Longwood station (MBTA)
| Company type | Light rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | July 4, 1959 |
| Headquarters | Brookline, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Brookline, Massachusetts; Boston, Massachusetts |
| Products | Light rail transit services |
Longwood station functions as a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch, positioned along Chapel Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston just north of Longwood Avenue. This station provides access to the Longwood Medical Area, Colleges of the Fenway, and nearby residential neighborhoods in Brookline. It began operation concurrently with the line on July 4, 1959.[1] Renovation efforts completed in 2009 enhanced Longwood to be fully accessible from both Chapel Street and Riverway Park.
Early stations
On April 10, 1848, the Boston and Worcester Railroad introduced a branch extending from Brookline Junction to Brookline.[2] Along this route, one intermediate stop was Longwood, situated just south of Longwood Avenue.[3] Later, the Charles River Branch Railroad extended this line to Newton Upper Falls in November 1852 and further to Needham by June 1853, continuing to use the original B&W station for service.[2][3]
In the 1860s, the Sears Chapel was constructed in 1861 followed by the Church of Our Savior in 1868. During this period, Chapel station was established as a flag stop at Carlton Street.[4][5] The line was reacquired by the Boston and Albany Railroad from the New York and New England Railroad in February 1883. Subsequently, it was double-tracked and extended to connect with the B&A main line at Riverside. The "Newton Circuit" service via the Highland branch and main line commenced on May 16, 1886.[2]
Station merging
During a broad modernization initiative, many original wooden stations were replaced by new stone structures designed by H.H. Richardson and Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, with landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted. Between 1883 and 1894, all Highland branch stations except Longwood, Chapel, and Brookline underwent reconstruction.[6]
In April 1892, the B&A filed a petition with the Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners seeking approval to merge two older stations into one new facility located between their existing sites. The railroad justified this consolidation due to their close proximity, suboptimal locations, and passenger losses to the electrified trolley service on Beacon Street (Green Line C branch). The board granted approval after considering support from local officials and riders.[5]
By early 1893, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge were tasked with designing new stations at Longwood and Riverside.[6] The resulting Longwood station featured a straightforward rectangular layout with a substantial stone roof covering all sides. Positioned on Chapel Street near Hawes Street between the former station sites, construction took place from July 1893 through May 1894.[6]
A footbridge at Carlton Street was installed in mid-1894 to facilitate access to Riverway Park. Designed by Alexis French—Brookline’s inaugural town engineer—it stood out as one of the few steel bridges within an Olmsted-designed park. The bridge was closed around 1975 due to corrosion issues; efforts to repair it ignited local debate for many years.[7] Restoration work began with removal of the bridge deck in July 2021, which was reinstalled in October 2022. The footbridge officially reopened in August 2023.[7]
Transition to light rail operation
The station agent position was eliminated in May 1949, though the structure continued to serve as a shelter for passengers. In June 1957, the Massachusetts Legislature authorized the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) to acquire the branch line from the financially troubled New York Central Railroad with the intention of converting it to trolley service. Passenger rail operations ceased on May 31, 1958. Following a swift transformation, the line resumed service as a light rail route on July 4, 1959. During this conversion, the original station building dating back to 1893 was demolished to make way for a modest parking area. Presently, Longwood station consists of two side platforms accommodating two tracks.
Upgrades
Under the Brookline Village/Longwood Avenue Station Renovation Project, both stations underwent accessibility enhancements by the MBTA. These upgrades incorporated raised platforms designed for low-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs), wooden ramps to assist boarding on older high-floor cars, along with various other improvements. While initial plans designated only the Chapel Street entrance at Longwood as accessible, additional ramps providing access from Riverway Park were subsequently installed to further enhance accessibility. Construction commenced on July 23, 2007, and reached completion by mid-2009.
External links
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsne - ↑ "Outline and Index Map of Brookline, Massachusetts". Atlas of The Town of Brookline 1874. G.M. Hopkins & Co. 1874 – via Ward Maps.
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