Central station (MBTA)

Central station

Company type	Rapid transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1912-03-23
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Products	Red Line rapid transit, MBTA bus terminal
Owner	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Central station—also referred to as Central Square station—is a rapid transit stop operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It accommodates the Red Line and features a street-level terminal serving the MBTA bus network. The station is positioned at the junction where Massachusetts Avenue intersects with Western Avenue, Prospect Street, and Magazine Street within Central Square.

Station design

The layout of Central station includes two side platforms that serve the Red Line’s dual tracks running in a northwest to southeast direction beneath Massachusetts Avenue. Each platform is equipped with three staircases, an escalator, and an elevator. The facility is fully accessible, with several nearby stops for various MBTA bus routes.

Within the station, there are two public artworks installed as part of the 1988 Arts on the Line initiative:

• East Indian by Elizabeth Mapelli: a series of seven fused glass tile murals situated behind seating areas on the platforms
• Circle Square by Anne Storrs and Dennis Cunningham: a collection of 100 ceramic tile reliefs positioned above the station’s supporting columns

History

After the successful launch of the Tremont Street Subway in 1897, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) planned to extend elevated rail lines into Cambridge, South Boston, Charlestown, and Roxbury. The elevated routes to Charlestown and Roxbury commenced operations in 1901 as the Charlestown Elevated and Washington Street Elevated, respectively, while plans for a South Boston elevated line were abandoned due to impracticality. Following contentious discussions about erecting elevated tracks over Cambridge’s commercial districts, BERy consented in late 1906 to construct a subway beneath Beacon Hill, crossing over the newly built West Boston Bridge, then continuing underneath Main Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge toward Harvard Square. Construction work started on May 24, 1909. The Cambridge Subway officially opened on March 23, 1912, running from Harvard Square to Park Street Under, with intermediate stops at Central Square and Kendall Square.

Both Kendall Square and Central Square stations shared comparable architectural designs featuring two side platforms approximately 270 feet in length. Each platform was accessed by one entrance and one exit staircase located at either end; most stairways measured around 6 feet wide except for one pair that was narrower at approximately 5 feet. The platforms and flooring were constructed from granolithic material; walls were adorned with white enamel tiles topped by a buff-colored tile band about four feet above floor level, with white plaster finishing above. Several original tile mosaics indicating station names still remain visible above the platforms.

Renovations

On January 26, 1978, the station experienced significant flooding due to heavy rainfall. During the mid-1980s, platform extensions were undertaken at early Red Line stations to accommodate six-car trains, with work commencing in January 1988. At Central station, platform lengthening began on April 25, 1985, extending northwest and introducing new entrances west of Prospect Street—this marked a shift from prior plans that had proposed southeast expansion. The entire $11.2 million upgrade was finalized by March 9, 1988.

Following the 2006 settlement of Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA, the MBTA committed to replacing the inbound elevator. Authorization to proceed with this work was granted in June 2017. The elevator was taken out of service on April 9, 2018; however, due to complications involving conduit and standpipe systems, the project’s completion was postponed until April 2, 2020.

Future MBTA plans include installing two additional elevators at Central station and substituting the outbound elevator. The design phase concluded by May 2022. In April 2025, bidding opened for a $95 million construction manager at risk contract that encompasses work at Central as well as similar projects at other locations. Construction is projected to occur from April 2026 through January 2031.