The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority uses a number of yards and facilities for maintenance and storage of its road and rail fleets.
Active yards Bus
Many of these facilities are former streetcar carhouses that were gradually converted to trackless trolley and bus use, although some like Southampton (built 2004) are of recent construction. Of the former streetcar carhouses, only Arborway and Watertown were Green Line yards during part of the MBTA era. Everett was an Orange Line yard until 1975. NameLocationRoutes servedAlbany Street GarageAlbany Street, South End, BostonLocal, Mass Pike Express, and crosstown routesArborway YardWashington Street, Jamaica Plain, BostonLocal bus routes; former terminus of the Green Line E branchCabot GarageDorchester Avenue, South BostonLocal bus routesCharlestown GarageArlington Avenue, Charlestown, BostonLocal bus routesEverett ShopsBroadway, EverettHeavy repair for buses and for subway components; former Orange Line terminus and yardFellsway GarageSalem Street, MedfordLocal bus routesLynn GarageWestern Avenue, LynnLocal bus routes; North Shore express routesNorth Cambridge CarhouseMassachusetts Avenue, North CambridgeFormerly storage and maintenance for Harvard-based trolleybus routes; being converted for battery busesQuincy GarageHancock Street, QuincyQuincy-based local bus routesSomerville Garage at CharlestownArlington Avenue, Charlestown, BostonLocal bus routesSouthampton Bus Maintenance FacilitySouthampton Street, South Bay, BostonSilver Line dual mode buses; local bus routesWatertown YardGalen Street, WatertownMidday layover for local bus routes; former terminus of the Green Line A branch and Green Line heavy maintenance facility
Subway
The subway lines each have one maintenance facility (except for three on the Green Line) and often several other yards used for overnight and midday storage. Tail tracks for temporary storage of trains are also present at (Orange Line) and (Blue Line); the Green Line has sidings at , , and .
NameLocationRouteUseAlewife Yardnorth of Red Linelayover/storageBowdoin Yardwest of Blue Line layover/storageCabot Yardnear Red Linemaintenance and storageCaddigan Yardsouth of Red Line (Braintree branch)layover/storageCodman Yardsouth of Red Line (Ashmont branch)layover/storageGreen Line Extension Vehicle Maintenance FacilityInner Belt DistrictGreen Line (D and E branches)maintenance and storageLake Street Yardat Green Line (B branch)maintenance and storageMattapan Yardat Mattapan Linemaintenance and storageNorth Station Yardat Green Linelayover and storageOrient Heights Yardeast of Blue Linemaintenance and storageReservoir Yardbetween and Green Line (C branch and D branch)maintenance and storageRiverside Yardat Green Line (D branch)maintenance and storageWellington Yardat Orange Linemaintenance and storage
Commuter rail All MBTA Commuter Rail lines except the Lowell Line have a dedicated layover near the end of the line. Most provide ground power and other facilities, allowing trainsets to be stored overnight; others are simply several yard tracks off the mainline. The MBTA has one heavy maintenance facility on the northside, plus two light maintenance facilities on the southside. Equipment is transferred between the two sides via the Grand Junction Railroad.
Name LocationRouteUseBradford Layoverat Haverhill Linelayover/storageFranklin Layovereast of Franklin/Foxboro Linelayover/storageGreenbush Layoverat Greenbush Linelayover/storageKingston Layoverat Kingston Linelayover/storageMBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance FacilityInner Belt, Somervillenorthside linesHeavy maintenance for all commuter rail equipment; layover/storageMiddleboro Layoverat Fall River/New Bedford Linelayover/storageNeedham Layoversouth of Needham Linelayover/storageNewburyport Layoversouth of Newburyport/Rockport Linelayover/storagePawtucket LayoverPawtucket, Rhode IslandProvidence/Stoughton Linelayover/storageReadville Interim Repair Facilitynorth of southside linesRunning maintenance and layover/storage. Expansion into a southside maintenance facility is planned.Rochester Maintenance FacilityCape Main Line in RochesterOverhaul and maintenanceRockport Layoverat Newburyport/Rockport Linelayover/storageSouthampton Street Yardsouth of South Station, Bostonsouthside linesrunning maintenance and midday storage – primarily an Amtrak heavy maintenance facilityStoughton Layoverat Providence/Stoughton LinelayoverWamsutta LayoverNorth of Fall River/New Bedford Linelayover/storageWeaver's Cove LayoverNorth of Fall River/New Bedford Linelayover/storageWest Cambridge Maintenance Facilitysouth of northside linesMaintenance of way equipment storageWestminster Layoverwest of Fitchburg Linelayover/storageWorcester Layovereast of Framingham/Worcester Linelayover/storage
Future yards
NameLocationRoutes servedBeacon Park YardAt Beacon Park YardMidday layover for the Worcester Line. To be constructed as part of the realignment of I-90.Medford garage440 Riverside Avenue, MedfordWill replace Lynn Garage and Fellsway Garage. The MBTA purchased the property in August 2025.Quincy Bus Maintenance FacilityNorth of Will replace Quincy Garage. Expected completion in summer 2027.Widett Circle Layover FacilityInside Widett CircleLayover yard for southside lines. The first phase, a six-track facility for electric Fairmount Line trains, is planned to open in 2029.
Former yards
NameLocationRoutesUseClosed & reasonAttleboro Layoversouth of Providence/Stoughton Linelayover/storage2006; replaced by Pawtucket LayoverBennett Carhousesouth of Harvard Square, CambridgeHarvard-based streetcar and trackless trolley routesmaintenance and storage1970; Eliot Shops closedEliot Shopssouth of Harvard Square, CambridgeRed Line (also Blue Line from 1924–1952)maintenance and storage1970; redevelopmentFitchburg Layovereast of Fitchburg Linelayover/storage2016; replaced by Wachusett LayoverForest Hills Shopssouth of Orange Linemaintenance and storage1987; completion of the southwest CorridorHaverhill Layovernorth of Haverhill Linelayover/storage1987; replaced by Bradford LayoverIpswich Layoversouth of Newburyport/Rockport Linelayover/storage1998; extension to NewburyportLechmere Yardat Green Linelayover/storage2020; relocation of Lechmere stationSullivan Square Shopsat Orange Line and streetcarsmaintenance and storage1975; completion of the Haymarket North ExtensionBartlett YardRoxbury near MBTA bus and streetcarsmaintenance and storage2005; operations moved to Arborway Yard in 2003
References
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