View source for South Station

{{short description|Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts, US}}
{{About|the rail terminal in Boston|the MBTA subway station|South Station (subway)|the intercity bus station|South Station Bus Terminal|other stations by this name|South Station (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox station
| name               = South Station
| style              = MBTA
| image              = South Station - Boston (54960819568).jpg
| image_caption      = The exterior of South Station, with the [[South Station Tower]] in the background (2025)
| address            = 700 Atlantic Avenue
| borough            = [[Boston]], Massachusetts
| country            = United States
| owned              = [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]]<ref name="Logan">{{cite news |last=Logan |first=Tim |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/06/30/operator-faneuil-hall-marketplace-take-over-south-station/SfgMfQFRqRyDOzT6DIebCM/story.html |title=Operator of Faneuil Hall to take over South Station |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 30, 2017 |access-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403215825/https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/06/30/operator-faneuil-hall-marketplace-take-over-south-station/SfgMfQFRqRyDOzT6DIebCM/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| line               = [[Attleboro Line]] ([[Northeast Corridor]])<br /> [[Fairmount Line|Dorchester Branch]] <br /> [[Old Colony Railroad|Old Colony Mainline]]
| platform           = 6 island platforms, 2 side platforms
| tracks             = 13
| connections        = {{bus icon}} Intercity buses at [[South Station Bus Terminal|bus terminal]]<br />{{rint|boston|subway}} [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]], [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]] at [[South Station (subway)|subway station]]<br />{{bus icon}} [[MBTA bus]]: {{MBTA bus links|South Station}}
| parking            = 
| bicycle            = Bike lockers (Currently closed due to construction)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-sstat | title=South Station &#124; Stations &#124; MBTA }}</ref>
| accessible         = Yes
| code               = {{Amtrak code|BOS}}
| iata               = ZTO
| zone               = 1A (MBTA Commuter Rail)
| opened             = 1899
| rebuilt            = 1985
| electrified        = 
| mpassengers        = {{rail pass box|system=MBTA Commuter Rail|passengers=28,416 daily boardings<ref name=CRcounts>{{MBTA CR 2018}}</ref>|pass_year=2018}}
{{rail pass box|system=Amtrak only|passengers={{Amtrak ridership|Boston-South Station}}{{Amtrak ridership|citationMA}}|pass_year={{Amtrak ridership|date}}}}
| services_collapsible = yes
| services           = {{Adjacent stations|system1=Amtrak
|line1=Acela Express|left1=Back Bay
|line2=Lake Shore Limited|left2=Back Bay
|line3=Regional|left3=Back Bay
|system4=MBTA
|line4=Framingham|left4=Back Bay
|line5=Needham|left5=Back Bay
|line6=Franklin|left6=Back Bay|note-left6=weekdays
|line7=Franklin|left7=Newmarket
|line8=Foxboro event Boston|left8=Back Bay
|line9=Providence/Stoughton|left9=Back Bay
|line10=Fairmount|left10=Newmarket
|line11=Fall River/New Bedford|right11=JFK/UMass
|line12=Greenbush|right12=JFK/UMass
|line13=Plymouth|right13=JFK/UMass
|line14=CapeFLYER|right14=Braintree|note-mid14=seasonal
}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services     = {{Adjacent stations|system1=Amtrak
|line1=Twilight Shoreliner|left1=Back Bay
|line2=Beacon Hill|left2=Route 128|left3=Back Bay|note-left3=1978-1979
|line5=Hilltopper|left5=Back Bay
|line6=Valley Forge|type6=weekends only|left6=Back Bay
|line7=Bay State|left7=Back Bay
|line8=Meteor|left8=Back Bay
|system10=MBTA
|line10=Dedham|left10=Back Bay|note-mid10=Closed 1967
|line11=Millis|left11=Back Bay|note-mid11=Closed 1967
|system12=New York Central Railroad
|line12=Boston and Albany Railroad|left12=Back Bay
|line13=Highland branch|left13=Back Bay
|system14=New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
|line14=Shore Line Railway (Connecticut)|left14=Back Bay
|line15=South Shore Line|right15=Atlantic
|line16=Readville|left16=Uphams Corner
}}
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-marker-color = {{rcr|Amtrak}}
| mapframe-zoom      = 13
| route_map          = {{South Station|inline=y}}
| map_state          = collapsed
| nrhp               = {{Infobox NRHP
| name         = South Station Headhouse
| embed        = yes
| nrhp_type    =
| coordinates  = {{coord|42|21|07|N|71|03|19|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin     =
| architect    = Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge; Norcross Bros.
| architecture = Classical Revival
| added        = February 13, 1975
| area         = {{convert|0.5|acre|ha|1}}
| refnum       = 75000299<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
}}

