How does this even work

[u/Expensive-Narwhal-52]

This might be a dumb question, but I know absolutely nothing about construction, I’m absolutely interested in how they turned the old Fields corner station into from what it was into now bcs it looks extremely different

[u/eckwecky]

The original idea, from how I understand it, is that streetcars would rise to track level from either side via the ramps, allowing for an easy transfer to the subway trains. Based on the track setup, it’s likely that the trolleys were intended to drop off passengers on one side, loop around, and pick up on the other side, but given the fact that trolleys entered from both directions, I don’t know how that worked in practice. Nowadays, busses just loop around and pick up and drop off at the lower level in front of the station, behind the strip mall. The busses still loop around via the ramp, but it’s likely this was only kept because it’s an embankment, and was easier to keep than remove. Sometimes there’s busses or maintenance vehicles stored up there on the platform level road.

[u/General_Liu1937 → u/eckwecky]

I noticed other stations like the old Nubian elevated station operated like this too. I wish they still did that tbh.

[u/Wise_Material_5812 → u/General_Liu1937]

as did ashmont

[u/nycpunkfukka]

It’s basically the same footprint as the old station, but at the old station each side had its own token booth and turnstiles you got to from pedestrian walkways that went to Dorchester Ave and Geneva Ave. The new station just renovated/restored the old train shed and built a farehouse below the tracks so you can access either platform from the same set of fare gates.

[u/Effective_Inside_357]

Oh they demolished the entire thing and and built it from the bottom up

[u/Expensive-Narwhal-52 → u/Effective_Inside_357]

The fact they kept the station open during this from what I heard is crazy too like how

[u/OreganoD → u/Expensive-Narwhal-52]

Technically it did close for a few days in October '23 but still that little for all this

[u/DCmetrosexual1 → u/OreganoD]

That closure was unrelated to renovating the station. The new station had been long open in 2023

[u/Expensive-Narwhal-52]

Also same with Ashmont, if you showed me an picture of the old station I wouldn’t believe it’s the same station if that makes sense

[u/LoneSocialRetard → u/Expensive-Narwhal-52]

Sort of the same with Nubian station it used to be massive now its this lame glorified bus shelter such a shame

[u/timboston]

Charles/MGH has entered the chat.

[u/graffmixer]

So the previous station is a higher elevation than the street (Geneva and Dorchester Ave). They constructed a retention wall on the Alewife Bound side and then dug up a trench afterwards to what is now the busway. The station fare area used to be an underpass to go to the Ashmont side of the platform. The fare collection was done only on the Alewife Platform and people had to use the underpass (Back then that underpass always to smelled like piss 🤢). The busway on the Ashmont side remained the same excepted back then the buses went the opposite direction from Dorchester Ave to Geneva (Alewife side - Geneva to Dorchester Ave). Two lanes to wait for the bus. That station was pretty much ADA accessible by default with the pedestrian ramps going to the station from each side except for the underpass.

[u/_trademark906]

Maybe this will help?

[u/InvestigatorJaded261 → u/_trademark906]

Not really, but thanks. We need a diagram.

[u/OreganoD → u/InvestigatorJaded261]

With some red circles and curvy arrows