West Station (MBTA station)

WEST STATION
The station will be located in the former Beacon Park Yard
Location	Ashford Street, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Coordinates	42°21′17.21″N 71°7′17.62″W / 42.3547806°N 71.1215611°W / 42.3547806; -71.1215611Coordinates: 42°21′17.21″N 71°7′17.62″W / 42.3547806°N 71.1215611°W / 42.3547806; -71.1215611
Line(s)	Framingham/Worcester Line
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	1A
History
Opened	2020 (planned)
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Boston Landing toward Worcester Framingham/Worcester Line (planned) Yawkey toward South Station

West Station is a planned station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line, to be located in the former Beacon Park Yard in Allston, Massachusetts. It will be constructed as part of a project to straighten the Massachusetts Turnpike through the yard, allowing much of the land to be redeveloped. As of July 2016^[update], the state plans to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the project in 2017 and hopes to break ground in 2019. Earlier estimates suggested a 3-4 year construction time.

Initially to serve solely as a conventional commuter rail station, West Station is designed to eventually serve high-frequency diesel multiple unit service on the inner Worcester Line and on the Grand Junction Railroad, via the proposed Indigo Line. It is estimated to cost $25 million, to be split between Harvard University (which owns the surrounding land), the state, and a third party, which at one point was Boston University, as it noted contingencies and negotiations needed to take place before agreeing to help pay for the station.

The Boston & Albany Railroad originally had a number of stations in the inner ring of suburbs, including stations at Allston (Cambridge Street) and Cottage Farms (Commonwealth Avenue). No station was built near the split with the Grand Junction Railroad as the Grand Junction did not carry passenger service. A large freight yard, Beacon Park Yard, was ultimately built just west of the split. All stations east of Newtonville were closed around 1962 when much of the main line was reduced from 4 to 2 tracks during the building of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The station closures left Allston and Brighton lacking commuter rail service.