'''South Station''' is a railroad terminal located at [[Dewey Square]] in downtown [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]. It is the busiest railroad station in [[Greater Boston]] and the second-busiest transportation facility. It is [[New England]]'s second-largest transportation center after [[Logan International Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=116|title=South Station – Great Public Spaces &#124; Project for Public Spaces|publisher=PPS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624032232/http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=116|archive-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> Along with [[North Station]], it is one of two Boston terminals for the [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] system and [[Amtrak]] intercity rail service. South Station is a major [[intermodal passenger transport|intermodal]] transit hub; the [[South Station Bus Terminal]] is located above the platforms, and the adjacent [[South Station (subway)|subway station]] is served by the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]] and [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]] of the [[MBTA subway]] system. 

Four terminals were built near downtown Boston in the 19th century to serve railroads running south and west from Boston. South Station was constructed in 1899 to replace these terminals with a [[union station]]. The [[Classical Revival]] structure was designed by [[Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge]]. Passenger rail service declined during the 20th century; the bankrupt railroads sold the station to the [[Boston Redevelopment Authority]] (BRA) in 1965. Portions of the station were demolished for redevelopment. Plans to demolish and redevelop the remaining section fell through; it was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1975 as '''South Station Headhouse'''.

In 1978, the BRA sold what was left of the station to the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA). A major renovation of the station, including the construction of [[accessible]] platforms, took place from 1984 to 1989. The bus terminal opened in 1995. The station was renamed for former Massachusetts governor [[Michael S. Dukakis]] in November 2014, officially becoming '''The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station''', though maps and station signs continue to use the shorter "South Station".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/11/10/south-station-renamed-dukakis-transportation-center-over-the-duke-objections/KjUfIbtj4UFHGuGQrEZdlJ/story.html |title=South Station Renamed 'Dukakis Transportation Center' Over The Duke's Objections |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=November 10, 2014 |last=Levenson |first=Eric |access-date=November 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111004407/https://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/11/10/south-station-renamed-dukakis-transportation-center-over-the-duke-objections/KjUfIbtj4UFHGuGQrEZdlJ/story.html |archive-date=11 November 2014}}</ref> The [[South Station Tower]] was built on [[air rights]] over the station from 2020 to 2025; it included an arched waiting area and expansion of the bus terminal. Proposed changes to the station include an expansion eastward with additional tracks, and a new underground station as part of the [[North–South Rail Link]].

==Design and services==
[[File:MBTA and Amtrak trains at South Station August 2024.jpg|thumb|left|MBTA (left) and Amtrak trains at South Station]]
South Station is located on the southeast corner of [[Atlantic Avenue (Boston)|Atlantic Avenue]] and [[Summer Street (Boston)|Summer Street]] in [[Dewey Square]] in the Financial District of Boston. The station building faces Dewey Square, with the tracks running southwest parallel to Atlantic Avenue. The terminal has 13 tracks served by six [[island platform]]s and one [[side platform]]. It is the end point of the [[Boston and Albany Railroad|Worcester Main Line]], [[Northeast Corridor]], [[Fairmount Line|Dorchester Branch]], and [[Old Colony Railroad|Old Colony mainline]]. The station building contains a waiting room, food court, ticket offices, and the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge. South Station is fully [[accessible]].

