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57-418: In 2023, Harvard reopened part of the freight yard to haul away contaminated dirt being excavated to build its nearby Enterprise Research Campus. The Boston and Worcester Railroad (B&W) began operating through Allston in 1834. The railroad established car shops near Cambridge Street by the mid-1840s. Beacon Trotting Park opened east of Cambridge Street in 1864 on land just north of the railroad. In 1890,

114-570: A dairy building; he also provided designs for passenger cars. At the same time, the B&;A hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to design the grounds of several stations and to work with the railroad to establish a landscape beautification program for other stations. After Richardson's death, the B&A commissioned his successors, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge , to design 23 additional stations between 1886 and 1894. The B&A's innovative program of well-designed stations and landscape served as

171-469: A major modernization program in 1924. The Castleton Cut-Off with a very large hi-level bridge over the Hudson River was built from the B&A at Post Road to a new rail yard at Selkirk, New York , to avoid the steep NYC grade from the Hudson River up West Albany Hill. Berkshire locomotives were designed to provide faster freight service over the B&A. In 1883, the B&A acquired track then owned by

228-428: A model for several other railroads around the turn of the 20th century. Mileposts noted here reflect the 1899 opening of South Station, which extended the line about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) from the previous Kneeland Street terminal. Commonwealth Avenue (Boston) Commonwealth Avenue (colloquially referred to as Comm Ave ) is a major street in the cities of Boston and Newton , Massachusetts . It begins at

285-473: A new commuter rail station, West Station , will be constructed at the south edge of the yard. The plan includes new streets, bicycle paths and more parkland along the Charles River. MBTA plans included in 2013 a layover facility for commuter rail trains, with storage for up to 30 train consists. In April 2024, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt mentioned in a speech that she preferred

342-609: A significant program of improvement and beautification in the 1880s and 1890s. The B&A hired architect Alexander Rice Esty who designed the Boston passenger station which was completed in 1881, the year of Esty's death. That same year, the B&A hired architect Henry Hobson Richardson to design a series of passenger stations. Over the next five years, Richardson was responsible for nine B&A stations (Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Elliot, Waban, and Woodland (Newton, MA), Wellesley Hills, Brighton, South Framingham, and Palmer), as well as

399-546: A solid hazardous waste transfer facility to begin the clean up process for the Allston Multimodal Project, starting with Harvard's Enterprise Research Campus. Dirt excavated from construction of new buildings is loaded into containers, which are then trucked to the Beacon Park Yard transfer facility. There, the containers are loaded onto railcars destined for landfills, mostly to Fairport, New York . As part of

456-506: A straight continuum and Commonwealth Avenue splits off) contains much of Boston University's campus. BU owns much of the property along and around this part of Commonwealth Avenue. This 1.5-mile stretch is the most central route to commuting around Boston University's main campus, also known as the Charles River Campus, and is frequented by pedestrians, bicycles, and other means of transportation. Walking from one end (Kenmore Square) to

513-626: Is a parkway divided at center by a wide grassy mall. This greenway , called Commonwealth Avenue Mall , is punctuated with statuary and memorials, and forms the narrowest "link" in the Emerald Necklace . It connects the Public Garden to the Fens . Where Commonwealth Avenue reaches Kenmore Square , the MBTA Green Line B branch rises above ground and dominates the center of the roadway through

570-727: Is along the Boston Marathon route, and is known to be especially hilly, containing the three “Newton hills”. The carriage road continues into West Newton , and the road passes over the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Auburndale section of Newton. The avenue ends as it leaves Newton, crosses the Charles River and interchanges with Route 128 . The linear 1.5 miles (2.4 km) stretch of Commonwealth Avenue between Kenmore Square and Packard's Corner (where Brighton Avenue maintains

627-602: The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail , but tourist passenger trains now (2021) operate between North Adams and Adams. The Hudson and Berkshire Railroad was chartered in 1828 to build a line from Hudson, New York to the Massachusetts state line. Construction began in 1835 and was completed in 1838. The company was leased to the Berkshire Railroad , along with the connecting West Stockbridge Railroad , in 1844, but

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684-673: The Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A), successor to the B&W, bought the land for use as a rail yard, named Beacon Park Yard after the trotting park. The B&A became part of the New York Central Railroad in 1900. In 1958, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority bought the rail line east of Route 128 , including the rail yard and freight sidings, from the NYC for construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike . The Turnpike

741-609: The Cheshire Railroad in Winchendon . The first section, from Palmer to Gilbertville , opened in 1870, and the rest in 1873. Until 1873 it was leased to and operated by the New London Northern Railroad ; at that time the lease was transferred to the B&A, as a reorganization of the earlier company. The Athol and Enfield Railroad and Springfield and North-Eastern Railroad were chartered in 1869, and succeeded by

798-942: The Erie Canal opened in 1825, New York City 's advantageous water connection through the Hudson River threatened Boston's historical dominance as a trade center. Since the Berkshires made construction of a canal infeasible, Boston turned to the emerging railroad technology for a share of the freight to and from the Midwestern United States . The Boston and Worcester Railroad was chartered June 23, 1831 and construction began in August 1832. The line opened in sections: to West Newton on April 16, 1834; to Wellesley on July 3; to Ashland on September 20; to Westborough in November 1834; and

855-669: The Grafton /Millbury line to Millbury . The Providence, Webster and Springfield Railroad was chartered in 1882, opened in 1884, and always leased to and operated by the B&A. The line formed a branch of the B&A from Webster Junction in Auburn to the Worcester and Norwich Railroad in Webster , with a short branch (East Village branch) in Webster to East Village . The Spencer Railroad opened and

912-871: The Hudson and Berkshire Railroad at the New York state line. Construction began in 1837, and the Eastern Division to the Connecticut River in Springfield opened on October 1, 1839. The summit of Charlton Hill drainage divide between the Atlantic coast and the Connecticut River is a rock cut 57 mi (92 km) west of Boston. The Western Division, through the Berkshire Hills , opened in sections from both ends from

969-607: The Massachusetts state line on September 12, 1842. It was leased to the Western Railroad for 50 years from November 11, 1841. This railroad replaced the Hudson and Berkshire Railroad east of Chatham, which was abandoned around 1860. The connection from Boston to Albany formed the longest and most expensive point-to-point railroad yet constructed in the United States. Two mergers, on September 4, 1867, and December 28, 1870, brought

1026-552: The New York Central Railroad system, Conrail , and CSX Transportation . The mainline is currently used by CSX for freight as the Berkshire Subdivision and Boston Subdivision . Passenger service is provided on the line by Amtrak , as part of their Lake Shore Limited service, and by the MBTA Commuter Rail system, which owns the section east of Worcester and operates it as its Framingham/Worcester Line . When

1083-583: The New York and New England Railroad as far as Newton Highlands, and, in 1884, began the construction of a line northwest to the B&A mainline, creating a commuter loop. "The Circuit," as this route was called, officially opened in May 1886, providing double-track operation from downtown Boston through Brookline to Newton Highlands , then north into Riverside , and four tracks on the mainline from Riverside back to downtown so that commuter and mainline operations did not conflict. By 1889, as many as 35 trains traveled

1140-648: The Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad in 1872, opening in 1873 as a branch from Athol Junction in Springfield to the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad in Athol . The B&A bought the line in 1880. The majority of the line was closed in the 1930s due to the formation of the Quabbin Reservoir . The Chester and Becket Railroad was chartered in 1896 and opened in 1897 from Chester west to quarries in Becket . It

1197-602: The Urban Ring planning process. In 2007, the City of Boston allocated $ 500,000 in funding for the Allston Multimodal Station Study. The study analyzed both commuter rail and DMU local service along the corridor, with potential stops at Faneuil, Market Street, Everett Street , Cambridge Street, West (Ashford Street) inside Beacon Park Yard, and Commonwealth Avenue. It recommended an Everett Street stop, with stations at

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1254-599: The 11.97 mile (19.3 km) Milford Branch , splitting at Framingham , opened. A connection was later made at Milford to the Milford and Woonsocket Railroad and Hopkinton Railway . Most of the right-of-way (except for the short active section in Framingham) has been converted to part of the Upper Charles Rail Trail. The 3.07 mile (4.9 km) Millbury Branch opened in 1846 from a split at Millbury Junction on

1311-570: The 4 mi (6.4 km) of fairly level track across the drainage divide between the Connecticut and Hudson Rivers. On October 4, 1841, the first train ran along the full route. The only true tunnel on the B&A is State Line Tunnel in Canaan, New York, about 2 mi (3.2 km) west of the Massachusetts state line. The original bore was augmented by an improved-alignment second tunnel in 1912, and

1368-514: The B&A bought part of the Charles River Branch, and in 1884 they built a line from Riverside to the branch, forming the Highland branch , Newton Highlands branch, or " Newton circuit ". Service ended in 1958, and the MBTA Green Line D branch light rail line started using the tracks in 1959. The short 1.25-mile (2.01 km) Newton Lower Falls Branch opened in 1847, splitting from

1425-583: The Circuit daily, providing commuter service. In 1899, the new South Station union station opened in Boston, a few blocks northeast of the old terminal. That terminal had been located on the west side of Utica Street (Boston, from Kneeland Street south to Harvard Street, now part of the South Bay Interchange . Even earlier, the terminal was in the block bounded by Kneeland Street, Beach Street, Albany Street (now Surface Artery ), and Lincoln Street. By

1482-630: The Eastern). The Brookline branch split from the main line in the west part of Boston 's Back Bay , running southwest for 1.55 mi (2.5 km) to Brookline (the current location of Brookline Village station). It opened in 1847. In Summer 1852 the Charles River Branch Railroad extended the line to Newton Upper Falls ; this would eventually become part of the New England Railroad , an alternate route to New York . In 1882

1539-527: The Turnpike Authority for $ 75 million despite the objections of local politicians including Boston Mayor Thomas Menino . Although both purchase agreements granted permanent easements to CSX and MassDOT, the objectors expressed concerns that wealthy Harvard would attempt to buy out CSX and disrupt freight service to Boston. In 1998, a new station in Allston-Brighton began to be considered as part of

1596-514: The branch to Northborough , and to Pratts Junction in 1866. It was leased by the B&W in 1853, but consolidated into the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad in 1876 and leased to the Old Colony Railroad in 1879 after changing its name to the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad in 1867. This company also used the Framingham branch as part of its main line. In 1847,

1653-592: The campus of Boston University and the neighborhoods of Allston and Brighton . After leaving Boston and entering Chestnut Hill in Newton , the avenue passes by Boston College and the terminus of the MBTA Green Line B Branch. The trolley in the median is replaced by grass as the scenery becomes noticeably more suburban and residential, and the Commonwealth Avenue Historic District begins. As

1710-420: The development of the yard, the state plans to reroute the Massachusetts Turnpike ( Interstate 90 ) just south of its current alignment within the confines of the old yard, in order to make the road safer and free up 60 acres for development. All-electronic toll collection eliminated the need for toll booths (since demolished) at the interchange, allowing a simpler layout. In September 2014, MassDOT announced that

1767-577: The early part of the 20th century, commuter rail service was provided east of Worcester , with intercity rail continuing on west. During the 1940s period of peak passenger volume, the New Haven Railroad (with the cooperation of the New York Central) ran several Boston-New York City trains along the route to Worcester and Springfield and then south. The service included an overnight train with sleeping car service. The last passenger service on

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1824-404: The full length to Worcester on July 4, 1835. The original single-track line was double-tracked from Boston to Framingham in 1839, and on to Worcester by 1843. In 1843 the B&W introduced season passes to West Newton for $ 60, effectively introducing the concept of commuter rail . The Western Railroad was chartered February 15, 1833 and incorporated March 15, 1833 to connect the B&W to

1881-762: The line on April 30, 1971, before the creation of Amtrak was an unnamed Chicago-bound successor to the New York Central's New England States . The intercity trips were taken over by Amtrak on May 1, 1971, and, on January 27, 1973, the MBTA acquired the line east of Framingham . Service beyond Framingham was discontinued October 27, 1975, as the state did not subsidize it. Conrail took over Penn Central on April 1, 1976. On September 26, 1994, some rush hour trains started to serve Worcester on Conrail trackage (which became CSX trackage on June 1, 1999), extending to other times beginning on December 14, 1996. The MBTA acquired

1938-498: The main line just west of Riverside to Newton Lower Falls . The Saxonville Branch opened in 1846, running 3.87 miles (6.2 km) from Natick to Saxonville . It hase been converted into the Cochituate Rail Trail . The Framingham branch opened in 1849, running 2.06 miles (3.3 km) from Framingham to Framingham Centre . The Agricultural Branch Railroad was incorporated in 1847 and opened in 1855, continuing

