Community Corner

MassDOT to Move Forward with South Station Expansion Project in 2014

The station is expected to see a 20 percent increase in train traffic by 2035.

By Matt Perkins

December is coming to a close, and one thing commuters in Boston can expect to see in the new year is the beginning phases of an expansion project of South Station. 

Project planners have estimated that 553 trains a day will move in and out of South Station by 2035, which represents an overall increase of 20 percent above current levels, according to a PDF describing the history of the station and the expansion project. As such, MassDOT is planning to redesign the station to handle the anticipated increase in traffic. 

The project is expected to include improvements to tracks, platforms, interlockings, passenger facilities and other attendant infrastructure, according to a MassDOT website focused on the project.

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As part of the planned project, MassDOT is meeting with stakeholders, abutters, businesses and interest groups to share information about the project and gather input on project-related topics. Officials are also currently seeking input from residents and commuters on what they'd like to see in an expanded South Station, whether it be larger platforms and better waiting areas for passengers or more places to park bikes or cell phone charging stations.  

Below is a list of MassDOT's objectives for the project, as stated on its website:

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  • To perform an alternatives analysis to determine how best to expand Boston South Station and create a new layover facility in order to improve existing rail service – local, regional, and intercity – in and out of Boston. 
  • To plan for the relocation of an existing U.S. Postal Service General Mail Facility in order to create an appropriate adjacent site onto which to expand Boston South Station.
  • To plan and design an enhanced passenger environment at South Station through improved streetscape and pedestrian, bicycle, local transit, and vehicular facilities in and around South Station, including the re-opening of Dorchester Avenue for public use.
  • To consider opportunities for joint public/private development over an expanded South Station.
More information can be found on MassDOT's project website


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