South Station is the downtown terminus for eight [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] services: the [[Framingham/Worcester Line]], [[Needham Line]], [[Franklin/Foxboro Line]], [[Providence/Stoughton Line]], [[Fairmount Line]], [[Fall River/New Bedford Line]], [[Kingston Line]], and [[Greenbush Line]]. It is the Boston terminus for three [[Amtrak]] intercity services: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, and the Boston section of the {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}}.

The [[South Station Bus Terminal]], Boston's intercity and commuter bus terminal, is located over the platforms. The [[South Station (subway)|South Station subway station]], located under Dewey Square, serves the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]] and [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]] (routes {{MBTABus|SL1}}, {{MBTABus|SL2}}, {{MBTABus|SL3}}, {{MBTABus|SLW}}) of the [[MBTA subway]] system. Silver Line route {{MBTABus|SL5}} and several [[MBTA bus]] routes stop at street level.
{{clear left}}
===Architecture===
[[File:South Station Boston 2025.jpg|thumb|left|South Station waiting room]]
The South Station head house and wings incorporate [[Neoclassical architecture]]. The building's symmetry and stone façade are common to the style. The granite came from nearby quarries in New England. The main doorways are located in a section that protrudes from the curving shape of the building. The doors are housed under tall arches that give the impression of grandeur while also making the building appear smaller from far away. This visual trick is common in classical buildings and is further amplified by the oversized windows and large balustrade on the third floor and roof.<ref name="archrefs">{{multiref2|{{cite web|url=http://www.south-station.net/Station-History.htm|title=History of the Station|publisher=South Station LLC|access-date=March 29, 2012|archive-date=March 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322043319/http://www.south-station.net/Station-History.htm|url-status=dead}}|{{cite web|title=Boston South Station|first=Amanda|last=Sorrento|publisher=Foundations of America|url=http://foundationsofamerica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413:boston-south-station&catid=56:public-buildings&Itemid=68|date=November 4, 2010|access-date=March 29, 2012}}|{{cite web|title=South Station|publisher=Project for Public Spaces|access-date=March 29, 2012|url=http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces//one?public_place_id=116#|archive-date=March 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301192143/http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=116|url-status=dead}}}}</ref>

Above the doorways are classical [[Ionic order]] columns that ostensibly hold up the frieze and pediment. Uncommon for Ionic order columns is the lack of [[fluting (architecture)|fluting]], which is usually used to draw the eye upward, increasing the grandeur of the facade. The numerous projections and recessions on the façade attribute to the planar quality of the building, while also creating interesting shading and lighting patterns on the stone and within the building.<ref name="archrefs" /> Inside, a [[Coffer|coffered ceiling]] adorns the terminal and protects travelers from the rain and snow.<ref name="archrefs" />

Constructed over 100 years ago, the clock on top of the main head house is the largest operating hand-wound clock mechanism in New England. The clock is styled after London's [[Big Ben]], and has a {{convert|12|ft|adj=on}} wide face. The mechanism weighs over {{convert|400|lb}}. In 2008, the clock was restored.  It was disassembled and fitted with hand-made replacement parts.  The classically styled stone eagle that sits atop the clock is {{convert|8|ft}} wide and weighs over eight tons.<ref>{{cite news |title=Station Clock Takes Timeout|first=Noah|last=Bierman|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/15/station_clock_takes_timeout|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=October 14, 2008|access-date=March 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018195728/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/15/station_clock_takes_timeout/ |archive-date=18 October 2008}}</ref>

The curved shape of the building facade pushes its presence into the surrounding area, making it much more prominent. This also gives the building a more distinctive and accessible main entrance from Atlantic Avenue, Summer Street, and Dewey Square. A similar concept is also seen in the [[Santa Maria della Pace]] in Rome, Italy. This church did not directly influence South Station, but the designs clearly share the same effects on the immediate area.<ref name="archrefs" />

