Airport station (MBTA)
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Rapid transit services (MBTA Blue Line and Silver Line SL3) |
Airport station is a rapid transit facility in Boston, Massachusetts that serves both the MBTA Blue Line and the SL3 branch of the Silver Line. Positioned in East Boston beneath the junction of Interstate 90 and Massachusetts Route 1A, it functions as one of two public transit connections to nearby Logan International Airport while also catering to residents of East Boston. Shuttle buses provide links between the station and various airport terminals and amenities.
At this station, Blue Line trains switch from the third rail electrical supply used in the East Boston Tunnel to overhead wires for the above-ground route heading toward Revere. The initial brick-built station, dating back to 1952, was replaced in 2004 by a contemporary structure featuring steel and glass canopies.
Station layout
Located on the western perimeter of Logan International Airport within the interchange of Interstate 90 and Massachusetts Route 1A, Airport station lies in East Boston. It has two side platforms alongside the Blue Line’s pair of tracks, which run at street level in a northeast–southwest orientation. A trainshed covers these tracks and is intersected by a taller north–south building that contains the fare lobby and two pedestrian bridges—one accessible outside the paid area—that span over the tracks.
The station’s west entrance provides access to East Boston neighborhoods via Bremen Street Park, including a footbridge crossing the northbound lanes of Route 1A. The east entrance primarily connects to a busway off Transportation Way, with a walking path leading to nearby residential districts, East Boston Memorial Park, and the East Boston Greenway.
The free Massport Shuttle, operated by Massport, links Airport station with Logan’s four terminals, rental car center (RCC), south-side offices and cargo facilities, as well as the nearby MBTA boat terminal. In addition to Massport shuttle services, the station is served by the Silver Line route and MBTA bus routes and .
Original station
On January 5, 1952, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) inaugurated the first segment of the Revere Extension, which included new stations at Airport, Wood Island, and Orient Heights. This extension connected the East Boston Tunnel at Maverick with the former narrow gauge right-of-way between Wood Island and Orient Heights. The track alignment near Airport station follows what is now known as the East Boston Greenway, previously part of the routes used by the Grand Junction Railroad and the Eastern Railroad. Notably, Airport was the first urban transit link in the United States providing direct access to a commercial airport. The station was refurbished during 1967–68 as a component of a $9 million systemwide enhancement initiative.
Reconstruction
In April 2000, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority initiated a $23 million effort to replace the station originally constructed in 1952. Due to adjustments related to Big Dig highway ramp realignments, the new facility was positioned approximately 500 feet east of the original site and officially opened on June 3, 2004. This upgraded station boasts full accessibility features, extended platforms accommodating 6-car trains introduced in 2008, and passenger-centric enhancements including luggage slides adjacent to faregates, expanded escalators and elevators, as well as flight information displays.
In 2001, the MBTA allocated $2.3 million from federal funds toward installing and refurbishing public art installations. A centerpiece of this initiative was Totems of Light, comprising two stained glass windows created by Linda Lichtman for the renovated station at a cost of $90,000.
Silver Line
Prior to 2005, this station served as Boston’s main rapid transit connection to the airport. As part of environmental mitigation efforts linked to the Big Dig, continuous Silver Line service from South Station commenced on June 1, 2005. The SL1 route has reduced the need for transfers at Airport station; nevertheless, the station continues to function as a vital transit hub for airport travelers.
Airport station was planned as a stop on the now-defunct Urban Ring, a proposed circumferential bus rapid transit route designed to link MBTA rail lines and alleviate downtown traffic congestion. Preliminary designs released in 2008 included a new surface-level BRT platform situated north of the current busway. Although funding limitations halted the full project in 2010, some corridor enhancements proceeded. Notably, a Silver Line branch serving Chelsea diverges before reaching Logan Airport and makes a stop at Airport station via a newly constructed busway built on former railroad property. This SL3 service began operations on April 21, 2018.
Plans
In October 2015, Massport revealed expansion plans for Terminal E, which feature a pedestrian bridge providing a direct connection to Airport station. This approximately half-mile-long walkway would be among the longest moving walkways worldwide. In April 2018, Massport proposed allocating $15 million for a study examining an automated people mover system that would link Airport Station with all terminals, the rental car center, and economy parking areas. This proposed system aims to replace existing shuttle buses and supersede the earlier walkway concept, with projected costs around $1 billion and an estimated implementation period of ten years.