Tufts Medical Center station
| Company type | MBTA rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
Tufts Medical Center station is a subterranean rapid transit stop operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston, Massachusetts. It accommodates the MBTA subway Orange Line along with two surface-level Silver Line bus rapid transit routes. Positioned beneath a section of the adjacent Tufts Medical Center, the station lies under Washington Street in downtown Boston, situated between Kneeland Street within Chinatown and the Massachusetts Turnpike. This accessible facility features a pair of side platforms serving the Orange Line.
The South Cove Tunnel and station shell were constructed between 1968 and 1971 in preparation for rerouting the Orange Line through the median of Interstate 95. After the highway project was abandoned, the corridor transformed into the Southwest Corridor. The station commenced operations in 1987 under the name New England Medical Center station, with Silver Line service introduced in 2002. It was renamed Tufts Medical Center in 2010.
Station layout
Erected on a cleared site from urban renewal efforts, Tufts Medical Center station contrasts with older nearby stations such as , , and . Its underground fare mezzanine design permits broader and taller platforms, where inbound and outbound tracks are directly opposite one another instead of offset.
The station is oriented toward Tremont Street to the west of Washington Street, following the curve of the line toward . Unlike older stations that feature multiple entrances, this station has a single main entrance located on Washington Street beneath an overhang belonging to Tufts Medical Center. A secondary entrance without elevator access exists at Tremont Street and Oak Street; MBTA considered installing elevators there in 2017.
Both Washington Street Silver Line routes ( and ) serve Tufts Medical Center, linking downtown Boston with . Silver Line buses stop at the primary entrance on Washington Street. Additionally, several MBTA bus routes provide service to this station.
Artwork
As part of the Arts on the Line initiative, artwork was installed at this station. Four abstract sculptures titled Caravan adorn each side of the two escalators leading down to the train platforms. These painted aluminum forms were created by Richard Gubernick, who also contributed art to LaSalle station in Buffalo, New York. At stations between Forest Hills and Tufts Medical Center, two granite columns near entrances bear inscriptions; at Tufts Medical Center, these include "Mr. Yee is in the Garden" by Maria Gordett and "The Great World Transformed" by Gish Jen.
History
In 1914, a proposal for a station at Bennet Street was made where the Washington Street Tunnel surfaced to connect with the Washington Street Elevated, but it was rejected due to grade concerns and its proximity to Boylston station.
Construction began in September 1968 on a station shell—then known as South Cove—and the South Cove Tunnel during initial work on the now-defunct Interstate 695 project. This anticipated relocating the Washington Street Elevated. The plan involved rerouting the Orange Line through I-95’s median within the Southwest Corridor, replacing service on the Needham Line. Without federal funding, MBTA funded the $13.3 million project locally. By 1972, both tunnel and station shell were completed. However, due to local opposition, I-695 was canceled in 1971; consequently, the Elevated remained operational and South Cove Tunnel and station remained unused.
Following failure of I-95 extension plans into downtown in 1973, state authorities repurposed the Southwest Corridor for combined Orange Line and commuter rail use. In 1975, MBTA requested $29 million in federal grants to extend South Cove Tunnel beyond Arlington Street and finish outfitting the station interior. Construction resumed in 1979. By 1985, during a renaming initiative, MBTA designated it New England Medical Center, retaining South Cove as an alternate name. The station opened on May 4, 1987, alongside eight others stretching from Back Bay to Forest Hills.
Silver Line service along Washington Street between Nubian and Downtown Crossing commenced July 20, 2002, replacing route 49 bus service. Additional service extending to South Station (now SL4) began October 15, 2009. On March 19, 2010, following a hospital name change, the station was renamed Tufts Medical Center. The entire Orange Line including this station was temporarily closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022 for maintenance activities.
External links
- MBTA – Tufts Medical Center Station
- Google Maps Street View: Washington Street entrance, Tremont Street entrance