Owned by MBTA Opened 20 March 1977 | Line(s) Orange Line Platforms in use 1 | |
 | ||
Location Washington Street at Winter Street
Malden, Massachusetts Tracks 2 (Orange Line)
1 (Commuter Rail) Parking 788 spaces ($6.00 fee)
13 accessible spaces Bicycle facilities 140 spaces in "Pedal and Park" bicycle cage Address Malden, MA 02148, United States Owner Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Similar Malden Center, Forest Hills, Wellington, Downtown Crossing, Sullivan Square | ||
Oak Grove is a rapid transit station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in the northern part of Malden, Massachusetts just south of the Melrose border. The northern terminus of the Orange Line, Oak Grove has a 788-space park and ride lot serving nearby residential communities. It is also served by four MBTA Bus routes and has secure cages for bicycle storage.
Contents
Oak Grove has a single platform for the Haverhill Line that passes through the station. Commuter rail trains, however, are only stopped during service disruptions on the Orange Line or the inner Haverhill Line.
Like all Orange Line stations, Oak Grove is fully handicapped accessible.
Opening and Haverhill Line platform
Oak Grove opened on March 20, 1977, as the northern terminus of the Haymarket North Extension of the Orange Line. Originally intended to run as far as Reading, displacing inner Haverhill Line service, the extension had been cut back to Oak Grove by the time the station was completed. However, a platform (sized for six-car Orange Line trains rather than lengthier commuter rail trains) was built to serve the single Haverhill Line track, for potential use should the remainder of the extension be built. In the fare mezzanine, a sign labels the platform as "Orange Line outbound". Malden Center was built with the same configuration; however, its platform is regularly used for commuter rail service.
Haverhill Line trains do not stop at Oak Grove unless the Orange Line or the Haverhill Line is disrupted between there and North Station, necessitating a transfer between modes. After the approach trestles at North Station burned on January 20, 1984, Oak Grove became the inbound terminus for the Haverhill Line. When North Station reopened on April 20, 1985, commuter trains no longer stopped at Oak Grove. Instead, most trains make a stop at Malden Center, which is closer to employment areas in downtown Malden.
Because of its Orange Line connection, Oak Grove can serve as a temporary inbound terminus for Haverhill Line service when commuter rail service is disrupted between Oak Grove and Boston's North Station. It served this role during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when North Station was closed for a week for security purposes.
Renovations
During 2013, the MBTA performed heavy maintenance on the Orange Line platform, which had substantially deteriorated during 36 years of operation. High-pressure water was used to strip away the top layer of concrete; a smoother top coat and new tactile platform edging were installed. The work was performed on one side of the platform at a time with no station closures. The project also included new track lighting, guardrails, and expansion joints.
The project, originally expected to cost $2.3 million, was issued a notice to proceed in December 2012. Phase 1, which lasted from April to August 2013, focused on the inbound side of the platform. Original plans called for an exit-only ramp on the north end of the Orange Line platform to be constructed as part of Phase 1; however, this was put off due to the discovery of buried utilities not present on site plans. Phase 2, from August to December 2013, focused on the outbound side of the platform. From March 2 to June 30, 2014, the MBTA constructed the emergency exit ramp and a public restroom as Phase 3.
Additional upgrades are planned, including the construction of a new elevator from the fare lobby to Washington Street. Funding was secured in 2016 and 30% design is expected to proceed in 2017.
Bus connections
Four MBTA Bus routes serve Oak Grove station. Three routes that run on Main Street in Malden and Melrose use a dedicated busway in the parking area on the east side of the station:
One route runs on Washington Street on the west side of the station: