Lansdowne - MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worchester Line

Yawkey (named this until April 18, 2019 when it was renamed Lansdown due to the renaming of Yawkey Way back to its original name beacuse of former Red Sox Owner Tom Yawkey's racism) is the by far the closest station to Fenway Park and construction has begun to modernize it with high-level platforms and the ability to stop more trains there for better access to Fenway Park and the new developments in the Longwood Medical Area surrounding the station. It opened for the 1988 baseball season and was originally only served during game days by special Fenway Flyer Trains on the Framingham, Attleboro and Franklin Lines. Today's station gets regular service and Fenway Flyer trains have been discontinued lasting at least through the 1993 baseball season. A rebuilt station with two high-level platforms opened on March 10, 2014.

The station was renamed to Lansdowne on April 8, 2019 following the renaming of Yawkey Way back to Jersey Street due to former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey's racism and refusal to intigrate the Red Sox. The Red Sox were the last team to have a black baseball player when Pumpsie Green was the first black player for the team in 1959 14 years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. There are lots of other cases of Yawkey's and the Red Sox organization's racism.

In 2011 service was limited by the smallness of the station. It consists of a low-level platform that can only platform 3 cars plus a mini-high level platform for ADA access (and platform signs give boarding instructions of waiting for trains on that platform) on the southern of the two tracks of the Worcester/Framingham Line. There is a single wooden crossing for trains on the northbound track. The stop has a few benches and a wooden sign; the only form of shelter is on the mini-high platform. There is also a bike rack at the inbound end. This means the stop gets limited service with good peak direction rush hour service and just a few midday trains stopping. Weekend service is similarly limited with many trips bypassing the station. Access to the platform is via a small pathway between construction areas from a non-MBTA owned parking lot that I believe is owned by the Red Sox. The lot is between the overpasses of Brookline Avenue and Beacon Street that cross both the Commuter Rail Line and the Mass Pike since they share the same ROW here.
All photos taken on 16 December, 2011