Two works of public art, installed as part of the [[Arts on the Line]] program, are located inside South Station:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/Art/commuter-rail-art-120817.pdf |title=On the Commuter Line |page=1 |date=2017 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>
*''Destinations'' (1995) by [[Jeffrey Schiff]] consists of 25 cast iron spindles hanging from the ceiling of the entrance foyer. Schiff was originally commissioned in 1980 for an artwork that would have consisted of granite columns in the main waiting room.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/139985418/ |title=An artist's long journey: After 15 years, Jeffrey Schiff's 'Destination' reaches South Station, but is it lost in 'commercial chaos'? |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=May 28, 1995 |first=Christine |last=Temin |pages=B17, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/139985472/ B21] |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
*''Musclebound for Miami'' (1991) by [[Nova Spivack#Personal live|Mayer Spivack]] is a {{convert|4000|lb|adj=on}} sculpture made from [[Janney coupler|Type H railroad couplers]] located near the information desk. It was originally commissioned in 1981.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/139982401/ |title=The work of the Superiors: Sweet and weird |first=Christine |last=Temin |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=April 24, 1991 |page=44 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==History==
===Predecessors===
When the railroads serving Boston were first laid out and built, each one stopped at its own terminal. By the late 19th century, four terminals served railroads entering Boston from the south:
* The [[New York and New England Railroad]] crossed the [[Fort Point Channel]] from [[South Boston]], just south of the present [[Summer Street Bridge]], and terminated just east of Dewey Square (right at the north end of today's South Station).
* The [[Old Colony Railroad]] had a long passenger terminal on the east side of South Street, stretching from Kneeland Street south to Harvard Street. This site is now part of the [[South Bay Interchange]], near the South Station bus terminal.
* The [[Boston and Albany Railroad]]'s passenger terminal was in the block bounded by Kneeland Street, Beach Street, Albany Street (now Surface Artery) and Lincoln Street. This later became a [[freight house]], and is now a block in [[Chinatown (Boston)|Chinatown]]; the passenger terminal was moved to the west side of Utica Street, from Kneeland Street south to a bit past Harvard Street, now part of the [[South Bay Interchange]].
* The [[Boston and Providence Railroad]] continued straight where it now merges with the Boston and Albany, terminating at [[Park Square (Boston)|Park Square]], with the passenger terminal on the south side of Providence Street from [[Columbus Avenue (Boston)|Columbus Avenue]] west about two-thirds of the way to Berkeley Street.

By the late 19th century, the New England, Old Colony, and Boston & Providence had been acquired by the [[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad]], while the B&A was acquired by the [[New York Central Railroad]]. However, the four separate terminals remained. The Boston Terminal Company, established in 1897, was charged with the task of consolidating service from the four terminals at a single terminal (a [[union station]]).
<gallery mode=packed>
File:New York and New England Railroad terminal in Boston, 1892.jpg|New York and New England Railroad terminal
File:Old Colony Railroad terminal in Boston, 1890.jpg|Old Colony Railroad terminal
File:Boston and Albany Railroad terminal in Boston, 1892.jpg|Boston and Albany Railroad terminal
File:Chromolithographic print of Boston and Providence Railroad terminal, circa 1875.jpg|Boston and Providence Railroad terminal
</gallery>
{{clear left}}
===Early years===
[[File:South Station linen postcard.jpg|thumb|1930s view of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated in front of South Station]]
South Station opened in 1899 at a cost of $3.6 million (1899 dollars). The architects were [[Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge]] of Boston, and the construction was undertaken by the engineering firm of Westinghouse, Church, Kerr & Co. The station opened on January 1 for use by Old Colony Division and Midland Division trains, the latter of which had been using the Old Colony terminal since August 22, 1896 to allow for construction. B&A trains began using South Station on July 23, followed by Providence Division trains on September 10 (along with the opening of [[Back Bay station]]).<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=43504499 |title=Dates of Some of the Principal Events in the History of 100 Years of the Railroad in New England. 1826-1926 |first=Warren |last=Jacobs |date=October 1928 |journal=[[Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin]] |publisher=Railway and Locomotive Historical Society |volume=17 |issue=17 |pages=15–28}}</ref>

