Beachmont station

Beachmont station

Company type	Rapid transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	January 19, 1954 (1954-01-19)
Headquarters	Revere, Massachusetts , United States
Products	Rapid transit service (MBTA Blue Line)

Beachmont station is an elevated rapid transit facility located in Revere, Massachusetts, serving the MBTA Blue Line. Positioned above Winthrop Avenue within the Beachmont neighborhood, the station offers full accessibility features, including elevators that link the lobby area to the platforms.

BRB&L

The narrow gauge Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad (BRB&L) commenced operations between East Boston and Lynn on July 28, 1875. Among its inaugural stops was Orient (also referred to as Orient Heights) situated at Winthrop Avenue. Originally part of the Orient Heights district, the Boston Land Company—connected with BRB&L—leveraged this station to encourage real estate development in Beachmont. In 1876, the BRB&L constructed the Beachmont hotel adjacent to the station. By the 1880s, the station had been renamed Beachmont, featuring a building located southeast of the rail crossing.

During the 1880s, Ocean Pier station briefly operated near Dolphin Avenue, approximately north of Beachmont, likely established as competition against the Eastern Railroad-supported Boston, Winthrop and Shore Railroad (1884–1885).

By 1928, the BRB&L line had been electrified and incorporated pre-pay fare stations, functioning more like a rapid transit system than a traditional railroad. Nevertheless, financial difficulties during the Great Depression led to the cessation of BRB&L services on January 27, 1940.

Rapid transit

In 1941, the Boston Elevated Railway acquired the BRB&L right-of-way stretching from Day Square to Revere Beach with plans to develop a high-speed trolley line akin to the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line; however, World War II delayed these efforts. Both the 1926 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities and the 1945–47 Coolidge Commission Report recommended extending the East Boston Tunnel rapid transit line along this corridor to Lynn instead of constructing a trolley route.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) opted in 1947 to pursue rapid transit extension to Lynn, commencing construction in October 1948. The Revere Extension opened incrementally: reaching in January 1952, then in April 1952, and ultimately extending to on January 19, 1954. Intermediate stations included Beachmont and . Unlike its predecessor station, this iteration of Beachmont was constructed as an elevated facility to remove the grade crossing at Winthrop Avenue.

Renovations

During the Blue Line Modernization Program of the early 1990s, community members proposed lowering Beachmont station into an open cut similar to , but this option was deemed impractical. The station underwent a closure lasting nearly one year beginning June 25, 1994, for a $27 million reconstruction project conducted simultaneously with improvements at Suffolk Downs, Revere Beach, and Wonderland stations. During this period, Blue Line trains terminated at , with shuttle buses serving stations that were closed. Beachmont resumed service on June 24, 1995.

Further platform maintenance necessitated another closure from September 8 to November 25, 2008. The radio tower installed in 1995 was removed over June 1–2, 2019.

The redevelopment plans for Suffolk Downs are anticipated to increase passenger volumes at both Suffolk Downs and Beachmont stations. The developer has pledged $20 million toward transit enhancements including upgrades at these stations. Additionally, the MBTA intends to construct a bus transfer center at Beachmont that could replace or augment Wonderland's role as a key hub for North Shore bus routes.

External links

• MBTA - Beachmont Station
• Google Maps Street View of Winthrop Avenue entrance