Back Bay (MBTA-Station)
- Railway Boston - Worcester
- Railway Boston Needham
- Railway Boston - Franklin
- Railway Boston - Providence
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The Back Bay train station is located at the address 145 Dartmouth Street in the same district of the city of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. The day -use building was designed by the architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Wood.
The station is in the long-distance passenger trains of Amtrak ( Acela Express, Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional ) and in the rail transport of the lines Providence / Stoughton, Framingham / Worcester, Needham and Franklin, as well as the metro Orange Line of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA ) operates. Furthermore, the station of two bus lines is approached.
History
The present building was opened on 4 May 1987 at the wake of the South West Corridor project of the Orange Line and was inaugurated by the then Governor Michael Dukakis. The new building replaced the first time in 1899 built and 1929 newly built older building of the same name of the former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Some remains can still be found at the eastern end of the building, including a stone with a sculpted lettering, which was integrated into the brick wall.
Air Quality
The station long suffered from a very poor air quality, and there was the official recommendation for people with lung problems to avoid the station. In the years 2006 and 2008 studies conducted showed that " air quality is many times under the usual standards " was what was mainly attributed to non-derived diesel exhaust and carbon black. Most of the commuter rail station platforms are completely covered and remodels so that exhaust fumes can not fast enough to escape. As in previous studies had elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides observed, but at the same time pointed out that there were no standards to be followed for interiors of public buildings. Due to lack of financial resources did not allow an improvement of the ventilation system, the MBTA was limited to minor changes in cycle mode and a more intensive maintenance of the diesel engines of the locomotives.
Only in 2010 the MBTA announced that she wanted to improve ventilation in the lobby with an investment of 3 million U.S. dollars. The money for this was provided by the State of Massachusetts from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The work should be completed on schedule in 2012.
Railway facilities
Track, signaling and safety systems
The station has a total of seven tracks and four platforms, three of which are designed as a central platform and a side platform. The tracks 1, 2 and 3 use the Acela Express and Northeast Regional Amtrak and the routes Needham, Franklin and Providence of the MBTA. On the tracks 5 and 7 the trains of the railway Boston - Worcester and the Lake Shore Limited. The two tracks of the Orange Line are located between these two groups.
Building
The entire station building is accessible. The platforms of the compounds according to Framingham / Worcester and the Lake Shore Limited, however, are expanded accessible only in an abbreviated portion, so that may not each car is accessible.
As part of Arts on the Line of the MBTA project the artwork " Neon for Back Bay Station " by Stephen Antonakos was installed in the station. It consists of three multi-colored neon sculptures, which are attached to the inputs above head height. Outside the station are located beyond two granite columns ( " Counterpoint " by Jane Barnes and " If My Boundary Stops Here " by Ruth Whitman ) with engraved texts.
Surroundings
The station is served by two bus lines of the MBTA. The bus stop is located at the rear of the building. In addition to the main entrances of various emergency exits leading from the platforms to Dartmouth Street, Clarendon Street and Columbus Avenue. The underpass to Dartmouth Street thereby connects the shopping center Copley Place with the station building.