At five o'clock on a weekday, can you board an inbound train at Newtonville? Under the current layout, you can't. The station has one low-level platform reached only by stairs. That platform takes inbound trains in the morning and outbound trains in the afternoon and evening, so the schedule runs in one direction at a time.
The ridership numbers follow that schedule, and so does the main gain from the reconstruction. In August this blog told readers the station was about to go dark for 28 months. That plan no longer stands. Newtonville keeps its trains through most of the work, closes for about five months in total, and reopens with a layout that works in both directions.
A station that runs one way at a time
Fig City News reported autumn 2024 boarding figures from Justin Kunimune's analysis of MBTA ridership data. Newtonville averaged 421 daily boardings, more than West Newton's 227 and Auburndale's 171 combined. Of Newtonville's 421, 330 boarded in the morning and 91 in the afternoon or evening.
The morning-heavy split matches the platform. Kunimune's reading is that people who board before noon live near the station and people who board later work near it. Fig City noted that the single-platform setup likely holds down all three Newton stations' numbers. The MBTA has said two-way platforms are needed for service in both directions and at higher frequency, which would let the rebuilt station serve trips it can't handle now.
The MBTA's project page lists what replaces the current stairway platform:
- Two fully accessible, high-level side platforms
- Elevator and stair connections from the Washington Street sidewalk and from the pickup and drop-off area
- Elevator and stair connections between the two platforms
- Accessible paths from the sidewalks and station parking
- Canopies, benches, tactile warning strips, wayfinding signage, bicycle racks and dedicated pickup and drop-off areas
The MBTA's June public meeting presentation describes 400-foot platforms with headhouses connected by an overhead pedestrian bridge. It puts the final budget at $66 million. In November 2024 the estimate was $50 million, so the cost has risen by roughly a third. Fig City reported that Newtonville went ahead of the other two Newton stations because it carries the most riders and has the most immediate potential for transit-oriented development. The MBTA says similar work at West Newton and Auburndale depends on more funding.
How 28 months became five
Under the original plan, the station would close in November 2026 and stay closed until spring 2029, with no added bus service. Newton Beacon reported that the plan drew months of objections and an organized campaign by residents and business owners. At the MBTA's June meeting, the Newtonville Area Council and Councilor Tarik Lucas raised concerns about parking and the effect on local businesses. Several councilors and State Representative Amy Sangiolo objected that no extra bus service was planned.
On September 17, Mayor Marc Laredo told the city that MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng had called to say the station would stay open during construction except for two periods. The first is about three months beginning in early summer 2027. The second is about two months in spring 2029. In his update to residents, Laredo thanked Congressman Jake Auchincloss, State Senator Cindy Creem, State Representative Amy Sangiolo, City Council President John Oliver, and Ward 2 Councilors Susan Albright, Tarik Lucas and David Micley. "You spoke, we listened, and together we worked to create the best possible outcome for Newtonville," he wrote.
Greg Reibman, president and CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber, explained the stakes to Fig City News. "The 400-plus commuters who use the Newtonville station daily and the restaurants and shop owners who benefit from the foot traffic are all breathing a sigh of relief," he said.
Harvard Street is the way in now
Under the revised plan, riders reach the trains through the Harvard Street entrance and use a modified section of the existing low-level platform. The Walnut Street entrance stays closed for the length of construction. If you usually walk down from the Walnut Street side, your route to the platform changes for the entire project.
The MBTA's schedule calls for early-action work in November 2026: site preparation, utility relocation and new retaining walls. Platform foundations and track work follow in 2027. Platform construction, elevators, finishes and roofing run from 2028 into spring 2029, and the project is set to finish in June 2029.
The June presentation was a draft, so its street-level details may change. It listed these effects along Washington Street:
- Construction noise and dust, with some night work
- The station's existing parking area used as a construction laydown area
- Relocated bus stops and lane restrictions
- A temporary eastbound bike and pedestrian detour, a temporary barrier, and a 14-foot eastbound travel lane with a two-foot shoulder
- Four to six weekend track outages in late 2027
That same presentation still showed the December 2026 station closure, which the September revision replaced. The traffic plan predates the change of schedule.
The two closures, and the routes around them
Here is the sequence in order, for anyone planning around it:
- November 2026: early-action site work begins while the station stays open from Harvard Street.
- Early summer 2027: the first full closure, about three months.
- Late 2027: four to six weekend track outages.
- Spring 2029: the second full closure, about two months.
- June 2029: projected completion.
For travel without Newtonville trains, the MBTA recommends bus Route 59 to the Green Line D Branch at Newton Highlands, which it says takes about 20 to 30 minutes longer than the Commuter Rail trip. Its project page says Route 59 will get more service during construction so it lines up better with the usual Commuter Rail schedule. The other option is express Routes 553, 554 or 556 from Newtonville with a transfer to Route 504 at Newton Corner. The MBTA notes those buses don't keep Commuter Rail hours, and some of them don't run on weekends. The agency plans no shuttle bus for the construction period.
You can also use another station. The June presentation pointed riders to West Newton, 1.5 miles west, and Boston Landing, 3.5 miles east. West Newton and Auburndale have the same single-platform pattern, so the one-direction limit applies there too.
Washington Street has a second project under review
The station work starts while the city is reviewing the design of the street above it. Mayor Laredo said in late August that the city is considering changes to Washington Street from Chestnut Street to Lowell Avenue, based on community feedback on the pilot layout. The Newtonville Area Council ran a public survey on the roadway changes in West Newton and Newtonville and sent its findings to the mayor and City Council.
The city scheduled three drop-in listening sessions on the Washington Street Pilot for November 6, 12 and 18. Only the November 12 session is online. Written comments go to [email protected]. On the stretch near the station, construction lane restrictions and a moved bus stop will sit in the same corridor the city is now reconsidering. Comments on either project describe the same block.
For station questions, the MBTA project team uses [email protected] and the city's team uses [email protected]. The MBTA says the plan still depends on final funding and design coordination, and that construction timing and temporary access details will keep being refined as the design advances.
The station due in June 2029 has elevators, two high-level platforms and trains stopping in both directions, and until then, outside the two full closures, riders reach the trains through the Harvard Street entrance. If you're thinking about how the station project fits with your own plans to stay, sell or buy nearby, Debby Belt is glad to talk it through, starting with a clear read on your home's value.
