The
Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is "a body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
. It extends from
Forest HillsForest 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...
in
Jamaica PlainJamaica 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. The community seceded from Roxbury as a part of the new town of West Roxbury in 1851, and became part of Boston when West...
, Boston in the south to
Oak GroveOak Grove Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in the northern part of Malden, Massachusetts near the intersection of Winter Street and Main Street, and adjacent to the city of Melrose....
in
Malden, MassachusettsMalden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 56,340 at the 2000 census.-History:Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Pawtucket Indians. The area was originally...
in the north. It meets the
Red LineThe Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. From the northwest, the line begins in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
at
Downtown CrossingDowntown Crossing Station of the MBTA, located at the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street and the corner of Chauncey Street and Summer Street in Boston, is the main transfer point between the Orange Line and the Red Line....
, the
Blue LineThe Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the MBTA. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
at
StateState, well known as State Street, is a subway station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, State is the transfer point between the Orange Line and the Blue Line.-Description:...
, and the
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
at
HaymarketHaymarket is a MBTA station on the Green and Orange lines, located at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury St. Transfer between the Green and Orange Lines is possible here....
and North Station. It connects with
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
and Commuter Rail service at
Back BayBack Bay Station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
and North Station, and just the commuter rail at
RugglesRuggles 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 in Boston, Massachusetts. The station occupies the site that was...
station in Roxbury.
Name
The current name, assigned in the 1960s, is derived from Orange Street, an old name for the section of Washington Street immediately south of downtown under which the
Washington Street Tunnel, forming the center of the line, still runs. (Cars throughout the Boston rapid transit network were formerly painted orange or with orange stripes by MBTA predecessors, and restored streetcars on the
Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed LineThe 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 and passengers have to change at Ashmont. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery, the line opened on...
wear their historical orange livery, but this is largely coincidental.)
Construction
The Main Line of the electric
Boston Elevated RailwayThe Boston Elevated Railway was a precursor first to the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Massachusetts , and now to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, operating rapid transit, streetcars and buses in the Boston, Massachusetts area...
opened in segments in 1901. It proceeded from
EverettEverett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 38,037 at the 2000 census.Everett is the only city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common...
along the
Charlestown ElevatedThe Charlestown Elevated was a former link of Boston's Orange Line rapid transit line that ran from a portal at North Station, near the old Boston Garden, to the city of Everett, Massachusetts...
to the
Canal Street InclineThe Canal Street Incline was the transition between subway and elevated railway on the Green Line streetcar line and the Orange Line rapid transit line in the north part of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA.The initial four-track portal and incline opened...
near North Station. It was carried underground by the
Tremont Street SubwayThe Tremont Street Subway is a tunnel in Boston's subway system, and is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opening on September 1 1897. It was originally built as a tunnel to get streetcar lines off the streets, rather than a rapid transit line...
(now the
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
) returning above ground at the
Pleasant Street InclineThe Pleasant Street Incline or Pleasant Street Portal was the southern access point for the Tremont Street Subway in Boston, Massachusetts, which later became part of the Green Line .-History:...
(now closed, located just outbound of
Boylston StationBoylston is a station on the Green Line of the MBTA rapid transport network, located on the southeast end of the Boston Common at the intersection of Boylston and Tremont Streets.-Location:...
). A temporary link connected it to the
Washington Street ElevatedThe 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...
, which in 1901 ran from this point via Washington Street to Dudley Square (which is most of what is now Phase 1 of the
Silver LineThe Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's sole bus rapid transit line. It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses operating in reserved lanes; the...
).
Also in 1901, the
Atlantic Avenue ElevatedThe Atlantic Avenue Elevated was an elevated railway around the east side of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, providing a second route for the Boston Elevated Railway's Main Line around the Washington Street Tunnel...
opened, branching at Causeway Street to provide an alternate route through downtown Boston (along the shoreline, where in 2007 there is no rail transit) to the Washington Street Elevated.
In 1908, the
Washington Street Tunnel opened, allowing Main Line service to travel from the
Charlestown ElevatedThe Charlestown Elevated was a former link of Boston's Orange Line rapid transit line that ran from a portal at North Station, near the old Boston Garden, to the city of Everett, Massachusetts...