It became the busiest station in New England by 1913.<ref name="stationhistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.south-station.net/station-history/|title=South Station Train Terminal: a building with history|publisher=South Station Boston|access-date=September 7, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716151449/http://www.south-station.net/station-history|archive-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref>  A stop on the [[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]] served South Station from 1901 to 1938; what is now the Red Line subway was extended from [[Park Street station (MBTA)|Park Street]] to South Station in 1913. The train shed, originally one of the largest in the world, was eliminated in a 1930 renovation due to [[corrosion]] caused by the nearby ocean's salt air.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qOIDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1930+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA958|title="Razing Rail Depot Tests Skill of Engineers" ''Popular Mechanics'', December 1930|date=December 1930|publisher=Hearst Magazines}}</ref>

In the original configuration, two tracks came off each approach to join into a four-track line and then run under the main platforms in a two-track loop. These tracks were never put into service, and later became a [[parking lot]] and [[bowling alley]] for employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southstation.org/southst.htm|title=South Station in Boston|work=Southstation.org|access-date=June 10, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717031751/http://www.southstation.org/southst.htm|archive-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref><!--Does anyone know what's there now?-->

While the station handled 125,000 passengers each day during [[World War II]], post-war passenger rail traffic declined in the US. In 1959, the New Haven's Old Colony Division–successor of the Old Colony Railroad–which had served the South Shore and [[Cape Cod]], stopped passenger service. The New Haven itself went bankrupt in 1961. South Station was sold to the [[Boston Redevelopment Authority]] (BRA) in 1965.<ref>[http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/BOS/Station_view Great American Stations: South Station]</ref> Portions of the station were demolished and the land was used to build the Boston South Postal Annex and the Stone and Webster building.

In the early 1970s, the BRA developed plans to demolish the rest of the station and replace it with a multi-use development including a new train station, a bus station, a parking garage, and commercial structures.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Brody |first1=Daniel |title=Terminal Illness |magazine=Boston Globe Magazine |date=January 23, 1972 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/154546769/ |pages=12, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/154546846/ 13], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/154546864/ 14], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/154546883/ 16]}}</ref> The plan was never realized, and South Station was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1975.<ref name=nris/><ref>{{cite web|title=South Station Head House|url={{MACRIS|BOS.1517}}|website=Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System}}</ref>

===Renovations===
[[File:South Station under reconstruction 1985.agr.jpg|thumb|South Station in 1985 during reconstruction]]
In 1978, the BRA sold what was left of the station to the MBTA, though the BRA retained air rights over the station. Funding was obtained for a major renovation of the station that was completed in 1989. A total of 13 tracks became available, all with high level platforms and some capable of handling 12-car trains. Piers were installed for the eventual construction of an office building and bus station above the tracks.  This renovation also added direct access to the Red Line subway station from inside the surface station lobby; previously, the only access was via street stairwells.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/1.011/www/finalppr/wilrf-South_Station_web.pdf|title=The Renovation of Boston's South Station / 1.011 Project Evaluation|access-date=December 9, 2013|date=May 13, 2003|author1=Alexander French |author2=William Fowler }} (MIT class project)</ref> The [[Central Artery/Tunnel Project]] (Big Dig) occupied almost all of the building's office space beginning in July 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65703496/the-boston-globe/ |title=Tunnel-artery staff getting new digs |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=July 4, 1988 |page=22 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

In 1988 the MBTA entered into a ground lease for the interior concourse and office space areas, transferring management of those spaces to [[Beacon Capital Partners|Beacon South Station Associates]]. The lease split the revenue from the station between the MBTA and Beacon South Station Associates, in exchange Beacon financed the renovation and upkeep of the building.<ref>https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-bay-transportation-authoritys-monitoring-of-the-operations-of-the-south-station/download</ref> Beacon South Station Associates was acquired by [[EQ Office]] in 1997, which was itself acquired by the [[Blackstone Group]] in 2007.

