History
There has been a railroad station at Porter Square since the Fitchburg Railroad began operations in the early 1840s. The first station, built in 1843-45, was called Porter's Station. Later stations were known as North Cambridge, then as Cambridge. The last station, built by the Boston and Maine Railroad, was the 1937 brick Cambridge depot. In the late 1970s it was renamed to "Porter" to match the Red Line station being built. The commuter station was wholly rebuilt along with the Red Line Northwest Extension; the new transfer station opened in 1984.
Because of its Red Line connection, Porter Square can serve as a temporary inbound terminus for the Fitchburg Line service when service is disrupted between Porter and Boston North Station. It served this role during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when North Station was closed.
The station was served by commuter trains on the former Central Massachusetts Railroad from 1964 until the termination of service in 1971.
Read more about this topic: Porter (MBTA Station)
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