Cambridge station (Massachusetts)

Porter station

Company type	Transit interchange station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	December 8, 1984 (1984-12-08)
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts , United States
Products	Rapid transit (Red Line), Commuter rail (Fitchburg Line), Bus services
Website	mbta.com/stops/place-portr

Porter station functions as a transit interchange within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) network, situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It accommodates the Red Line rapid transit, the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line, along with several MBTA bus services. Positioned at the junction of Massachusetts and Somerville Avenues in Porter Square, the station offers vital rapid transit connections to northern Cambridge and western Somerville. The Red Line journey from Porter to Park Street takes approximately 14 minutes, while commuter rail trips to North Station require about 10 minutes. Multiple local bus lines also stop at this hub.

Since the 1840s, commuter rail facilities have been present at Porter Square under various designations. The existing station, integrating both subway and commuter rail platforms, was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates and commenced operations on December 8, 1984. Its subway portion lies deep underground, making it the MBTA’s deepest station at below ground level. Initially, six artworks were installed through the Arts on the Line initiative; five remain today, including Gift of the Wind and Glove Cycle.

Early history

Rail service at Porter Square dates back to the early 1840s when the Fitchburg Railroad began operations. The initial facility, known as Porter's Station, was constructed between 1843 and 1845. This was replaced by a new building in 1854. Later stations bore the names North Cambridge and eventually simply Cambridge. In 1869, the original station structure was moved to the North Avenue bridge (currently Massachusetts Avenue) spanning the tracks.

B&M era

A new station edifice was erected in 1897 just southeast behind the Lovell Block. By 1927, passenger trains from the Lexington Branch and Central Massachusetts Railroad were rerouted onto the Fitchburg mainline via Cambridge station due to the Fitchburg Cutoff being designated for freight only between Alewife and Somerville Junction. Between 1937 and 1938, the Boston and Maine Railroad constructed a two-story brick station adjacent to the bridge featuring a street-level ticket office with waiting rooms and platforms below grade. This facility opened on May 2, 1938; its predecessor was demolished to create parking space for a nearby Sears store. As ridership waned, B&M repurposed unused stations; by 1968, Cambridge station had been converted into office space.

MBTA era

During the late 1960s, when the MBTA began subsidizing northside commuter rail lines, service on the Lexington and Central Mass Branches had diminished to single rush-hour round trips over deteriorating track conditions. The Central Mass South Sudbury route ended service on November 26, 1971, while the Lexington Branch trip to Bedford ceased after a severe snowstorm on January 10, 1977. Consequently, only the Fitchburg Line continued serving Cambridge station.

Adding the Red Line

To prevent confusion with multiple Red Line stops in Cambridge during the late 1970s, Cambridge station was renamed Porter. Construction of Red Line platforms took place within a deep-bore tunnel; simultaneously, the commuter rail platform was reconstructed with an accessible mini-high section. During this period, commuter trains were accessed via a temporary staircase from Somerville Avenue. Tragically, on September 30, 1980, a retaining wall collapse resulted in a fatality of a construction worker.

The new glass-and-concrete headhouse opened on December 8, 1984, alongside Davis station. Designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, both stations received accolades from the American Institute of Architects and regional engineering organizations. Porter and Davis were pioneering MBTA stations built for accessibility from their inception rather than through later modifications. A second entrance on Massachusetts Avenue’s west side was added during the late 1980s.

The Red Line connection at Porter enables it to serve as an alternate inbound terminus for Fitchburg Line trains during service interruptions between Porter and North Station. This function was utilized during events such as the 2004 Democratic National Convention and construction phases of the Green Line Extension in 2015 and from 2019 to 2020. In July 2024, additional weekday short-turn trips operated between Porter and North Station amid Red Line maintenance work, offering half-hourly service intervals.

