A $32.3 million contract was approved by the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board to relocate and build a new, fully-accessible Chelsea Commuter Rail Station.
Upon completion, the new Chelsea Station will function as an intermodal facility linking the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Lines with the Silver Line 3-Chelsea service, which started operations in April 2018.
According to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, “This is a key investment in our Commuter
Rail infrastructure that will allow for faster boarding and improved
accessibility for people of all abilities,” “Once complete, the new station will serve as a multimodal connection
that will give our customers the choice of traveling to North Station on the
Commuter Rail or South Station on SL3 from a single point.”
The new station will feature high-level platforms, canopies, benches, and windscreens, along with new sidewalks, landscaping, stairways, lighting, communications systems, and structures for maintenance and bus operations personnel. Additional components of the project include demolition of the current Chelsea Station, upgrades to railroad signal systems, and installation of new traffic signal systems at nearby intersections.
By constructing and relocating Chelsea Station, the project seeks to decrease traffic congestion and reduce overcrowding on existing Chelsea bus routes while simultaneously offering improved transit access to environmental justice populations and better connectivity to employment centers in downtown Boston and the Seaport district.
Transit signal priority improvements for the SL3-Chelsea are also part of the project, along with enhanced operational efficiency and green operations features at the new station. Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decline through increased transit mode share and reduced idle time for commuter rail and BRT vehicles.
The Chelsea Commuter Rail Station Project was advertised in February 2019, with bids due in April 2019. Following receipt of six bids, A.A. Will Corporation was awarded the Chelsea Commuter Rail Station contract for $32,367,200.
Construction may begin as early as this summer, with an anticipated completion date in late 2021.