Owned by MBTA Structure type Underground Opened 1899 Tracks 13 | Line(s) Red Line
Silver Line Area 2,000 m² Phone +1 800-872-7245 | |
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Location Atlantic Avenue & Summer Street
Boston, Massachusetts Platforms 2 side platforms (Red Line)
2 side platforms (Silver Line tunnel)
1 side platform (Silver Line street level) Connections MBTA Bus: 4, 7, 11, 448, 449, 459
MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak at South Station
Intercity buses at South Station Bus Terminal Address 700 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110, USA Similar North Station, Back Bay station, Downtown Crossing, South Station Bus Terminal, Park Street | ||
South Station (also signed as South Station Under) is a transfer station on the MBTA rapid transit Red Line and bus rapid transit Silver Line, located at Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is a part of the South Station complex, the second busiest transportation center in New England. Eight MBTA Commuter Rail and three Amtrak intercity rail services terminate at South Station; many of those passengers then transfer to the subway to reach other destinations in the city. With 25,037 daily boardings by a 2013 passenger count, South Station is the busiest station on the MBTA subway system.
Contents
History
A station serving South Station was located on the Atlantic Avenue Elevated. Service on the Atlantic Avenue "El" was discontinued on September 20, 1938. The structure itself was torn down in the spring of 1942. Before stairs were added, passengers wishing to change lines from the underground station — itself opened on December 3, 1916 — had to use a paper transfer and go outside to change trains.
In 1957, the original fare lobby and the rounded top of the tunnel to the west were removed during construction of the Dewey Square Tunnel. The tunnel was rebuilt with a flat ceiling, while the fare lobby was moved to the east closer to the South Station headhouse.
A second renovation began around 1980 and consisted of the adding of a passageway to already existing stairs and escalators upstairs to the main terminal building. An entrance was also added to the Federal Archives Building as well as a passageway under Summer Street connecting the other street entrances. In 1985, the Red Line platforms were extended 60 feet on either end to allow 6-car trains.
The final renovation was triggered by the massive highway project known as the "Big Dig". Since the Red Line tunnel beneath Summer Street is perpendicular to Atlantic Avenue, where the new I-93 northbound tunnel was to be built, builders had to tunnel under the tracks. After the first tunnel was complete, another tunnel was added along with a station for the Silver Line. Since the new tunnel was built at the former fare level, another fare level was constructed a level above. This allowed combined access for the Silver and Red lines. The original lobby that was destroyed was replaced by stairways. This project was completed at a cost of 35 million dollars.
After the first sections of the Silver Line opened in 2002 and 2004, a Phase III was proposed which would build a tunnel connecting South Station and the South Boston Waterfront section with the Washington Street section of the line. In 2010, the project was placed on indefinite hold. Currently, those wishing to take the Silver Line to Dudley Square can walk to the Atlantic Avenue side of South Station (by Track 1) and cross Atlantic Avenue to the street-level Silver Line bus stop.
In early 2005, a blue and white tile mosaic reading 'South Station Under' was discovered during renovations to the Red Line platform. The MBTA had the mosaic restored to its original condition during the project.
Station layout
The Red Line part of the station has two tracks and two side platforms. The Silver Line SL4 service that began in October 2009 stops at Atlantic Avenue and Essex Street near the Bus Terminal. Other Silver Line service is provided in an underground tunnel near the Red Line platforms. There are underground passageways upstairs to the inter-city rail station and many restaurants. There are entrances at street level on all four corners of the intersection of Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Bus connections
Aside from the Silver Line, six MBTA Bus routes stop on Summer Street east of the station entrances: