Forest Hills station (MBTA)
| Company type | Transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
| Products | MBTA Orange Line, Commuter Rail (Needham, Providence/Stoughton, Franklin/Foxboro lines), MBTA bus services |
Forest Hills station serves as a pivotal intermodal transfer point in Boston, Massachusetts, accommodating the MBTA Orange Line along with three Commuter Rail lines: Needham, Providence/Stoughton, and Franklin/Foxboro. It operates as a principal terminal for several MBTA bus routes. Positioned within the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain, the majority of Providence/Stoughton and Franklin/Foxboro trains, in addition to all Amtrak Northeast Corridor services, pass through without stopping. The station is designed to be fully accessible.
Station layout
Located at the southern boundary of Jamaica Plain where Washington Street, South Street, and Hyde Park Avenue converge with the Arborway parkway, Forest Hills station is nestled between Arnold Arboretum to the west and the Forest Hills neighborhood—home to Forest Hills Cemetery and Franklin Park—to the east.
Within the Southwest Corridor at Forest Hills, six tracks are present: two Orange Line tracks served by an island platform on the western side, alongside one Needham Branch track (track 5) and three Northeast Corridor tracks (3, 1, and 2) on the eastern side. An island platform between tracks 5 and 3 facilitates commuter rail boarding. This station acts as a junction where the Needham Branch connects with the Northeast Corridor just north of the site.
The station building at street level contains various retail outlets as well as an MBTA Police substation.
Forest Hills functions as a significant bus interchange, with many MBTA bus routes terminating here. The lower-level bus routes operate along Hyde Park Avenue, Washington Street (northbound), and the Arborway via a lower busway situated east of the station. Conversely, upper-level bus routes run along South Street and Washington Street using an upper busway located to the west of the station.
Tollgate station
The Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P), established by charter in 1831, commenced construction in 1832 and opened service from Park Square, Boston to Canton in 1834. The main line extending to Providence was finalized in 1835 with the completion of the Canton Viaduct. Initially catering primarily to intercity travel, B&P maintained only a limited number of intermediate stops north of Canton—specifically at Dedham Plain and Pierpont Village. Additionally, there existed an early flag stop known as Tollgate near the toll gates on the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike.
In 1842, two stations serving Jamaica Plain were introduced: Jamaica Plain and Tollgate. That June marked the start of Dedham Specials, which allowed commuting from these locations. A second track was added between Roxbury Crossing and Readville in 1845 along with a modest Tollgate station building, which contributed to local commercial development.
On July 14, 1849, B&P inaugurated a second branch line to Dedham originating from Tollgate via West Roxbury. Commuter traffic experienced rapid growth—from just 320 daily passengers north of Readville in 1849. This surge in usage led to the private turnpike being converted into a public free road by 1857. The neighboring Forest Hills Cemetery, established in 1848, influenced renaming the station to Forest Hills by the late 1850s. A new station building was erected there in 1873, designed similarly to the Hyde Park station constructed a year earlier.
Horsecars and streetcars
Railroads soon encountered rivalry from horsecar networks. The West Roxbury Railroad began operations in 1857, connecting Jamaica Plain to Roxbury Crossing, and was quickly absorbed by the Metropolitan Railroad, thereby linking Jamaica Plain directly to downtown Boston. Following the conversion of the former Turnpike (later known as Washington Street) into a public thoroughfare in 1857, a horsecar route was established between Tollgate and Dudley Square.
By 1887, most horsecar lines in Boston had merged under the West End Street Railway. The introduction of electric streetcar service commenced with the Beacon Street line in 1888, and the Washington Street line was electrified by 1890. In 1895, the West End constructed its initial Forest Hills Yard (later renamed Arborway Yard) and was subsequently acquired by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) in 1897. The South Street line was extended to reach Forest Hills Yard in 1902, with through service to the Tremont Street subway on the Arborway Line beginning in 1915. At Forest Hills Square, the Washington and South Street lines converged, featuring a sheltered platform designed to facilitate passenger transfers.
Raising the railroad
From 1891 through 1897, the New Haven Railroad elevated its main line from just south of Back Bay to Forest Hills atop a four-track stone embankment, eradicating hazardous grade crossings. This structure, envisioned by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of his Emerald Necklace park system, incorporated five new local stations within Dorchester and Jamaica neighborhoods—including Forest Hills, which opened on June 1, 1897. The design of Forest Hills station echoed that of Norwood Central station, built two years later.
Elevated station
On November 22, 1909, the Washington Street Elevated line was extended to Forest Hills, introducing an impressive elevated station and maintenance complex situated between Hyde Park Avenue and the mainline tracks. Like many stations operated by the Boston Elevated Railway, Forest Hills was engineered to promote smooth transfers between streetcars and elevated trains; along with nearby Arborway, it became a significant streetcar interchange. Designed by Edmund M. Wheelwright, this station was hailed as "the chef-d'œuvre of rapid transit development in Boston."
Though the New Haven Railroad briefly offered frequent local service between Forest Hills and South Station, it struggled against competition from the Elevated line and eventually curtailed operations. The five local stops were discontinued on September 29, 1940. The Forest Hills stop was reinstated on June 4, 1973 for the Needham Line, but by 1976 it served fewer than 50 daily passengers compared to approximately 15,000 at the Elevated station. Additionally, starting November 2, 1953, parking fees were implemented at stations including Forest Hills.
Southwest Corridor
Between 1979 and 1987, Forest Hills underwent a comprehensive transformation into an intermodal transfer hub as part of the Southwest Corridor initiative. This project involved dismantling the century-old viaduct and relocating rail lines into a trench containing three mainline tracks alongside two Orange Line tracks that replaced the outdated Washington Street Elevated structure. New rapid transit stations were constructed to reflect former mainline locations between Forest Hills and Back Bay. Service on the Needham Line was suspended on October 13, 1979; meanwhile, Providence/Stoughton and Franklin Lines were rerouted over the Fairmount Line starting November 3, 1979. The viaduct was demolished via controlled explosion on November 12, 1983; construction of the new station commenced June 1, 1984.
The $38 million facility designed by Cambridge Seven Associates incorporated brick, steel, and glass elements intended to evoke a greenhouse aesthetic that harmonized with adjacent parkland. Its $120,000 clock tower became a recognizable landmark complemented by four interior clocks. Orange Line service ceased on the Elevated on May 4, 1987 and resumed along the Southwest Corridor on May 7. Commuter rail and Amtrak services restarted on October 5, 1987; Needham Line service resumed October 19.
The redesigned station featured streetcar loops at its northern end for the relocated Arborway stop (also signed as "Forest Hills") to improve transfer convenience compared to prior arrangements. This modest facility included waiting shelters, informational maps, and a turnaround loop. On December 28, 1985, Arborway Line (Green Line E branch) service was suspended "temporarily" amid Huntington Avenue subway construction; service returned to Brigham Circle on July 26, 1986 and extended to Heath Street by November 4, 1989. However, trolley service never resumed directly at Forest Hills due to MBTA opposition to streetcars operating in mixed traffic conditions. Although restoration of Green Line trolley service to Arborway was part of air quality mitigation measures related to the Big Dig, a lawsuit mandating its reinstatement was dismissed in January 2011, effectively ending plans for restoration.
21st century
Boston's first MBTA "Pedal and Park" bicycle enclosure was inaugurated at Forest Hills on September 28, 2009. Beginning in 2015, the removal of the Casey Overpass involved reconstructing the upper busway and adding a second Orange Line entrance building, with an $11 million change order covering the installation of a canopy. The Green Line loops near the northern entrance, which had never been utilized, were dismantled, and on October 14, 2017, Route 39 buses were permanently redirected to the upper busway. The newly constructed headhouse officially opened on November 6, 2019.
In August 2020, the MBTA commissioned a $6.9 million contract for design work focused on additional upgrades including repairs to curtain walls, replacement of elevators, and installation of a new elevator to connect busways. Design efforts commenced in April 2021 with an anticipated completion date set for mid-2024; as of December 2024, progress continues but remains contingent on funding availability.
On April 5, 2021, the last weekday outbound train on the Providence/Stoughton Line began stopping at Forest Hills to improve transfer options to the Needham Line. The Orange Line experienced a closure from August 19 to September 18, 2022; during this interval, select Providence/Stoughton and Franklin Line trains made stops at Forest Hills to offer alternative transit service. Following the closure, several of these supplementary commuter rail stops—including eight peak-period Franklin Line trains and one midday Providence train—were maintained.