After some delays, an inter-city bus terminal opened in October 1995, replacing one on top of the [[I-93 (MA)|I-93]] [[Dewey Square Tunnel]] diagonally across from the station between Summer Street and Congress Street. The new bus terminal has direct ramp connections to I-93 and the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]]. The renovations, including the bus terminal, cost $195 million in 2001 dollars.

In September 2017, the [[Ben Ashkenazy|Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation]], which also owned the [[Faneuil Hall Marketplace]], purchased the 98-year lease on the office space and concourse areas of the station from the Blackstone Group for $123.2 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crenews.com/general_news/general/ashkenazy-pays-$1232mln-for-bostons-south-station-retail-office-component.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130002101/http://www.crenews.com/general_news/general/ashkenazy-pays-$1232mln-for-bostons-south-station-retail-office-component.html |archive-date=November 30, 2019 |title=Ashkenazy Pays $123.2Mln for Boston's South Station Retail/Office Component}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globest.com/sites/johnjordan/2017/08/23/nyc-based-ashkenazy-purchases-south-station-lease-in-boston/|title=NYC-Based Ashkenazy Purchases South Station Lease in Boston|date=August 23, 2017 |website=GlobeSt|language=en|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref><ref name="Logan" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nerej.com/ashkenazy-acquisition-corp-purchases-boston-s-south-station |title = Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. purchases Boston's South Station |website=NEREJ}}</ref> The MBTA began installation of fare gates for the commuter rail and Amtrak platforms in September 2025.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2025-08-29/commuter-rail-fare-gates-coming-south-station |title=Commuter Rail Fare Gates Coming to South Station |date=August 29, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The fare gates were put in use on December 30, 2025.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2025-12-29/south-station-commuter-rail-fare-gates-operation-starting-december-30 |title=South Station Commuter Rail Fare Gates in Operation Starting December 30 |date=December 29, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

In August 2019, the [[Federal Railroad Administration]] awarded MassDOT up to $41.2 million to replace much of the Tower 1 interlocking outside South Station.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/newsroom/us-transportation-secretary-elaine-l-chao-announces-272-million-%E2%80%98state-good-repair%E2%80%99-program |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828051257/https://railroads.dot.gov/newsroom/us-transportation-secretary-elaine-l-chao-announces-272-million-%25E2%2580%2598state-good-repair%25E2%2580%2599-program |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 28, 2019 |title=U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $272 Million in 'State of Good Repair' Program Grants |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration |date=August 21, 2019}}</ref> The remaining $41 million of the $82 million project will be funded by Amtrak and the MBTA.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/08/27/dot-receives-million-federal-grant-modernize-south-station-signaling-infrastructure/MIViAmP165PrcazlQQkVCP/story.html |title=DOT receives $41 million federal grant to modernize South Station signaling infrastructure |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=August 27, 2019 |first=Maria |last=Lovato}}</ref> {{As of|January 2021}}, completion is expected in 2026.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2021-01/2021-01-11-fmcb-19-fy21-capital-programs-update.pdf |title=Capital Program Update: FY21 Update through November 30, 2020 |date=January 11, 2021 |first1=Joanna |last1=Aalto |first2=Vikram |last2=Dogra |page=17 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> Bidding for the $68.7 million main construction contract opened in September 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bc.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/design_and_construction/construction_bid/?cbid=3414 |title=Public Announcement: South Station Tower 1 Interlocking Project |date=September 15, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The MBTA awarded the contract at a higher cost of $99 million in March 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2023-02/2023-02-24-7-tower-one-interlocking-construction-contract.pdf |title=MBTA South Station Tower 1/Cove Interlocking Improvements: Request for G49CN01 Approval |date=February 24, 2023 |first=Dan |last=Beaulieu, Sr. |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-03-23/mbta-board-directors-awards-contract-major-track-and-signal-upgrades-south-station |title=MBTA Board of Directors Awards Contract for Major Track and Signal Upgrades at South Station |date=March 23, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

