Chelsea (MBTA station)

CHELSEA
Platforms at Chelsea station, looking north, in February 2010
Location	Arlington Street & 6th Street Chelsea, MA 02150
Coordinates	42°23′45″N 71°02′03″W / 42.3957°N 71.0342°W / 42.3957; -71.0342Coordinates: 42°23′45″N 71°02′03″W / 42.3957°N 71.0342°W / 42.3957; -71.0342
Line(s)	Newburyport/Rockport Line
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Connections	MBTA Bus: 111, 112, 114, 116, 117
Other information
Fare zone	1A
History
Opened	November 29, 1985[1]
Rebuilt	2017 (planned)
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	179 (weekday inbound average)[2]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station North Station Terminus Newburyport/Rockport Line River Works toward Newburyport or Rockport   Future services   Bellingham Square toward South Station Silver Line SL6 Opening 2017 Terminus

Chelsea is a passenger rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line, located near Bellingham Square slightly north of downtown Chelsea, Massachusetts. It is one of the more lightly-used stops on the line, with 179 daily boardings by a 2013 count; most residents commuting to downtown Boston use bus routes including the high-frequency 111 instead.^[2] Unlike all other stations on the line save limited-service River Works and Prides Crossing, Chelsea is not handicapped accessible. However, the stop is planned to be moved to a new accessible station in late 2017 in conjunction with a new branch of the Silver Line bus rapid transit service.^[3]

History

Chelsea Station opened on November 29, 1985, after the city had been without train service since 1958.^[1] The station was built onto the existing right of way, with one platform taking up the former track utilized by Boston & Albany Railroad's Grand Junction Branch, rather than going through the potentially costly and controversial eminent domain process to acquire land for a larger station. The rails of the former track are still visible in the platform. Due to the location and short length of the platforms, trains are forced to block the Sixth Street crossing while loading and unloading passengers.

Future plans

Chelsea Station was a proposed stop on the MBTA's Urban Ring Project. The Urban Ring was to be a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line designed to connect the current MBTA Lines to reduce strain on the downtown stations. The full project is shelved due to the MBTA's financial difficulties, but some corridor routes are receiving more limited work.

Silver Line construction at Chelsea station in August 2015

In March 2013, the MBTA began studying an extension of the Silver Line to Chelsea via a newly constructed bypass road in East Boston. Three alternatives were discussed for the Chelsea section. One would run up the abandoned section of the Grand Junction Railroad right-of-way from Eastern Avenue to Chelsea station with stops at Eastern Avenue, Highland/Box District, Chelsea station, and Mystic Mall. The second alignment would follow the Grand Junction to just short of the station, then diverge onto surface roads to Bellingham Square. The third alignment would run entirely on surface streets, serving two stops on Central Avenue and four stops along a loop serving Chelsea station and the MGH Chelsea healthcare center.^[4]

In September 2013, the MBTA indicated that it would pursue the first alternative despite potential issues with bridge clearances and rebuilding Chelsea station.^[5]

On October 30, 2013, MassDOT announced $82.5 million in state funding for a modified version of the first alternative to be constructed. A new $20 million Chelsea commuter rail station and 'transit hub' will be constructed at the Mystic Mall terminus of the new Silver Line route, so that trains will no longer block Sixth Street. The Silver Line will have a new "Downtown Chelsea" stop, at the current station location.^[6][7] The new transfer station will be fully handicapped accessible.^[8]

In June 2015, the outbound platform was removed to make way for the busway construction. A temporary asphalt platform was placed between the tracks

Bus connections

Five MBTA Bus routes converge on Bellingham Square near the station:

• 111 Woodlawn or Broadway & Park Avenue - Haymarket Station via Mystic River/Tobin Bridge
• 112 Wellington Station - Wood Island Station via Central Avenue, Mystic Mall & Admiral's Hill
• 114 Bellingham Square - Maverick Station
• 116 Wonderland Station - Maverick Station via Revere Street
• 117 Wonderland Station - Maverick Station via Beach Street

The 112 and 114 serve the station directly on 6th Street, while the 111, 116, and 117 run on other streets to the east. The 111, 116, and 117 are key bus routes with high-frequency service at all operating hours, including extended service on Friday and Saturday nights.

The future Mystic Mall station location will be served by the 112 and 114 routes as well as the yet-unnumbered Silver Line branch.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chelsea (MBTA station).

• MBTA - Chelsea
• Station from Arlington Street from Google Maps Street View
• Station from Washington Avenue from Google Maps Street View