NEWTON, MA — A previously announced multi-year closure of the Newtonville Commuter Rail Station will no longer take place during an upcoming major construction project.
The station will remain open for full service throughout most of the reconstruction project, Mayor Marc Laredo announced Friday. Service will instead be suspended for approximately three months beginning in early summer 2027 and another approximately two months in spring 2029. The previous construction plan called for the station to close for more than two years.
"This news is a tremendous relief to our community because the original plan for this project called for the station to be fully closed for over 2.5 years," Laredo said in a statement. "This was the culmination of collaboration and hard work by the MBTA and our city team, coupled with the extraordinarily impactful advocacy of our residents, businesses, and local, state, and federal elected officials."
Construction on the $50 million project is expected to begin this fall, with work scheduled to begin in November. The existing plan had called for the station to close the following month and remain unavailable throughout construction before reopening in 2029. Laredo said Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng informed the city of the revised closure plan Friday afternoon.
Newtonville is one of three commuter rail stations in the city along the Framingham/Worcester Line, along with West Newton and Auburndale. The project will make Newtonville the first fully ADA-accessible commuter rail station in Newton. The existing station has a low-level platform with access that does not meet current accessibility standards.
The project will replace the existing station with two fully accessible high-level platforms and two elevators. Other planned improvements include track and signal upgrades, canopies, benches, bicycle racks, improved lighting, security cameras, emergency blue-light phones, tactile warning strips, wayfinding signage, and dedicated pickup and drop-off areas. The two-platform configuration is also expected to allow for more frequent service along the line.
The reconstruction has been years in the making. The MBTA previously sought federal funding through the All Stations Accessibility Program to improve Newton's commuter rail stations but was unsuccessful. The agency later divided the work into phases, with Newtonville moving forward first. The project is now funded through a $7 million federal earmark secured by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss and $43 million from the Commonwealth.
Laredo also credited State Sen. Cindy Creem, State Rep. Amy Sangiolo, City Council President John Oliver, and Ward 2 City Councilors Susan Albright, Tarik Lucas, and David Micley for advocating for the revised construction plan.
Similar accessibility improvements are planned for the West Newton and Auburndale commuter rail stations as additional funding becomes available.
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