Regular passenger service on the Dorchester Branch of the New York and New England Railroad ran until 1944.  During the service’s heyday, there were eleven intermediate stations between South Station and Readville: Dudley Street (Uphams Corner), Bird Street, Mount Bowdoin (Washington Street), Harvard Street, Dorchester (Talbot Avenue), Forest Avenue (Morton Street), Blue Hill Avenue, Rugby (Cummins Highway), River Street, Fairmount, and Glenwood Avenue.

  Passenger service on the line was restored in 1979, when construction along the Southwest Corridor necessitated rerouting trains destined for South Station through Dorchester.  To facilitate revived passenger service, infrastructure along the right of way was heavily upgraded.  At this time, there were no stations between Fairmount in Hyde Park and South Station -- as a result, abutting residents in Mattapan and Dorchester had to endure all of the negative consequences of the rail line without being able to enjoy the benefits of the service.

  When the Southwest Corridor project was completed in 1987, most rail service was again reassigned to the Southwest Corridor.   However, local neighborhood groups, led by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), pushed for and won continued service on the upgraded Dorchester track, with restored stations at Uphams Corner and Morton Street.  However, the full benefit of these stations has yet to be realized, due to the long headways, short service span and unattractive station environments.

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This page created 9.9.00, last modified 8.1.01.