Morton Street is an

MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...

station on

Fairmount Line The Fairmount Line or Dorchester Branch is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Except for a short portion in Milton, it lies entirely within Boston, running southwest from South Station through the neighborh ...

located on

Morton Street Morton Street is a street in southern Boston, Massachusetts. It extends from the southeastern end of the Arborway in Jamaica Plain to Washington Street in the Lower Mills Village of Dorchester. Most of the road is a connecting parkway, signed ...

( MA 203) in the

Mattapan Mattapan () is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Historically a section of neighboring Dorchester, Mattapan became a part of Boston when Dorchester was annexed in 1870. Mattapan is the original Native American name for the Dorchester ar ...

neighborhood of Boston. With two full-length high-level platforms and ramps to the street, the station is fully wheelchair accessible. The station was reconstructed in 2006, with the official reopening in 2007.

History

Service on the Fairmount Line (as the Dorchester Branch of the

Norfolk County Railroad The Norfolk County Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts, United States. Chartered as two different companies in 1846 and 1847, it completed a rail line between Dedham and Blackstone in 1849. A branch to Medway, Massachusetts was built in 18 ...

and later the New York and New England Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) began in 1855 and lasted until 1944. The service included a stop at Morton Street, originally known as Forest Avenue. The Dorchester Branch (Midland Route) was reopened as a bypass in November 1979 during Southwest Corridor construction, including stops at

Uphams Corner Uphams Corner, or Upham's Corner, is a commercial center in Dorchester, the largest neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The intersection of Dudley Street/Stoughton Street and Columbia Road is the heart of Uphams Corner, and one of Dorches ...

, Morton Street, and Fairmount. Uphams Corner and Morton Street were dropped effective January 30, 1981 as part of systemwide cuts. Morton Street was originally built at minimal cost, with small low-level platforms and staircases to Morton Street. The station was not

accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...

, since service over the route was intended to be temporary; however, it was popular with residents of the communities the line passed through. When the Southwest Corridor reopened on October 5, 1987, the Fairmount Line shuttle service was retained, with Uphams Corner and Morton Street renovated and reopened. In September 2005, the MBTA awarded a $6.5 million contract to rebuild the station as part of the Fairmount Line Improvements project. The upgrades included two full-length high-level platforms to make the station

, ramps to Morton Street and Flint Street, canopies, and improved lighting and signage. The work was completed on July 17, 2007. In 2014, MassDOT replaced the structurally deficient bridge carrying Morton Street over the Fairmount Line tracks. Alternate accessible entrances to the station from the street were used during the replacement.

References

External links

{{commons category
MBTA – Morton Street
* Google Map Street View
Flint Street entranceMorton Street entrances
MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Boston Stations along New York and New England Railroad lines Railway stations in the United States opened in 1855 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1979 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1987 Railway stations closed in 1944 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1981