, underground via new portals at the
Canal Street InclineThe Canal Street Incline was the transition between subway and elevated railway on the Green Line streetcar line and the Orange Line rapid transit line in the north part of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA.The initial four-track portal and incline opened...
, under downtown, and back up again to meet the Washington Street Elevated and Atlantic Avenue Elevated near
ChinatownThe only historically Chinese area in New England, Chinatown, Boston is located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Centered on Beach Street, the neighborhood borders Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the South End, and the Southeast Expressway/Massachusetts Turnpike.Part of it occupies a space...
. Use of the Tremont Street Subway was returned to streetcars exclusively.
By 1909, the Washington Street Elevated had been extended to
Forest HillsForest 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...
. Trains from Washington Street were routed through the new subway, either all the way to Everett, or back around in a loop via both the subway and the Atlantic Avenue Elevated.
Closure of Atlantic Elevated and ownership changes
Following a 1928 accident at a tight curve on Beach Street, the southern connection between South Station and Washington Street was closed, breaking the loop. By 1938, the entire
Atlantic Avenue ElevatedThe Atlantic Avenue Elevated was an elevated railway around the east side of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, providing a second route for the Boston Elevated Railway's Main Line around the Washington Street Tunnel...
had been closed, leaving the subway as the only route through downtown - what is now the Orange Line between
HaymarketHaymarket is a MBTA station on the Green and Orange lines, located at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury St. Transfer between the Green and Orange Lines is possible here....
and
ChinatownChinatown is an MBTA subway station on the Orange Line, located at the intersection of Washington and Boylston Streets, roughly at the northwestern corner of Boston, Massachusetts' Chinatown neighborhood....
stations.
Ownership of the railway was transferred from the private Boston Elevated Railway to the public Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947, reconstituted as the modern
Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is "a body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
in 1964.
Rerouting of Charlestown and Everett service
The
Boston Transportation Planning ReviewBoston Transportation Planning Review is a transportation planning program for metropolitan Boston, United States which was responsible for analyzing and re-designing the entire area-wide transit and highway system in the 1970s. The major contractors involved were Alan M...
looked at the line in the 1970s, considering extensions to the
beltwayA beltway, loop , ring road, or orbital motorway is a circumferential highway found around or within many cities....
Route 128 with termini at
ReadingReading is a town situated in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, some north of central Boston. The population was 23,708 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is pronounced red-ing rather than reed-ing.-Settlement and Independence:...
in the north and
DedhamDedham /ˈdɛdəm/ is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,464 at the 2000 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border...
in the south. As a result of this review, the
Charlestown ElevatedThe Charlestown Elevated was a former link of Boston's Orange Line rapid transit line that ran from a portal at North Station, near the old Boston Garden, to the city of Everett, Massachusetts...
- which served the Charlestown neighborhood north of downtown Boston and the suburb
EverettEverett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 38,037 at the 2000 census.Everett is the only city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common...
- was demolished in 1975. The
Haymarket North Extension rerouted the Orange Line through an underwater crossing of the
Charles RiverThe Charles River is a river in Massachusetts, USA. It travels through 22 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts, from Hopkinton to Boston on the Atlantic Ocean.-Route:...
. Service in Charlestown was replaced with service along Boston and Albany tracks under
Interstate 93Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91.For most of its length, Interstate 93...
, ultimately to
WellingtonWellington Station is a MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Medford, Massachusetts, USA on the Revere Beach Parkway slightly east of its intersection with Route 28....
and
Oak GroveOak Grove Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in the northern part of Malden, Massachusetts near the intersection of Winter Street and Main Street, and adjacent to the city of Melrose....
in
Malden, MassachusettsMalden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 56,340 at the 2000 census.-History:Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Pawtucket Indians. The area was originally...
instead of Everett. The service to Everett was not replaced.
