Bellingham Square station

Bellingham Square station

Company type	MBTA Silver Line bus rapid transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1985
Headquarters	Chelsea, Massachusetts , United States
Products	Silver Line SL3 service

Bellingham Square station—previously known as Chelsea station—is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus rapid transit (BRT) stop on the Silver Line located near Bellingham Square, just to the north of downtown Chelsea, Massachusetts. It consists of two accessible side platforms that accommodate the SL3 route. The location was originally served by the Boston and Maine Railroad and its predecessor, the Eastern Railroad, from the mid-19th century until 1958. In 1985, the MBTA inaugurated Chelsea station as part of the Newburyport/Rockport Line commuter rail service.

Although the Urban Ring Project, a proposed circumferential BRT line, was canceled in 2010, planning efforts for Chelsea’s portion persisted. In 2013, plans were unveiled for a Silver Line extension reaching Mystic Mall, with construction commencing in 2015. The SL3 route began operations at the newly renamed Bellingham Square station on April 21, 2018. Later, on November 15, 2021, commuter rail service was shifted to a newly built facility known as Chelsea station.

Station layout

Positioned between Sixth Street and Washington Avenue, approximately north of Bellingham Square, the station is situated along an east-west corridor shared by the Newburyport/Rockport Line and an adjacent Silver Line busway, with the busway located to the south of the rail tracks. The outbound (westbound) bus platform lies near the grade crossing at Sixth Street and Arlington Street; meanwhile, the inbound platform is situated further east and includes a ramp connecting to the Washington Avenue bridge. Both platforms are equipped with concrete canopies for shelter. Prior to its closure, the commuter rail platform was found on the track's northern side and featured a metal shelter. The station is fully accessible for Silver Line vehicles.

Five MBTA bus lines serve areas close to this station: Routes , , and operate along 6th Street; Route runs on Washington Avenue; and Route travels along Broadway to the east.

Original station

The freight-exclusive Grand Junction Railroad began operations through Everett and Chelsea in 1852 to provide service to East Boston’s docks. On April 10, 1854, the Eastern Railroad inaugurated a new line connecting Revere to Boston that utilized trackage rights over the Grand Junction between Chelsea and Somerville. This route replaced an older one that required ferry transfers and became Eastern’s main access into Boston. A Chelsea station opened concurrently with or shortly after this new line's establishment.

In 1868, Eastern constructed its own tracks just north of the Grand Junction alignment. The Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) acquired Eastern Railroad in 1885. The initial station building was situated south of the tracks between Washington Avenue and Sixth Street but was relocated closer to Washington Avenue by the 1890s. This structure was a two-story wooden building featuring a small cupola and surrounding canopies. During the 20th century, it was moved slightly northward to face Heard Street.

On April 18, 1958, B&M obtained approval from the Public Utilities Commission to significantly reduce suburban commuter rail operations, including shutting down branches and stations. This included terminating all Eastern Division service south of Lynn, impacting mainline stations such as East Somerville, Everett, Chelsea, and Forbes. Since 1936, these regions had been predominantly served by Metropolitan Transit Authority buses. Consequently, both the Saugus Branch and affected mainline stations ceased operations on May 16, 1958.

MBTA Commuter Rail station

In 1965, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) started subsidizing the remaining Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) services, establishing what is now known as the Newburyport/Rockport Line within the MBTA Commuter Rail network. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the MBTA reopened several stations in inner suburbs to provide more efficient commuter rail options compared to bus services. Although Chelsea station was considered for reopening in 1976, anticipated ridership was low due to the presence of nearby bus routes and .

On September 4, 1985, the MBTA awarded a contract worth $412,000 to construct a new Chelsea station, which officially opened on December 1, 1985, coinciding with the restoration of service following the 1984 Danvers River drawbridge fire. The station was built along the existing railroad right-of-way at its original location, utilizing the out-of-service Grand Junction track as the outbound platform. Notably, this station was one of the last MBTA facilities opened without accessibility accommodations because an easement from Conrail could not be obtained. This omission resulted in fines imposed by the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board in 1989.

Following the destruction of the Chelsea Creek bridge in 1955, the Grand Junction tracks in Chelsea saw minimal use. In 2002, CSX Transportation began proceedings to abandon the Grand Junction segment stretching from 2nd Street through Chelsea to East Boston; however, this process was delayed due to negotiations with the city of Chelsea concerning right-of-way acquisition.

Silver Line

Chelsea was identified as a potential stop on the Urban Ring Project, which envisioned a circumferential bus rapid transit (BRT) route linking MBTA rail lines. Draft proposals from 2008 featured a dedicated busway along the disused Grand Junction corridor passing through Everett and Chelsea, complemented by extended, accessible commuter rail platforms and a newly constructed bus terminal south of Chelsea station. The project was ultimately abandoned in January 2010 due to excessive costs.

In June 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) acquired ownership of the Grand Junction right-of-way between 2nd Street and East Boston for prospective transportation developments. Subsequent planning focused on smaller segments, prioritizing improvements along the Chelsea–South Boston corridor given Chelsea's dense population and limited transit options. A state study conducted in 2011 assessed various transit enhancements for Chelsea, including a potential Silver Line extension or upgrades to bus route . One Silver Line proposal terminated at Chelsea commuter rail station; another followed surface streets terminating at Bellingham Square.

By March 2013, MBTA examined extending Silver Line service into Chelsea via a new bypass road in East Boston, evaluating three possible routes: one utilizing the Grand Junction right-of-way with stops at Eastern Avenue, Highland/Box District, Chelsea station, and Mystic Mall; a second diverging onto surface streets near Chelsea station; and a third primarily on surface streets serving Central Avenue and MGH Chelsea healthcare center near Mystic Mall. By September of that year, MBTA selected the first option despite challenges related to bridge clearances and station reconstruction.

On October 30, 2013, MassDOT announced an $82.5 million state investment for a revised plan. This involved relocating the commuter rail station to a new facility at Mystic Mall (Chelsea station) featuring expanded platforms while maintaining only Silver Line service at Bellingham Square. Service commencement was projected for late 2015. The Environmental Impact Report was released in March 2014. A construction contract valued at $33.8 million was approved in September 2014 with work starting in March 2015. To accommodate the busway, the southern commuter rail platform was removed. By June 2017, the opening had been postponed until April 2018.

Silver Line operations on route SL3 serving Chelsea began on April 21, 2018. Construction of phase two—which included relocated commuter rail platforms and transit signal priority enhancements—started in August 2019. The updated Chelsea commuter rail platforms opened on November 15, 2021, leaving Bellingham Square served exclusively by Silver Line buses. The remaining commuter rail platform at Bellingham Square was dismantled later that year.

External links

• MBTA – Bellingham Square
• Google Maps Street View: vantage from Arlington Street, vantage from Washington Avenue