Bowdoin (MBTA station)

Bowdoin Station (pronounced BO-din) of the MBTA, is a station on the Blue Line, serving Bowdoin Square in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. Bowdoin Station opened for service on March 18, 1916, and was originally part of an old trolley line that ran under downtown Boston, connecting Beacon Hill to Maverick Square. Bowdoin Station is lightly used except at rush hour, and is only open from 5:15AM to 6:30PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. At all other times, trains terminate and originate service at Government Center station. The sharp loop just past the station is used to turn around Blue Line trains at all times, sending them back to Government Center and on to Wonderland, in Revere. The platform is wedge shaped, with a single entrance at the fat end, near the turnaround loop.

In 2008, the MBTA started running a mixture of 4-car and 6-car trains on the Blue Line, adding more long trains as new cars arrive from the manufacturer. 6-car trains can fit on the eastbound platform where trains go out of service, but only 4-car trains can fit on the westbound side where trains come into service after turning around. When boarding a 6-car train (at Bowdoin only) passengers must press a "door open" button on the outside of the train.

Bowdoin is slated to be closed permanently once the Government Center renovation is complete, due to the short distance between the lengthened platforms. A second headhouse might also be added to Government Center closer to Bowdoin Station on Cambridge Street, which would reduce the walking distance from 980 to 575 feet. Bowdoin will likely continue to be used as a turnaround loop, unless the proposed Blue Line extension tunnel to Charles/MGH is constructed.

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