South Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Station
The historic South Station headhouse facing Atlantic Avenue
Location	700 Atlantic Avenue Boston, Massachusetts
Owned by	Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Line(s)	Northeast Corridor
Platforms	6 island platforms, 2 side platforms
Tracks	13
Connections	Intercity buses at South Station Bus Terminal Red Line, Silver Line at subway station MBTA bus: 4, 7, 11
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Bike lockers
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	BOS (Amtrak)
Fare zone	1A (MBTA Commuter Rail)
History
Opened	1899
Rebuilt	1985
Electrified	25 kV 60 Hz
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	28,416 daily boardings (MBTA Commuter Rail)
Passengers (2019)	1,585,216  2.01% (Amtrak)
Services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Boston Back Bay toward Washington, D.C. Acela Terminus Boston Back Bay toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Boston Back Bay toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional Preceding station MBTA Following station Back Bay toward Worcester Framingham/​Worcester Line Terminus Back Bay toward Needham Heights Needham Line Back Bay toward Forge Park/495 or Foxboro Franklin Line Newmarket (limited service) toward Forge Park/495 or Foxboro Back Bay (special events) toward Foxboro Back Bay toward Wickford Junction or Stoughton Providence/​Stoughton Line Newmarket toward Readville Fairmount Line Terminus Greenbush Line JFK/UMass toward Greenbush Kingston/​Plymouth Line JFK/UMass toward Kingston or Plymouth Middleborough/​Lakeville Line JFK/UMass toward Middleborough/​Lakeville CapeFLYER Braintree toward Hyannis
Former services Preceding station MBTA Following station Back Bay toward Dedham Dedham Branch Closed 1967 Terminus Terminus Millis Branch Closed 1967 Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Trinity Place / Huntington Avenue toward Albany Boston and Albany Railroad Main Line Terminus Trinity Place / Huntington Avenue toward Riverside Highland Branch Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Boston Back Bay toward New Haven Shore Line Terminus Terminus South Shore Line Atlantic toward Greenbush
South Station Headhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Boston Show map of Boston Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Area	0.5 acres (0.2 ha)
Architect	Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge; Norcross Bros.
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	75000299
Added to NRHP	February 13, 1975

South Station, officially called The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station, is the biggest train station and bus terminal in Greater Boston. It is also the second-largest transportation center in New England, after Logan International Airport. You can find it in Boston, Massachusetts, where Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street meet in Dewey Square.

The original station building was built in 1899. It replaced several smaller train stations downtown. Today, South Station is a major hub where different types of transportation connect. It serves thousands of people every day who travel by commuter rail and intercity trains. You can also connect to the Red Line subway and Silver Line bus lines through the nearby subway station.

The station was renamed in November 2014 after Michael S. Dukakis, who used to be the governor of Massachusetts. However, most maps and signs still just say "South Station."

History of South Station

Map showing Boston railroad terminals in 1880, before the construction of South Station

An early 1900s view of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated in front of South Station; the elevated station was at far right.

Looking north at the merge of the two approaches, with the two pair of tracks approaching the lower-level loop at right; the terminal is in the background. (c. 1904)

Why Boston Needed One Big Station

When trains first came to Boston, each railroad company had its own separate station. This meant that if you wanted to switch from one train line to another, you had to go to a different part of the city. This was confusing and inconvenient for travelers.

By the late 1800s, many of these smaller railroads were owned by bigger companies. To make travel easier, a company called the Boston Terminal Company was formed in 1897. Its job was to bring all these different train services together into one large station.

South Station's Early Days

South Station officially opened in 1899. It cost about $3.6 million back then. The famous architects Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge designed the building.

The station quickly became very busy. By 1913, it was the busiest train station in the world! A special elevated train line, the Atlantic Avenue Elevated, served South Station from 1901 to 1938. The Red Line subway was also extended to South Station in 1913, making it even easier for people to get there.

The original roof over the train tracks was very large. But because of the salty air from the nearby ocean, it started to rust. So, in 1930, this big roof was removed.

During World War II, South Station was incredibly busy, handling 125,000 passengers every day. However, after the war, fewer people traveled by train. In 1965, the station was sold to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). Parts of the station were even torn down to make space for other buildings.

In the early 1970s, there were plans to tear down the rest of the station. But luckily, this didn't happen. South Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, which helped protect it.

Making South Station New Again

Unused tracks in 1970, prior to the renovation

The main passenger concourse in 1970

The renovated terminal interior in 2010, with tracks accessible through the glass doors

In 1978, the BRA sold the station to the MBTA, which runs Boston's public transportation. Money was found for a big renovation project that finished in 1989. This update added 13 tracks, all with modern platforms. It also made it possible to walk directly from the main station lobby to the Red Line subway. Before, you had to go outside to reach the subway.

A new bus terminal opened in October 1995. This new terminal was built right over the train tracks. It made it much easier for buses to connect to major highways. The renovations, including the bus terminal, cost about $195 million.

More recently, in August 2019, the government gave money to improve the train tracks outside South Station. This project is expected to be finished by 2026.