===South Station Tower===
{{main|South Station Tower}}

[[File:South Station and South Station Tower.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.7|The nearly-complete South Station Tower in August 2025]]
When the [[Boston Planning and Development Agency|Boston Redevelopment Authority]] sold South Station to the MBTA in 1977, the BRA retained the [[air rights]] over the tracks.<ref name=mbtaSST>{{cite web |url=https://mbta.com/projects/south-station-transportation-center-improvements |title=South Station Transportation Center Improvements |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The [[South Station Tower]] complex, which is being built on the air rights, will include a 51-story, {{Convert | 678 | ft | adj = on}} skyscraper and an expansion of the bus terminal. Construction began in January 2020 and was expected to take four years.<ref name=mbtaSST /> The tower is being built on foundations put in place when the station was last renovated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/12/27/work-start-south-station-skyscraper-next-month/wkzgsWpn3MywJQzXtAyfvK/story.html|title=A skyscraper is headed for South Station in downtown Boston. Work starts next month|first=Tim|last= Logan|publisher= The Boston Globe|date=December 27, 2019}}</ref> The project will include an expansion of the outdoor waiting area with a new arched roof, a roof covering the entire platform area, a new entrance from Dorchester Avenue, and a more direct connection to the bus terminal.<ref name=mbtaSST />

===Proposed expansion===
As a major transfer station offering connections to multiple modes, South Station is expected to see additional passenger throughput as a result of system improvements and a general increase in ridership. The existing underground Red Line and Silver Line stations are adequate for the near future, but the surface-level commuter rail and Amtrak platforms are at capacity.

A proposed relocation of the Boston General Mail Facility, which is located on Dorchester Avenue next to the station tracks, would allow for increased capacity at South Station. Seven more tracks are planned to be added to the existing thirteen tracks, allowing increased use by both MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains.

In October 2010, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was awarded a [[United States dollar|$]]32.5 million grant from the federal government to begin planning for this expansion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mass. Will Try to Buy Postal Annex to Save Rail Expansion|first1=Casey|last1=Ross|first2=Noah|last2=Bierman|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/08/mass_will_try_to_buy_postal_annex_to_save_rail_expansion/|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=January 8, 2010|access-date=August 22, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100613053546/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/08/mass_will_try_to_buy_postal_annex_to_save_rail_expansion/ |archive-date=13 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mass. Receives Funds to Upgrade South Station|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/25/mass_receives_funds_to_upgrade_south_station/|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=October 25, 2010|access-date=October 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028235515/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/25/mass_receives_funds_to_upgrade_south_station/ |archive-date=28 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=State Wins $32.5M Grant to Plan South Station Expansion|first=Martin|last=Finucane|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/state_wins_325m.html|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=October 25, 2010|access-date=October 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028025513/http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/state_wins_325m.html |archive-date=28 October 2010}}</ref> After deliberations, a $43 million contract (including $10.5 million in state funds) was awarded in August 2012.<ref name=43mil >{{cite news |title=State to Soon Launch $43m Planning Effort for Project to Expand South Station|first=Matt|last=Rocheleau|url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/08/state_to_soon_launch_43m_plann.html|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=August 20, 2012|access-date=August 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824021528/http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/08/state_to_soon_launch_43m_plann.html |archive-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> The planning project will advance the new station area, including a possible passenger mezzanine over the platforms, to the 30% design level. Other elements include a redesign of the South Station [[interlocking]], new commuter rail layover facilities, and the restoration of public access to the adjacent section of Dorchester Avenue and the Fort Point Channel, filling in a missing half-mile segment of the [[Boston Harborwalk]]. The station expansion is intended to allow for increases in commuter rail service on the [[Fairmount Line]] and [[Framingham/Worcester Line]], addition of [[South Coast Rail]] service, and increased Amtrak frequencies.<ref name=43mil />

