Boylston was one of the original two stations on America’s first subway, which may be why it’s lacking in necessities. Free crossovers? Not here. Accessibility? Nuh-uh. Vintage trolley cars? Oh…yes, actually.
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| The inbound entrance. |
Boylston’s entrances are pretty far from one another, lined up along Tremont Street right next to the Boston Common. They do look the same, though, and that’s a good thing. The station has nice, old-fashioned headhouses that lead underground. Just make sure you know what direction the entrance is going, because remember…no free crossovers.
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| The inbound mezzanine. |
I’m not really sure if you can call them mezzanines, though. They’re more like “entrance areas”. All you’ll find at either entrance is a few fare machines and gates, and that’s about it. It looks like the inbound one even has one of those random rolling chairs you come across sometimes – it’s like a scavenger hunt!
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| The outbound platform. |
I’ll say this for Boylston’s platforms: their ceilings are high. It’s downhill from there. This station certainly shows its age, with cracked paint and a barebones platform. The inbound side has the old trolleys, of course, but other than that, there’s nothing of note here.
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| One of the two vintage trolleys, seen from behind a fence. |
So what about bus connections? Boylston technically has two bus stops that are right next to each other. The first one is for
the 43 to Ruggles and
the 55 to the West Fens neighborhood. It’s just a sign, but admittedly those routes don’t get too much ridership from Boylston.
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| The Silver Line stop, in all its glory. |
But we can’t forget that the super, ultra, high-powered BRT Silver Line stops here! Oh, boy, what kind of fancy shelter does it get? Oh…it doesn’t have a shelter. Well, I’m sure it has some comfy benches to sit on…hang on, no it doesn’t. COME ON, IT’S JUST A SIGN! REALLY?
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| People complain about the Green Line, but at least it’s not a bus. Sorry for the Silver Line rant, but it just came up. |
Station: Boylston
Ridership: Considering how close it is to Park Street, Boylston gets a good amount of ridership. On average, 6,826 people board here every weekday. Emerson College is close by, so there could be student traffic in that number. Theatergoers, too.
Pros: The vintage trolleys! And the entrances aren’t bad, either.
Cons: No accessibility, of course! Or free crossovers. Or nice-looking platforms. Or a proper bus stop. Oh, and did I mention the curve to the south of this station? It gets pretty screechy, let me tell you.
Nearby and Noteworthy: As I mentioned, Emerson College is close by, as well as the theatre district.
Final Verdict: 5/10
The only reason Boylston isn’t getting a lower score is because of those old trolleys, which are admittedly quite cool. But as for the rest? No accessibility, no free crossovers, and no sense of aesthetics. And as for that curve? You can hear the trains screeching around it from above ground. Yes, I know the MBTA can’t smooth it out, but it’s so annoying. So…how ’bout those old trolleys, huh?
Oh God, the screeches. So ungodly loud.
I don't even consider this a station. When I'm figuring out how to get where I need to go, I don't ever think to use Boylston.
Gotta love those abandoned tunnels on either side of the station. Boylston suffers greatly in today's day and age since it was originally designed to serve four active tracks. Screening and blocked passages prevent a free crossover but at one time, it was possible.
I was 8 when we delivered 5734 and 3295 out of the Watertown car house. We took a tour of the green line before the wire conversion for the LRV. It hurts to see them parked when I know they are fully functional. And then they tear up my 73 trackless route? Who is running the T now? No sense of nostalgia. Next they will want Mattapan ripped up.
One thing I noticed is it was only like last year when they added the "change here for the silver line " part in the automated announcement, for the longest time it never said that, I mean if you weren't familiar with the system how we're you supposed to know the silver line stopped here
How bout those sprinklers at government center?
Boylston station is definitely a piece in history. Despite the screams of that crazy curve, the trolleys here show what the MBTA used to be.