Needham Line
Encyclopedia
The Needham Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail
system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods of
Roxbury
,
Jamaica Plain
,
Roslindale,
West Roxbury
, and the town of
Needham
.
Operating weekdays and Saturdays, the station stops (from South Station
) are:
Back Bay
,
Ruggles
,
Forest Hills
,
Roslindale Village
,
Bellevue
,
Highland
,
West Roxbury
,
Hersey
,
Needham Junction
,
Needham Center
, and
Needham Heights
.
The line was built in 1906 as a cutoff to the Dedham Branch of the Boston and Providence Rail Road
and purchased by the MBTA in 1973.
When the plans to replace the Washington Street Elevated
were drawn up in the 1960s, the new rapid transit Orange Line
was planned to continue past Forest Hills to Needham Heights. However, as the project was stalled over the next few decades, funding was only found to complete the replacement portion to Forest Hills in 1987. During construction (1979 to 1987), the line was closed entirely.
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods of
Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
,
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jamaica Plain is a historic neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Boston Puritans seeking farm land to the south, it was originally part of the city of Roxbury...
,
Roslindale,
West Roxbury
West Roxbury, Massachusetts
West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston bordered by Roslindale to the north, the Town of Dedham to the east and south, the Town of Brookline and the City of Newton to the west. Many people mistakenly confuse West Roxbury with Roxbury, but the two are not connected. West Roxbury is separated from...
, and the town of
Needham
Needham, Massachusetts
Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census.- History :...
.
Operating weekdays and Saturdays, the station stops (from South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
) are:
Back Bay
Back Bay (MBTA station)
Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
,
Ruggles
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...
,
Forest Hills
Forest Hills (MBTA station)
Forest Hills Station is a station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in Forest Hills in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts at the intersections of Washington Street, Hyde Park Avenue, South Street, The Arborway and Morton Street.Forest Hills is the southern...
,
Roslindale Village
Roslindale Village (MBTA station)
Roslindale Village is a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Needham Line. It was originally built by the Boston and Providence Railroad, and contained two station houses. Currently, it is located across the tracks from the Boston School of Modern Languages....
,
Bellevue
Bellevue (MBTA station)
Bellevue is a MBTA commuter rail station in West Roxbury, Massachusetts in Boston serving the Needham Line. -Connections:: Dedham Mall/stimson St. - Forest Hills Station Via Belgrade …: Charles River Loop Or V.a. Hospital - Forest Hills Sta. Via …: Baker & Vermont Sts. - Forest Hills Sta. Via...
,
Highland
Highland (MBTA station)
Highland is a MBTA commuter rail station in West Roxbury, Massachusetts serving the Needham Line. -Connections:: Dedham Mall/stimson St. - Forest Hills Station Via Belgrade …: Charles River Loop Or V.a. Hospital - Forest Hills Sta. Via …: Baker & Vermont Sts. - Forest Hills Sta. Via Belgrade...
,
West Roxbury
West Roxbury (MBTA station)
West Roxbury is a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Needham Line. It was originally built by the Boston and Providence Railroad, and is located above a bridge over 450 Lagrange Street....
,
Hersey
Hersey (MBTA station)
Hersey is a below-grade MBTA Commuter Rail station in the Bird's Hill section of Needham, Massachusetts. The station is located on the MBTA's Needham Line....
,
Needham Junction
Needham Junction (MBTA station)
Needham Junction is a MBTA Commuter Rail station serving the Needham Line. It is officially located on 51 Junction Street in Needham, Massachusetts, although additional parking can be found south of the intersection of Junction and Chestnut Streets....
,
Needham Center
Needham Center (MBTA station)
Needham Center is the penultimate MBTA Commuter Rail station serving the Needham Line. It was originally built in 1870 , and was much larger than it is today...
, and
Needham Heights
Needham Heights (MBTA station)
Needham Heights is a MBTA Commuter Rail station serving the Needham Line. It is the terminus of the line, although this wasn't the case. Needham Heights Station was built on a line that originally ran between Medfield Junction and what is today Newton Highlands station on the "D" Branch of the...
.
The line was built in 1906 as a cutoff to the Dedham Branch of the Boston and Providence Rail Road
Boston and Providence Rail Road
The Boston and Providence Railroad was an early US Railroad in New England, connecting Boston and Providence and is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.-History:...
and purchased by the MBTA in 1973.
When the plans to replace the Washington Street Elevated
Washington Street Elevated
The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line . It ran from Chinatown through the South End and Roxbury, ending in Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain...
were drawn up in the 1960s, the new rapid transit Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
was planned to continue past Forest Hills to Needham Heights. However, as the project was stalled over the next few decades, funding was only found to complete the replacement portion to Forest Hills in 1987. During construction (1979 to 1987), the line was closed entirely.