As of October 2014, purchasing of the postal facility is in limbo, as the Postal Service is not willing to accept the amount offered by the state. Part of this deal would include moving the facility to South Boston, with MassPort taking some of the Post Office's parking lot located across Fort Point Channel.<ref name="Leung">{{cite news|last1=Leung|first1=Shirley|title=On Fort Point property, a classic standoff between bureaucracies|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/10/02/south-station-postal-service-deal-long-overdue/bO6nOZzHImG5iQyyX2bdzI/story.html|access-date=January 17, 2015|publisher=Boston Globe|date=October 3, 2014}}</ref>

The Final Environmental Impact Report for the South Station Expansion Project was released on June 30, 2016. The project would begin with the demolition of the postal facility and take 5 years to complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/southstationexpansion/Documents/FEIR.aspx |title=South Station Expansion Project – EEA No. 15028: Final Environmental Impact Report |date=June 2016 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |access-date=July 8, 2016 |archive-date=July 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708232916/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/southstationexpansion/Documents/FEIR.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs approved the FEIR on August 12, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://209.80.128.250/EEA/emepa/mepacerts/2016/sc/eir/15028%20FEIR%20South%20Station%20Expansion%20no%20comments.pdf |title=Certificate of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs on the Final Environmental Impact Report |date=August 12, 2016 |first=Matthew A. |last=Beaton |publisher=Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs |access-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820111827/http://209.80.128.250/EEA/emepa/mepacerts/2016/sc/eir/15028%20FEIR%20South%20Station%20Expansion%20no%20comments.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The South Station Expansion Project has been opposed by a number of transportation advocates, community groups, and environmental groups, many of which instead advocate building a [[North–South Rail Link]] (NSRL) through connection to [[North Station]] and points beyond, rather than expanding the dead-end storage capacity for trains at South Station.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northsouthraillink.org/capacity/|title=Capacity|website=North South Rail Link|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-20}}</ref> Prominent NSRL supporters include former Governor [[Michael S. Dukakis]] (Democrat) and former Governor [[William F. Weld]] (Republican), who have made joint public appearances regarding this issue. Based on their advocacy, MassDOT agreed to fund a $2 million study in February 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/02/23/north-south-rail-link-gets-new-look/bCXiGajd6cfGTcApuIy0lN/story.html |title=North-South Rail Link gets another look |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=February 23, 2016 |first=Shirley |last=Leung |access-date=February 23, 2016}}</ref> The NSRL reevaluation report was released in June 2018. Its tunnel options included a four-track maximum-service plan, estimated to cost $21.5 billion and three double-track routes ranging in cost from $12.3 to 14.7 billion. South Station expansion was estimated to cost $4.7 billion. These costs are in 2018 dollars and include purchasing additional rolling stock, other required infrastructure improvements and a 3.5% annual inflation rate.<ref name=NSRL2018presentation>{{cite web|title=North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment|publisher=MassDOT|date=June 2018|url=https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/06/29/NSRLJun18_PubPres.pdf|access-date=September 4, 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.south-station.net/}}
* [http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/stations/?stopId=191 South Station – MBTA]
* {{Amtrak web|BOS|Boston, MA–South Station}}
* [https://www.mass.gov/lists/south-station-expansion-documents MassDOT – South Station Expansion documents]
<!--* [http://cdm.bostonathenaeum.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p16057coll4 Boston Athenæum: Boston and Albany Railroad Company and South Station. Digital Collection. Photographs.]
*{{HAER |survey=MA-58 |id=ma1299 |title=South Station Tower No. 1 & Interlocking System, Dewey Square, Boston, Suffolk County, MA |photos=20 |data=18 |cap=2}}-->

{{Boston Landmarks}}
{{Amtrak Massachusetts stations}}
{{MBTA}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts}}

[[Category:Amtrak stations in Massachusetts|Boston South]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Financial District, Boston]]
[[Category:MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Boston]]
[[Category:Stations on the Northeast Corridor]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Boston]]
[[Category:Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1899]]
[[Category:Former Boston and Albany Railroad stations|Boston South]]
[[Category:Former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad stations|Boston South]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Transit centers in the United States]]
[[Category:Union stations in the United States|South Station]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Boston]]