South Station Tower Project

A new skyscraper, called the South Station Tower, is being built right above the train tracks. This tall building will be 51 stories high. It will also include an expansion of the bus terminal. Construction started in January 2020 and is expected to take about four years.

This project will also add a new arched roof over the outdoor waiting area. There will be a roof covering the entire platform area and a new entrance from Dorchester Avenue. It will also make it easier to get from the train station to the bus terminal.

Design and Features

Station Architecture

The never-used lower-level loop platforms

The Boston Terminal Company 1897 commemorative plaque in South Station. The names on it are:
* Josiah Quincy, Mayor of Boston
* The Boston Terminal Company: Samuel Hoar, Royal Chapin Taft, Charles Peter Clark, Charles Loughead Lovering, Francis Lee Higginson; trustees
* George B. Francis; resident engineer
* Norcross Brothers; builders
* Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge; architects
* Fayette Samuel Curtis, Walter Shepard, Lawson Bennett Bidwell; consulting engineers

South Station's main building has a classic, grand style called Neoclassical architecture. It uses granite stone from nearby New England quarries. The building has a curved shape and large, impressive doorways under tall arches. These features make the building look very important and welcoming.

Inside, the ceiling has a special pattern called a coffered ceiling. This helps protect travelers from the weather.

One of the most famous parts of South Station is the large clock on top of the main building. It's over 100 years old and is the biggest hand-wound clock in New England! The clock looks like London's Big Ben and has a 12-foot-wide face. The clock mechanism weighs more than 400 pounds. In 2008, it was carefully taken apart and fixed. An 8-foot-wide stone eagle, weighing over eight tons, sits on top of the clock.

In the 1980s, when South Station was fixed up, two new sections were added to the sides of the main building. These were built with the same type of granite to match the original look. This renovation helped make South Station a very important transportation spot again.

What You Can Find at South Station

South Station offers many services for travelers:

• It's the main stop in Boston for Amtrak trains, including the Acela Express and Northeast Regional. You can also catch the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, Illinois.
• It's the starting point for most of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's MBTA Commuter Rail lines that go south and west of Boston.
• An underground subway station connects to two MBTA lines:
  • The Red Line subway, which goes to places like Cambridge, Dorchester, and Braintree.
  • The Silver Line bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which goes directly to Logan International Airport, the Boston Convention Center, and Chelsea.
• Local bus services on several routes.
• A parking garage for cars.
• Places to buy tickets and get help with your luggage.
• An information booth that is open 24 hours a day.
• A food court with places like Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, and Starbucks.
• Small shops, including a bookstore and a souvenir shop.
• A two-floor CVS Pharmacy.
• Cool Public art, like a sculpture made from train car parts and a model of the planet Jupiter.
• Free Wi-Fi to stay connected.

The station is open to everyone 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Bus Terminal

Boston's main bus terminal, the South Station Bus Terminal, is in a separate building built right over the train platforms. Here, you can catch buses from companies like Greyhound and Peter Pan. These buses travel to all over New England, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and even Montreal, Canada. The bus terminal has its own food and snack area. You can get to it from the train platform area or directly from Atlantic Avenue.

Connecting to North Station

Boston has another big train station called North Station, which is about 2 kilometers away. Some MBTA commuter rail lines and Amtrak's Downeaster trains start from North Station. There isn't a direct train connection between South Station and North Station right now.

To get between the two stations, you can use the subway. For example, you can take the Orange Line from North Station to Back Bay and then transfer to a South Station line. Or you can take the Red Line from Porter to South Station.

There has been a plan to build a "North–South Rail Link" to connect the two stations directly. This would make it much easier and faster for passengers to switch between trains. However, this project is very expensive, so it hasn't been built yet.

Accessibility

South Station is designed to be easy for everyone to use. The train platforms for commuter rail and Amtrak are fully accessible. This means you can get from the main entrance and waiting area directly onto the platforms without stairs. Most of the stations on the commuter rail and Amtrak lines are also accessible for people with disabilities.

There are elevators to help people get to the subway station. You can also reach the bus station from the Track 1 platform.

South Station Expansion Project

Wide view of the concourse in 2020

South Station at evening rush hour, Monday, February 11, 2013 after the February 2013 nor'easter

South Station is a very important place for people to transfer between different types of transportation. Because more and more people are using public transit, South Station expects to get even busier. While the subway stations are fine for now, the train platforms for commuter rail and Amtrak are already very busy.

There's a plan to make South Station bigger by adding seven more train tracks. This would allow more MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains to use the station. This project would involve moving the Boston General Mail Facility, which is currently next to the tracks.

In 2010, the government gave Massachusetts $32.5 million to start planning this expansion. The project would also improve the train track layout and add new places for trains to wait. It would also connect the station better to Dorchester Avenue and the Fort Point Channel. The goal is to allow more commuter rail service and new train lines.

Some groups and former governors, like Michael S. Dukakis, think it would be better to build the North–South Rail Link instead of just expanding South Station. They believe connecting the two main stations would be a better long-term solution for Boston's train system. Studies have looked at both ideas, with the North–South Rail Link being much more expensive than expanding South Station.

Images for kids

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  South Station Tower construction in 2021