Orient Heights (MBTA station)

ORIENT HEIGHTS

Front of the station
Station statistics
Address 1000 Bennington St,
East Boston, Massachusetts 02128
Lines
  Blue Line
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 2
Parking 434 spaces
Other information
Opened January 5, 1952
Rebuilt 2012 (planned)
Electrified 1952
Accessible
Owned by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station
toward Bowdoin
 Blue Line
toward Wonderland

Orient Heights is a station on the MBTA Blue Line in East Boston, MA. It is located on the above-ground section of the line that uses overhead lines instead of third rail. Its two platforms sit on either side of two central tracks and are connected by a mezzanine walkway to facilitate changing directions without paying an extra fare.

Orient Heights is the only Blue Line station in East Boston that has not yet been rebuilt (since its 1952 opening) for better accessibility. (The only others on the line are Government Center and Bowdoin, both in Boston proper). Due to this distinction, it is the only station in the MBTA that still has a 1967-1969 system map, which shows the Charlestown and Washington Street Elevateds on the Orange Line and the Green Line "A" Branch[1] On 5 October 2011, the MBTA announced a $51 million ground-up rebuild of the station. The reconstruction of the crumbling station, which will require closing the station for nearly 7 months, is expected to be paid for mostly by the Federal Transit Administration.[1]

Orient Heights Yard, the main Blue Line yard, is (as the name suggests) close by. Because of the proximity, Blue Line employees report to work at Orient Heights.

Contents

Bus connections

Images

(All images show the station pre-2012 reconstruction)

References

  1. ^ a b Moskowitz, Eric (6 October 2011). "MBTA board OK’s millions for stations". Boston Globe. http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-06/news/30253264_1_blue-line-orange-line-red-line. Retrieved 7 October 2011. 

External links