Closure of Washington Street elevated
Construction of
Interstate 95Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
into downtown Boston was cancelled in 1972 after local protest over the necessary demolition. However, land for the
Southwest CorridorThe Southwest Corridor or Southwest Expressway was a project designed to bring an eight-lane highway into the City of Boston from a direction southwesterly of downtown. It was supposed to connect with Interstate 95 at Route 128...
through
RoxburyRoxbury is a neighborhood within Boston, Massachusetts USA. 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. The original town of Roxbury once included the current Boston neighborhoods of Jamaica...
had already been cleared of buildings. Instead of a highway, the Orange Line subway would be re-routed into the corridor. In 1987, the Washington Street Elevated was torn down as part of this re-routing, the last of the original elevated portions to be demolished.
Between April 30 and May 3, 1987, the
Washington Street ElevatedThe 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...
south of the
Essex stationChinatown is an MBTA subway station on the Orange Line, located at the intersection of Washington and Boylston Streets, roughly at the northwestern corner of Boston, Massachusetts' Chinatown neighborhood....
was closed to allow the Orange Line to be tied into the new Southwest Corridor. On May 4, 1987, the Orange Line was rerouted out of the southern end of the Washington Street Tunnel and onto the new Southwest Corridor. Instead of rising into elevated tracks, it instead veered west at the
Massachusetts TurnpikeThe Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost 138-mile stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
and followed the Pike and the old
Boston and Albany RailroadThe Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system...
right-of-way to the existing
MBTA Commuter RailThe Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. MBCR is joint partnership of three transportation companies including: Veolia Transportation, Bombardier and Alternate Concepts, Inc...
stop at
Back BayBack Bay Station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
. It then continued along new tracks, partially covered and partially open but depressed, to
Forest HillsForest 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...
. This right-of-way is also shared by
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
as part of the national
Northeast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency. The route is fully electrified and serves a densely urbanized string of cities from Washington, D.C., in the south through Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, New...
.
While ending up more or less in the same place, the new routing bypassed Washington Street significantly to the west; local residents were promised replacement service. In 2002, Phase 1 of the
Silver LineThe Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's sole bus rapid transit line. It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses operating in reserved lanes; the...
bus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems that use buses to provide a service that is of a higher speed than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
was added to connect Washington Street to the downtown subways, attempting to address this. This was controversial, as many residents would prefer the return of rail transportation.
Renovations during the Big Dig
HaymarketHaymarket is a MBTA station on the Green and Orange lines, located at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury St. Transfer between the Green and Orange Lines is possible here....
and North Station received major renovations during the Big Dig in the 1990s and 2000s, as the Causeway Street elevated portion of the
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
was buried, its physical connection to the Orange Line was improved to make transfers easier, the Canal Street Incline was finally closed, and the Green Line was re-rerouted through a new portal closer to the river, near the
Zakim Bunker Hill BridgeThe Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. It replaced the Charlestown High Bridge when it opened, and is the world's widest cable-stayed bridge. The main portion of the Zakim Bridge carries four lanes each...
.
Station listing
| Station |
Time to Downtown Crossing (min) |
Opened |
Transfers and notes |
| Oak Grove Oak Grove Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in the northern part of Malden, Massachusetts near the intersection of Winter Street and Main Street, and adjacent to the city of Melrose....
|
15 |
March 20, 1977 |
|
Malden CenterMalden Center Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line and Commuter Rail, located on Pleasant Street in downtown Malden, Massachusetts. It is an elevated station serving Malden's Edgeworth and downtown areas, with a small parking lot and connections to several bus lines...
|
13 |
December 27, 1975 |
Commuter RailThe Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. MBCR is joint partnership of three transportation companies including: Veolia Transportation, Bombardier and Alternate Concepts, Inc...
, Haverhill/Reading LineThe Haverhill/Reading Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns ofMalden,Melrose,Wakefield,Reading,Wilmington,Andover,Lawrence,North Andover, andHaverhill....
|
| Wellington Wellington Station is a MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Medford, Massachusetts, USA on the Revere Beach Parkway slightly east of its intersection with Route 28....
|
10 |
September 6, 1975 |
|
| Assembly Square Assembly Square is a mixed-use, smart growth development planned for along the Mystic River in Somerville, Massachusetts. The site is two miles from downtown Boston and accessible via I-93 and Route 28/Middlesex Fells Parkway....
|
9 |
|
Expected to open in 2013 |
| Sullivan Square Sullivan Square is a station on the MBTA rapid transit Orange Line, and a major bus transfer point. It was also a major transfer point on the old Charlestown Elevated, with two streetcar loops for free transfers, later converted for trackless trolleys and buses.The first Sullivan Square station...
|
7 |
April 7, 1975 |
originally on the Charlestown Elevated The Charlestown Elevated was a former link of Boston's Orange Line rapid transit line that ran from a portal at North Station, near the old Boston Garden, to the city of Everett, Massachusetts...
closed April 4, 1975 |
| Community College Community College Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Charlestown, Massachusetts near the intersection of Rutherford Avenue and Austin Street. It lies underneath the ramps of Interstate 93 only a few blocks north of its entrance to the Big Dig via the Zakim Bunker Hill...
|
5 |
April 7, 1975 |
serves Bunker Hill Community College |
| North Station |
3 |
April 7, 1975 |
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
and Commuter RailThe Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. MBCR is joint partnership of three transportation companies including: Veolia Transportation, Bombardier and Alternate Concepts, Inc...
north side lines |
HaymarketHaymarket is a MBTA station on the Green and Orange lines, located at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury St. Transfer between the Green and Orange Lines is possible here....
|
2 |
November 30, 1908 |
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
originally Friend-Union until January 25, 1967 |
StateState, well known as State Street, is a subway station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, State is the transfer point between the Orange Line and the Blue Line.-Description:...
|
1 |
November 30, 1908 |
Blue LineThe Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the MBTA. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
originally Milk-State until January 24, 1967 |
Downtown CrossingDowntown Crossing Station of the MBTA, located at the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street and the corner of Chauncey Street and Summer Street in Boston, is the main transfer point between the Orange Line and the Red Line....
|
0 |
November 30, 1908 |
Red LineThe Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. From the northwest, the line begins in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
, Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/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...
and Silver LineThe Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's sole bus rapid transit line. It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses operating in reserved lanes; the...
originally Winter-Summer until January 22, 1967, then Washington until May 3, 1987 |
ChinatownChinatown is an MBTA subway station on the Orange Line, located at the intersection of Washington and Boylston Streets, roughly at the northwestern corner of Boston, Massachusetts' Chinatown neighborhood....
|
2 |
November 30, 1908 |
Silver LineThe Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's sole bus rapid transit line. It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses operating in reserved lanes; the...
originally Boylston-Essex until February 10, 1967, then Essex until May 3, 1987 |
| Tufts Medical Center |
3 |
May 4, 1987 |
Silver LineThe Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's sole bus rapid transit line. It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses operating in reserved lanes; the...
|
Back BayBack Bay Station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
|
6 |
May 4, 1987 |
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
station
Commuter RailThe Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. MBCR is joint partnership of three transportation companies including: Veolia Transportation, Bombardier and Alternate Concepts, Inc...
, Providence/Stoughton LineThe Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island...
, Framingham/Worcester LineThe Framingham/Worcester Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts, though some trains terminate at Framingham, Massachusetts...
, Franklin LineThe Franklin Line of MBTA Commuter Rail travels in a northeasterly direction toward Boston, Massachusetts from Franklin, Massachusetts. Its stops include : Forge Park/495, Dean College/Franklin, Norfolk, Walpole, Plimptonville, Windsor Gardens, Norwood Central, Norwood Depot, Islington, Dedham...
and Needham LineThe Needham Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods ofRoxbury,Jamaica Plain,Roslindale,West Roxbury, and the town ofNeedham....
also called Back Bay/South End |
| Massachusetts Avenue |
8 |
May 4, 1987 |
|
RugglesRuggles 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 in Boston, Massachusetts. The station occupies the site that was...
|
9 |
May 4, 1987 |
Commuter RailThe Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. MBCR is joint partnership of three transportation companies including: Veolia Transportation, Bombardier and Alternate Concepts, Inc...
, Providence/Stoughton LineThe Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island...
