Back Bay Station - Definition and Overview

Back Bay Station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, in Back Bay, Boston, is an important transportation center. Its facilities include:

• a station stop on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor train service, including Acela high-speed trains. There is also a daily Amtrak overnight train (Lake Shore Limited)to Chicago.
• a stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Attleboro/Providence and Framingham/Worcester, Needham and Franklin commuter rail lines.
• a station stop on the Boston subway's Orange Line.
• local bus service.
• staffed ticket windows.
• a food court and waiting area.

Back Bay Station opened May, 1987 as part of the Orange Line's Southwest Corridor project and was dedicated by Governor Michael Dukakis.

Note: Amtrak's trains to Maine do not stop at Back Bay or South Station. They terminate at North Station, which is also on the Orange Line. Travelers who wish to make a connection by subway with North Station are best off exiting at Back Bay and taking the Orange Line.

Attractions

• several major hotels
• the Prudential Center
• the Hynes Auditorium Convention Center
• Copley Square
• parking garage
• a linear park

Accessibility

• Back Bay Station is wheelchair accessible.
• Other Amtrak stations on the Northeast Corridor are generally accessible.
• Back Bay Station has a full length high level platform for Amtrak Northeast Corridor and MBTA Attleboro/Providence trains but only a short high level platform for MBTA Framingham/Worcester and Amtrak Chicago trains (which operate on different tracks).
• Some MBTA commuter rail stations have no wheelchair access and many of those that do have short high level platforms that only serve one or two cars.
• See MBTA accessibility.