The Fairmount Branch, also referred to as the Midlands or Dorchester Branch, of the MBTA commuter rail network currently travels 9.1 miles, all within the City of Boston. Between South Station and its Readville terminus, the route travels through densely settled neighborhoods in Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park.

  Many of the neighborhoods surrounding the line have large minority populations, low to moderate per capita incomes, whose residents are highly dependent on public transit. The bus routes serving this corridor are some of the most crowded in the MBTA system. Yet all are beyond walking distance from MBTA rapid transit. The commuter rail line, such as it is, stops only at three intermediate stations, with an average distance of about two and a half miles between stations.  In the most thickly settled section of the route, in the vicinity of the Grove Hall and Four Corners neighborhoods, there is a 2.8 mile gap between stations.  Trains run at headways (time between trains) of about 30 minutes during rush hours and 60 minutes at all other times.  Evening service is limited and the last train leaves South Station for Readville at 9:40pm. There is no service on Saturdays or Sundays.

A view of the inbound platform of Morton Street station as seen from the street. Not very inviting, is it?

  The Uphams Corner and Morton Street stations are fairly primitive, consisting only of concrete platforms, with little if any amenities, such as sheltered waiting areas or seating.  Signage identifying the stations and lighting within the stations is poor. Consequently, many riders do not consider the stations safe.

  While the current level of service is adequate and appropriate from a commuter rail standpoint, the long headways and station spacings do not meet the needs of inner city residents, who require rapid transit service more akin to the Red or Orange Lines. For local service within Boston, service that requires a wait of up to one hour and stations that are not convenient to riders’ origins or destinations is of limited use value.  As a result, most area residents chose either to use private automobiles or MBTA buses, further congesting the already crowded road and bus network.

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This page created 9.9.00, last modified 8.22.01.