, Franklin LineThe Franklin Line of MBTA Commuter Rail travels in a northeasterly direction toward Boston, Massachusetts from Franklin, Massachusetts. Its stops include : Forge Park/495, Dean College/Franklin, Norfolk, Walpole, Plimptonville, Windsor Gardens, Norwood Central, Norwood Depot, Islington, Dedham...
and Needham LineThe Needham Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods ofRoxbury,Jamaica Plain,Roslindale,West Roxbury, and the town ofNeedham....
|
Roxbury CrossingRoxbury Crossing is an MBTA subway station on the Orange Line, located at 1400 Tremont Street in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, MA. The neighborhood of Roxbury is directly adjacent across the street to the south...
|
10 |
May 4, 1987 |
|
| Jackson Square Jackson Square is a station on the Orange Line of the MBTA subway. The station is located in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The station opened in 1987 along with the rest of the southern Orange Line stations...
|
12 |
May 4, 1987 |
|
| Stony Brook For the former Boston and Maine Railroad station, see Stony Brook .Stony Brook is a station on the Orange Line of the MBTA subway. The station is located in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The platform for Stony Brook station is an island platform and is located in a below grade right of way...
|
14 |
May 4, 1987 |
|
| Green Street Green Street Station is a station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in the southern part of Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts at 150 Green Street, near the intersection of Green Street and Amory Street...
|
16 |
May 4, 1987 |
on the 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...
closed April 30, 1987 |
Forest HillsForest 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...
|
18 |
May 4, 1987 |
Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line The Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island...
, Franklin LineThe Franklin Line of MBTA Commuter Rail travels in a northeasterly direction toward Boston, Massachusetts from Franklin, Massachusetts. Its stops include : Forge Park/495, Dean College/Franklin, Norfolk, Walpole, Plimptonville, Windsor Gardens, Norwood Central, Norwood Depot, Islington, Dedham...
and Needham LineThe Needham Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods ofRoxbury,Jamaica Plain,Roslindale,West Roxbury, and the town ofNeedham....
on the Washington Street ElevatedThe 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...
closed April 30, 1987 |
Assembly Square
In August 2008, the federal Secretary of Transportation announced a federal and commercial commitment to provide funds for a new Orange Line station at Assembly Square in Somerville, presently expected to open in 2013. The new station, located on the bank of the Mystic River between Wellington and Sullivan Square stations, will serve a new development at Assembly Square.
Equipment
The Orange Line is
standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
heavy rail, and uses
third railA third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost fully...
for power. The current fleet is the 01200 series, built 1980-1981 by Hawker Siddeley Canada Car and Foundry (now
Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Bombardier Inc.. Bombardier Transportation is the world’s largest company in the rail equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters is in Berlin, Germany....
) of
Thunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of two places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They are 65 feet (20 m) long and 111 inches (2.8 m) wide, with three pairs of doors on each side. They are based on the PA3 model used by
PATHThe Port Authority Trans-Hudson is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service to Jersey City, Hoboken, Harrison, and Newark. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
. There are 120 cars, numbered 01200-01319. All in-service Orange Line trains run in six-car configurations.
New Trains
It has been announced as of Spring 2009 that the planning process for new Orange and Red Line vehicles has begun. The simultaneous order calls for 146 Orange Line cars (to replace the whole fleet) and 74 Red Line cars (presumably to replace the 1500s and 1600s, of which there were 74, 72 still in service). This order would be similar to the current Orange Line cars and the old Blue Line cars, ordered at the same time and largely identical. The new cars would enter service between 2013 and 2017. The announcement also suggests that new Green Line cars will be planned at about the same time, although these cars would not be similar to the Orange and Red Line cars due to the differing natures of the lines.
Facilities
The Orange Line has two tracks (one in each direction) except for a third track between Wellington and the Charles River portal. This track can be used to bypass construction on the other two, or for testing newly delivered cars for the Orange and Blue lines. The primary maintenance and storage facility is at Wellington Station.
Accessibility
All stations on the Orange Line are handicapped accessible, though
StateState, well known as State Street, is a subway station of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, State is the transfer point between the Orange Line and the Blue Line.-Description:...
is not fully accessible on the
Blue LineThe Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the MBTA. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
. At the present time, State is being remodeled to provide full Blue Line accessibility.
St. Elsewhere TV series
The old Orange Line El was the train seen in the opening sequence of the television program
St. ElsewhereSt. Elsewhere is a U.S. drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood. The hospital's nickname, "St...
. During the last season, however, the Washington Street El no longer existed, and its showing was thus anachronistic.
External links