The staircase from Somerville Avenue was removed in 2020 during retaining wall repairs; plans for installing a replacement staircase remain under consideration. Local authorities have suggested extending the Green Line Extension’s Union Square Branch further from Union Square to Porter to improve transit connectivity.

Station layout

Porter station is marked by a glass-enclosed headhouse situated on the east side of Massachusetts Avenue, just south of Somerville Avenue. The facility extends across four subterranean levels. The Fitchburg Line traverses the station in an open cut running east-west, featuring a single island platform positioned between two tracks. The majority of this platform is low-level, with a raised mini-high platform located at the western end beneath Massachusetts Avenue. Entrances with direct stair access to the platform are available on both sides of Massachusetts Avenue.

Beneath this level lies a mezzanine partially underneath Somerville Avenue east of White Street, which contains fare vending machines, Red Line faregates, a convenience store, and public restrooms—a rarity within the MBTA network. This mezzanine connects to the platforms and street level through stairs, escalators, and elevators. Several MBTA bus routes serve this station.

South of Porter Square, the Red Line runs vertically beneath Massachusetts Avenue. North of the square, Massachusetts Avenue veers northwest while the Red Line continues straight north in a deep-bored tunnel heading toward Davis Square. The Red Line platforms are primarily positioned north of the headhouse, partly under the Porter Square Shopping Center, enclosed within a single cylindrical concrete structure. The two platforms are arranged on different levels: the inbound (southbound) platform is situated above and offset laterally from the outbound platform. Both platforms lie near the center of this shell, with outbound track to the east and inbound track to the west.

At approximately below ground level, the outbound platform holds the distinction as the deepest in the MBTA system. This depth is due to construction within solid bedrock instead of softer clay, which shortened construction time and reduced costs. Access to these Red Line platforms is provided by escalators, stairs totaling 199 steps, or elevators. The longest escalator span measures , setting an MBTA record as well. In 2005, a fatal incident occurred when a man’s sweatshirt became caught in one of these escalators.

Accessibility

Porter station is fully accessible under accessibility standards, with elevators linking street level to the mezzanine—which includes accessible restrooms—the commuter rail platform, and both Red Line platforms. A "mini-high platform" on the commuter rail line facilitates level boarding for one car length.

Initially, three elevators served this station: one from Elm Street to the fare lobby, one from the lobby to the Red Line platforms, and another from the lobby to the commuter rail platform. Following the Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA legal settlement, MBTA undertook a $12 million project that added two backup elevators and modernized the original three.

From March 2011 until mid-2012, elevator service was interrupted; shuttle buses operated between Porter, Davis, Harvard, and Waltham stations during this period. Later in 2012, an elevator connecting Massachusetts Avenue to the lobby opened, followed by refurbishments of existing elevators. The additional redundant elevator serving the Red Line platform was finalized in 2013.

Arts on the Line

Porter station, part of the Red Line Northwest Extension, was included in the Arts on the Line initiative, a program introduced in the late 1970s and early 1980s aimed at incorporating artwork within MBTA subway stations. This groundbreaking effort set a precedent for public transportation art projects nationwide.

At Porter, six pieces of art were installed, with five still present today:

• Gift of the Wind by Susumu Shingu, a dynamic sculpture featuring three red "wings" that spin in response to the wind
• Ondas by Carlos Dorrien, an undulating granite installation positioned both inside and outside the station
• Glove Cycle by Mags Harries, bronze gloves of various styles distributed throughout the interior, including near an escalator
• Untitled by William Reimann, consisting of six granite bollards engraved with ethnic motifs
• Porter Square Megaliths by David Phillips, four large stones with sections replaced by bronze castings

The artwork The Lights at the End of the Tunnel by William Wainwright, a sizable reflective mobile located in the mezzanine area, was removed in 1993 due to concerns about safety.

External links

• MBTA – Porter
• Porter station on Google Maps Street View: Main headhouse, secondary entrance from Massachusetts Avenue, Somerville Avenue entrance