Capen Street (MBTA station)

CAPEN ST
Trolley at the outbound platform at Capen Street
Location	Capen Street off Eliot Street Milton, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°16′03″N 71°05′15″W / 42.267622°N 71.087436°W / 42.267622; -71.087436Coordinates: 42°16′03″N 71°05′15″W / 42.267622°N 71.087436°W / 42.267622; -71.087436
Line(s)	Red Line– Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	c. September 1930[1]
Rebuilt	June 24, 2006 – December 22, 2007[2]
Traffic
Passengers (2010)	58 (weekday average boardings)[3]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Valley Road toward Ashmont Red Line Mattapan High Speed Line Mattapan Terminus

Capen Street is a light rail surface stop on the MBTA Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, located on Capen Street off Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. The westernmost of the four MBTA stations in Milton, Capen Street consists of two side platforms flanking the eponymous street's grade crossing. The platforms are staggered to allow trains to make the stop at Capen Street before crossing the street itself, as there is no signal at the grade crossing.^[4] Capen Street is handicapped accessible via wooden ramps on both platforms.

Capen Street opened in September 1930 as an infill station on the line.^[1]

History

Capen Street in 1930, shortly after opening

Inbound platform at Capen Street in 2016

The Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad opened from Neponset to Mattapan in December 1847.^[5] Service was discontinued on August 26, 1929, as the new high-speed trolley line was completed from Ashmont to Milton by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy).^[6][2] The trolley line was extended from Milton to Mattapan on December 21, 1929, with new intermediate stops at Central Avenue and Valley Road.^[7][2]

Residents on Capen Street, having to use the Valley Road stop despite the line crossing Capen Street, requested a station of their own; it was considered a likely possibility at the time of the line's opening.^[8] After considering the walking distance from Capen Street to Valley Road and Mattapan, the BERy granted the request. The Boston Transit Department constructed 12-foot (3.7 m) by 100-foot (30 m) gravel platforms with overhead lighting. The completed station opened as a flag stop in September 1930.^[1] A second infill stop at Butler Street opened the next year.^[2]

On October 8, 1982, a shotgun-wielding man attempted to rob the six passengers aboard an inbound trolley at Capen Street. One of the passengers foiled the attempt by grabbing the unloaded gun from the robber.^[9]

The MBTA closed the line on June 24, 2006 to allow a new viaduct to be constructed at Ashmont station. During the closure, all stations on the line were modernized and (except for Valley Road) made handicapped accessible. The old shelter and platforms were replaced by modern platforms with canopies, with a wooden ramp on each platform for handicapped accessibility. Trolley service resumed on December 22, 2007.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Capen Street (MBTA station).

• MBTA — Capen Street
• Image of Capen Street in 1970

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Subway lines (List of stations)	Heavy rail      Blue      Orange      Red Light rail      Green "B" Branch "C" Branch "D" Branch "E" Branch      Ashmont–Mattapan Former lines      Arborway Line      Atlantic Avenue Elevated      Causeway Street Elevated      Charlestown Elevated      Green Line "A" Branch      Washington Street Elevated
Commuter Rail lines (List of stations)	North Station lines Fitchburg Haverhill (Wildcat Branch) Lowell Newburyport/Rockport South Station lines Fairmount Framingham/Worcester Franklin Greenbush Needham Old Colony (Kingston/Plymouth Middleborough/Lakeville      CapeFLYER) Providence/Stoughton Former lines Central Mass Branch Dedham Branch Lexington Branch Millis Branch Woburn Branch
Bus routes (List of routes)	Silver Line Crosstown routes Key routes Trackless trolleys Routes East Boston, Chelsea, Revere Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield South Boston
Other services	Boat The Ride
Component parts of system lines	Boylston Street Subway      Haymarket North Extension      Lechmere Viaduct      Tremont Street Subway
Capital projects	Under construction      Blue Hill Avenue station      Boston Landing station           Forest Hills modifications      Green Line Extension      Haverhill Line upgrades           Silver Line Gateway / Chelsea station      South Coast Rail In planning / proposed      Buzzards Bay extension      Foxboro service      Hynes Convention Center renovation      Kingston R.I. extension      Nashua extension      Route 16 extension      Wollaston renovation Formerly proposed      Arborway Line restoration      Indigo Line (Fairmount Grand Junction Track 61)      Lexington extension      Lynn extension      North–South Rail Link      Plaistow extension      Reading extension           Red Line—Blue Line Connector Urban Ring Project
History	Predecessor companies Boston Elevated Railway Streetcar lines Boston and Maine Railroad Conrail New York Central Railroad New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Penn Central Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Middlesex and Boston Street Railway Newton and Boston Street Railway Accidents and incidents      1990 Back Bay      2008 Waban/Woodland
Other	Accessibility Arts on the Line Bicycling CharlieCard Grand Junction Railroad "Charlie on the M.T.A." Nomenclature Police                Winter Street Concourse Yards and maintenance facilities