon boarding, and boarding outbound trains at surface stops was free. It was for this reason that fans going home from the game to the Newton Highlands region (serviced by the D) were advised to use the Fenway stop.Passengers now must pay fares at all Green Line surface stops regardless of whether they are going inbound or outbound.
2005-2010 accessibility improvements
In 2005, Kenmore station underwent reconstruction in order to make the station ADA-accessible. Despite almost constant work, the station was kept in operation. Major changes included elevators and escalators, and a new bus shelter with a transparent semi-arched canopy placed in the middle of Kenmore Square. The Boston Globe reported that there were severe delays in construction and that the project would be completed by November 2007; renovation work was finally completed in April 2010. Kenmore station is now fully wheelchair accessible.Bus connections
Harbor Point/UMass via South End Medical Area & Dudley Station Fields Corner Sta.Fields Corner (MBTA station)
Fields Corner is a station on the rapid transit Red Line at Fields Corner in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on November 5, 1927, serving as the south end of the line for about a year...
via Grove Hall, Dudley Station & Ruggles Sta.
Ruggles (MBTA station)
Ruggles Station is a MBTA subway station on the Orange Line; it is also a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham Lines. It is located at the intersection of Ruggles and Tremont Streets, where the Roxbury neighborhood begins and borders with the nearby...
Watertown Yard
Watertown (MBTA station)
Watertown Square in Watertown, Massachusetts is the termination point of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's route 71 trackless trolley and the bus. Buses and pass through Watertown Square...
via Newton Corner & Brighton Center (this bus route replaced the former Green Line "A" Branch service) Chestnut Hill via Brookline Village
Brookline Village (MBTA station)
Brookline Village is a stop on the D branch of the MBTA Green Line. The station is located in Brookline, Massachusetts. The station is 20 minutes away from Park Street. There is no MBTA parking at the station, but there are 15 bicycle spaces...
& Cypress St. Brighton Center via Washington St., Brookline Village
Brookline Village (MBTA station)
Brookline Village is a stop on the D branch of the MBTA Green Line. The station is located in Brookline, Massachusetts. The station is 20 minutes away from Park Street. There is no MBTA parking at the station, but there are 15 bicycle spaces...
& Brookline Ave.
- Temporary bus shuttle services are routed between stops during periods of track renovation, usually during off-peak hours only.