Assembly
Assembly is the newest Orange Line station and opened as an infill station on September 2, 2014, the first new MBTA subway station to open since 1987. The station serves a major retail and residential development named Assembly Square that opened on the site of a former Ford assembly plant (named assembly in honor of this heritage). The stop consists of a single-island platform between the normally used west track (by Inbound trains) and middle track used by Outbound trains. The not normally used in revenue service 3rd track doesn’t platform at this station (it does platform at the 3 other Orange Line Stations where it exists between Community College and Wellington). Just beyond the subway tracks (separated by a fence) are two train tracks (the station is besides a short passing siding on the overall single track line ) used by the MBTA Haverhill Line whose trains can be seen passing while waiting at the station. The platform has a modern white canopy structure that covers the entire length of the platform. Under the canopy structure are semi-enclosed windscreen areas providing passenger seating. The station is located at ground level with just a fence separating the bike path along Great River Road from the subway tracks.
The station has two entrances. Both of these consists of glassed in, modern fully enclosed and climate-controlled pedestrian bridges. The main entrance is at the northern end of the platform. Automatic doors at the end of the platform lead to a wide staircase combined with an up escalator and an elevator. At the top of this landing is the fare control area with faregates. From here a glass fully enclosed bridge leads across the Inbound subway track, a bike path, and Great River Road before reaching the entrance at 499 Foley Street, with a staircase/up escalator and elevator to the SW corner of Foley Street and Great River Road.
The secondary entrance is located towards the southern end of the platform. Here a staircase and elevator lead up separately from the platform to a smaller bridge that leads across the Inbound subway track and the bike path that follows the subway line. The street entrance is via another staircase and elevator (no escalator) from the corner of where Great River Road stops following the subway line and turns west, becoming Revolutionary Drive which is what this exit is signed. This entrance also has automatic doors at street level (but no doors at the stairs or elevator along the platform).
The station’s Orange Line strip maps all have a typo, Commuter Rail Connections are not shown at Malden Center but correctly shown at the other Orange Line Stations (North Station, Back Bay, Ruggles, and Forest Hills) that have commuter rail connections.
Photos 1-56: August 2, 2021
Wellington