1995-585: The original bore was abandoned in the late 20th century. The Castleton and West Stockbridge Railroad was incorporated in New York in 1834 as the New York part of the Western Railroad, and changed its name to the Albany and West Stockbridge Railroad (chartered May 5, 1836, organized May 20). Construction began in December 1840 and the line opened from Greenbush (east of Albany ) to Chatham on December 21, 1841, and to

2052-469: The original on August 15, 2020 . Retrieved June 16, 2022 . {{ cite news }} : CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ( link ) 42°21′21.89″N 71°7′22.24″W  /  42.3560806°N 71.1228444°W  / 42.3560806; -71.1228444 Boston and Worcester Railroad The Boston and Albany Railroad ( reporting mark B&A ) was a railroad connecting Boston , Massachusetts to Albany, New York , later becoming part of

2109-578: The other end (Packard's Corner) or vice versa takes about 25–35 minutes. The Commonwealth Avenue Mall was designed by Arthur Delevan Gilman . Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Newton portion of Commonwealth Avenue and included the parkway as part of the Emerald Necklace park system. The first statue on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall was erected in 1865 at Arlington Street. The Newton end of

2166-694: The other locations to come later. In September 2009, MassDOT reached a major agreement with CSX and Harvard over several railroad properties in the state. The state bought the outer Framingham/Worcester Line , Track 61 , the Grand Junction Railroad , and several branch lines needed for South Coast Rail from CSX. The state also partially funded a new container yard in Worcester and a transload facility in Westborough , which allowed CSX to eventually vacate Beacon Park Yard for redevelopment. The state inherited CSX's easements, requiring Harvard to petition

2223-483: The purchase of an additional 19 acres (77,000 m) of CSX land north of Cambridge Street for $ 97.25 million. Harvard's plan is to use the land as a park and later redevelopment. In 2017 and 2018, the yard was used as a staging area for the replacement of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over the Massachusetts Turnpike . In late 2023, the rail yard was partially rebuilt by Harvard and reopened for use as

2280-479: The rest of the line from Framingham to Worcester as part of an agreement announced in 2009. As part of the deal, clearances on the line west of Interstate 495 were improved, permitting full double stack service from Selkirk Yard in New York to an expanded CSX intermodal freight facility in Worcester and a transload facility near I-495. The deal was closed on June 17, 2010. CSX's Boston Subdivision retains

2337-569: The right to use certain MBTA-owned track. Since 1959, the former "Circuit" line, later called the Highland branch, has been used as the grade-separated right-of-way of the MBTA's Green Line D branch light rail line. The Boston & Albany hosted many named long-distance trains of the New York Central system. Below is a list of named trains effective as of November 12, 1939. The Grand Junction Railroad

Beacon Park Yard - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-466: The road continues out of Chestnut Hill and into Newton Centre , Comm Ave is still made up of two roadways separated by a grassy median lined with trees. The south side of the roadway contains the main, two-lane east-west roadway, with a one-way, westbound "carriage road" providing local access on the north side of the median. The section of Comm Ave from Cleveland Circle in Brighton to Route 16 in Newton

2451-499: The roadway was constructed in 1895 with a line of the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in the median. In 1923, the stretch of Commonwealth Avenue between Warren Street and Sutherland Road became the first street paved with concrete in Boston. Streetcar service was cut back to its present terminus at the Boston border in 1930 and buses last ran on Commonwealth Avenue in 1976. An amusement park and ballroom known as Norumbega Park

2508-473: The state before developing any property; because of this, Harvard did not include the site in its 2007 master plan. Construction of the Worcester container yard began in 2011, and CSX vacated Beacon Park Yard in February 2013. CSX demolished buildings, removed old rail cars, and completed soil and groundwater remediation to make the site usable for future development. In December 2015, Harvard University completed

2565-525: The state line to Pittsfield May 4, 1841, West Springfield to Chester May 24, 1841, Springfield to West Springfield (across the Connecticut River) July 4, 1841, Pittsfield to "Summit" August 9, 1841, and Chester to Summit September 13, 1841. The summit through the Berkshires is known as Washington Hill. Eastbound trains climb 6 mi (9.7 km) of 1.4% grade while westbound trains climb 10 mi (16 km) of slightly steeper grade to reach

2622-451: The three companies, along with the Hudson and Boston Railroad , together into one company, known as the Boston and Albany Railroad . The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad leased the B&A for 99 years from July 1, 1900. This lease passed to the New York Central Railroad in 1914; throughout this, the B&A kept its own branding in the public eye. The NYC merged into Penn Central on February 1, 1968. New York Central began

