Braintree (MBTA station)

BRAINTREE BRAINTREE
Inbound Red Line platform in 2013
Location	197 Ivory Street Braintree, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°12′27″N 71°00′05″W / 42.2074°N 71.0014°WCoordinates: 42°12′27″N 71°00′05″W / 42.2074°N 71.0014°W
Owned by	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Line(s)	MBTA Subway:   Red Line MBTA Commuter Rail:   Middleborough/ Lakeville Line   Kingston/Plymouth Line   CapeFLYER
Platforms	1 island platform (Red Line) 1 island platform (Commuter Rail)
Tracks	2 (Red Line) 2 (Commuter Rail)
Connections	MBTA Bus: 230, 236
Construction
Parking	1,322 spaces ($7.00 fee)
Bicycle facilities	30 spaces "Pedal and Park" bicycle cage
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	2 (Commuter Rail)
History
Opened	March 22, 1980 (Red Line) September 29, 1997 (Commuter Rail)
Traffic
Passengers (2013 weekday average boardings)	5,122 (Red Line)[1] 72 (Commuter Rail)[1]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Quincy Adams toward Alewife Red Line Braintree Branch Terminus Quincy Center toward South Station Middleborough/ Lakeville Line Holbrook/Randolph toward Middleborough / Lakeville Kingston/Plymouth Line South Weymouth toward Kingston or Plymouth South Station Terminus CapeFLYER Brockton toward Hyannis   Former services   Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad Terminus Main line Closed 1988 Holbrook toward Hyannis or Falmouth

Braintree, located at Ivory and Union Streets in Braintree, Massachusetts, is the southernmost station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Red Line. It also is a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Old Colony Lines. While the tracks of the Red Line and commuter rail lines are all parallel to one another, their platforms are offset; the commuter rail platform is located north of Union Street, while the Red Line platform is south of the street.

The station features a large park and ride garage, with space for 1,322 automobiles (though the garage often fills up on busy days). It can be easily reached from Exit 17 off Route 3. Braintree is fully handicapped accessible on all modes.

History

The 1997-opened commuter rail platform

The station opened on March 22, 1980 for Red Line service.^[2] Between 1984 and 1988 the Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad operated a state-subsidized seasonal weekend service from Braintree to Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.^[3][4] Commuter rail service began on September 26, 1997, when the Old Colony Lines re-opened.^[2]

From 1980 to 2007, a double entry fare and single exit fare were charged at Braintree and Quincy Adams when leaving the subway. The extra fares were discontinued as part of a fare increase and service change on January 1, 2007.^[5] Similar charges existed until 1980 on the inner stations on the Braintree Branch.

Although built to last 50 years, the parking garage at Braintree began suffering concrete damage due to water leakage and ill-fitting structural elements. Repairs were performed to the Quincy Adams and Braintree garages in the mid 1990s. In 2015, the MBTA began a $4.4 million project to address urgent structural issues with the two garages, though $56 million for full repairs or replacement is still needed.^[6] Major construction on the Braintree garage began on February 22, 2016 and will last until August 2016.^[7]

Station layout

P Platform level	Commuter rail track	← Commuter rail lines/CapeFLYER →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Commuter rail track	← Commuter rail lines/CapeFLYER →
	Inbound	← Red Line toward Alewife (Quincy Adams) → Red Line alighting passengers only →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Inbound	← Red Line toward Alewife (Quincy Adams) → Red Line alighting passengers only →
G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance

Bus connections

Two MBTA Bus routes serve a busway next to the Red Line platform at Braintree:

• 230 Quincy Center Station - Montello Commuter Rail Station via Holbrook & Braintree Station
• 236 Quincy Center Station - South Shore Plaza via East Braintree & Braintree Station

References

1. "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14 ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
2. Belcher, Jonathan (12 November 2012). "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). NETransit. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
3. Longcope, Kay (February 19, 1989). "RECORD NUMBER OF VEHICLES CROSSED CAPE COD CANAL IN JULY AND AUGUST". Boston Globe  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 2012-12-14.
4. Ackerman, Jerry (July 5, 1989). "MASS. SPENT $1.2M ON DEPOTS WHERE TRAINS NOW SELDOM GO". Boston Globe  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 2012-12-14.
5. Waltz, Vicky (11 November 2006). "End of the Line for Free T". BU Today. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
6. Burrell, Chris (16 November 2015). "Stopgap repairs being made to crumbling MBTA garages in Quincy, Braintree". Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
7. "Subway Service Alerts: Red Line: Current". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016.

External links

• Red Line stop - MBTA
• Commuter Rail stop - MBTA