Blandford Street (MBTA Station) - History and Operations

History and Operations

The Commonwealth Avenue line was originally served by surface streetcars beginning in 1896 as part of what would later become the Green Line "A" Branch. On October 3, 1914, the Boylston Street Subway was opened to the Kenmore Portal just east of Kenmore Square, allowing streetcars to enter and run underground into the Tremont Street Subway. In October 1932, Kenmore station was built and the modern Blandford Street Portal was built just east of Blandford Street. Streetcars have stopped at Blandford Street continuously since. However, like the rest of the Green Line surface stops, Blandford Street was considered a mere stopping point and not equivalent to a subway station. The 3-car-length asphalt platforms were built in the 80s, around the time Blandford Street first appeared as a distinct stop on MBTA subway maps.

A pocket track just west of the station is used to temporarily store disabled and out of service cars. It is frequently used as a layover point for trains during the middle of the day, between the two rush hour periods. It is also used by certain trains, like extra trains after Red Sox games,to turn around to return to the Central Subway rather than continuing out on the surface line. An experimental four-car train operated in April 2011 used the track as a staging point.

• Station with plantings

• Blandford Street Portal

• Train sitting on the pocket track