Needham Line

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Needham Line
Needham Line train #614 leaving the Forest Hills station inbound to South Station.
Info
Type Commuter rail
System MBTA Commuter Rail
Locale Greater Boston
Terminals Needham Heights
South Station
No. of stations 11
Operation
Owner MBTA
Operator(s) MBCR
Character Commuter rail line
Rolling stock Commuter rail cars
Technical
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Line map
KBFa
South Station
eABZlf
Franklin and Old Colony Lines
BHF
Back Bay
eABZrf
Framingham/Worcester Line
BHF
Ruggles
eABZlf
Providence/Stoughton Line
BHF
Forest Hills
BHF
Roslindale Village
BHF
Bellevue
BHF
Highland
BHF
West Roxbury
BHF
Hersey
BHF
Needham Junction
BHF
Needham Center
KBFe
Needham Heights

The Needham Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, and the town of Needham.

Operating weekdays and Saturdays, the station stops (from South Station) are: Back Bay, Ruggles, Forest Hills, Roslindale Village, Bellevue, Highland, West Roxbury, Hersey, Needham Junction, Needham Center, and Needham Heights.

The line was built in 1906 as a cutoff to the Dedham Branch of the Boston and Providence Rail Road and purchased by the MBTA in 1973.

When the plans to replace the Washington Street Elevated were drawn up in the 1960s, the new rapid transit Orange Line was planned to continue past Forest Hills to Needham Heights. However, as the project was stalled over the next few decades, funding was only found to complete the replacement portion to Forest Hills in 1987. During construction (1979 to 1987), the line was closed entirely.

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