2679-455: The university purchased 47 acres (19 ha) of "Allston Landing North" - land north of Cambridge Street, and between Cambridge Street and the Turnpike - from the Turnpike Authority. In April 2003, the university purchased 91 acres (37 ha) of "Allston Landing South" - including Beacon Park Yard, the Worcester mainline tracks , the Turnpike mainline and interchange, and CSX's engine yard - from

2736-420: The western edge of the Boston Public Garden , and continues west through the neighborhoods of the Back Bay , Kenmore Square , Boston University , Allston , Brighton and Chestnut Hill . It continues as part of Route 30 through Newton until it crosses the Charles River at the border of the town of Weston . Often compared to Georges-Eugène Haussmann's Paris boulevards, Commonwealth Avenue in Back Bay

2793-418: The yard be located on recently purchased property in Widett Circle ; MassDOT was also negotiating with Amtrak for layover space. In November 2024, the state indicated plans to have a four-track layover yard at Beacon Park. Sullivan, Kyle; Deusser, Becky; Haberlin, Kim (September 23, 2009). "Massachusetts finalizes agreement with CSX Transportation" . Office of the Governor & Lt. Governor. Archived from

2850-496: The yard. The NYC became part of Penn Central on February 1, 1968, which in turn became Conrail on April 1, 1976. When Conrail was broken up in 2000, freight operations on the line, including Beacon Park Yard, became part of CSX Transportation . In the late 1990s, Harvard University began planning a major expansion southward in Lower Allston , where substantial parcels of marginal industrial and derelict land could be redeveloped for academic, research, and commercial use. In 2000,

2907-504: Was always operated by the B&A. The Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad was incorporated in 1842 and opened in 1846, having been already leased to the Western Railroad. It ran from North Adams Junction in Pittsfield to North Adams , where it connected to the Troy and Greenfield Railroad . Surviving structures along this branch include the Pittsfield & North Adams Passenger Station and Baggage & Express House in Adams, Massachusetts . Most of this line has been turned into

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2964-440: Was bought by the Western Railroad in 1854. The name was changed to the Hudson and Boston Railroad in 1855, and the part east of Chatham was abandoned around 1860, as it duplicated the newer Albany and West Stockbridge Railroad (part of the B&A main line). The rest of the line formed a cutoff between the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad towards New York City and the B&A. The Post Road branch or Selkirk branch

3021-413: Was built at the end of the line on the Charles River in 1897 to increase streetcar patronage. The eastern half of the Newton section of the road is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Commonwealth Avenue Historic District . The mall that includes the landscape features, monuments, street furniture and fences that are bounded by Kenmore Street, Arlington Street and Commonwealth Avenue

3078-435: Was chartered in 1847 as a reincorporation of the 1846 Chelsea Branch Railroad , meant to connect the lines north and west of Boston . The first section, from East Boston to Somerville , opened in 1849, and the extension to the B&W in Allston opened in 1856. The Eastern Railroad leased the line from 1852 to 1866, using part of it as their new main line. In 1866 the B&W bought the line (keeping trackage rights for

3135-427: Was leased to the B&A in 1879, as a short branch from South Spencer to Spencer . The B&A outright bought it in 1889. The North Brookfield Railroad was chartered in 1874, incorporated in 1875 and opened in 1876, branching from the B&A in East Brookfield and running to North Brookfield . It was leased to the B&A from opening. The Ware River Railroad was chartered in 1868, running from Palmer to

3192-423: Was originally built as part of the Hudson River Connecting Railroad , a southern bypass of the Albany area. It opened in 1924, and the part of it from the B&A at Post Road Crossing (the crossing of the Albany Post Road ) to Schodack Junction on the east side of the Hudson River became the B&A Post Road branch. The rest became the New York Central Railroad 's Castleton Cut-off. The B&A undertook

3249-460: Was routed along the north edge of the yard, with a toll plaza and interchange to Cambridge Street and Soldiers Field Road there. A truck tunnel was built under the Turnpike at the west end of the yard to provide access from Cambridge Street, and a set of ramps provided yard access to and from the westbound Turnpike. This enabled use of the yard for transload operations, where freight was transferred from long-distance freight trains to local trucks in

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