Haymarket station (MBTA)

The Tremont Street subway (future Green Line), including Haymarket, was built starting in 1894 and opened on September 3, 1898. The original trolley station was much more spacious than the current station, and consisted of four tracks with a pair of island platforms. The inner pair of tracks served cars from the northern suburbs which turned at Brattle Loop at Scollay Square (now Government Center) station, while the outer tracks served streetcars that ran through the entire Tremont Street subway to the Public Gardens portal and Pleasant Street portal. All cars entered the subway through the Canal Street incline just north of Haymarket.

On June 10, 1901, the Boston Elevated Railway's Main Line (future Orange Line) was opened from Sullivan Square to Dudley Square. The Tremont Street subway was retrofitted to allow operation of the Main Line elevated cars. Main Line trains from the Charlestown Elevated entered the tunnel through the outer tracks of the Canal Street portal and exited through the Pleasant Street portal to the Washington Street Elevated.[3] Elevated cars ran on the outer tracks at Haymarket, served by temporary high platforms; streetcars continued to use the inner tracks, which connected to a turnback loop at Adams Square station.

On November 30, 1908, a new Washington Street Tunnel opened for use by Main Line trains, and the whole Tremont Street subway was returned to streetcar use. The Washington Street Tunnel ran separately from the Tremont Street subway; however, because both tunnels used the newly expanded Canal Street incline, the Main Line platforms at Haymarket Square were immediately adjacent to the Tremont Street subway. Like the other Washington Street Tunnel stations, the two Main Line platforms were named after nearby streets. The northbound platform was Union and the southbound platform Friend – collectively called, Union–Friend.[3]

The track configuration at Haymarket after 1908 was similar to the original 1898 setup – the outer tracks served streetcars running through the subway, while the center tracks served cars turning at Brattle Loop at Scollay Square. The last (route #93) streetcars to use the inner tracks ran on July 2, 1949, although a North Station to Scollay Square shuttle ran until September 1952.[3] After that, only emergency and special service cars used the inner tracks.

The northbound Orange Line platform in 2019, before cosmetic work

On October 28, 1963, the tunnel between Haymarket and the newly renamed Government Center station was realigned, and Adams Square station was closed. The outer tracks at Haymarket now connected directly to the through tracks at Government Center, while the center tracks connected to Brattle Loop. On January 26, 1967, Union and Friend platforms were officially renamed Haymarket.[3]

On May 10, 1971, the MBTA opened a new Green Line platform at Haymarket, located south (inbound) of the 1898-built station. The new island platform occupies the space of the former center tracks, which were reconnected to the through tracks just south of the new platform.[3] The original 1898 platforms are still visible in the tunnel from Green Line cars traveling just north of the new platforms. The empty space is now used for electrical equipment and occasional storage. A new entrance and busway under the Government Center Garage opened on December 20, 1971.[4] In August 1975, the MBTA released plans to modernize four downtown stations, including the Orange Line platforms at Haymarket.[4]

The Haymarket North Extension opened on April 7, 1975, replacing the Charlestown Elevated. North of Haymarket, the Orange Line tracks were redirected from the Canal Street incline into a new tunnel to North Station, and then under the Charles River.[3] In June 2004, the Green Line was similarly rerouted, with the Canal Street incline closing entirely in favor of a tunnel to a newly rebuilt "superstation" at North Station.[3] That spacious new facility allows convenient cross-platform transfers between the inbound Green and Orange Lines, as well as full outbound connections, lessening the importance of Haymarket as a rail transfer station.[5] However, Haymarket station remains a major bus transfer station, served by many routes.[5]

A 2000–01 renovation, part of the Parcel 7 construction, added elevators to all levels of Haymarket.[1] This made the Orange Line accessible at the station.[6] A $15 million project to build raised platforms at Park Street and Haymarket began in 2001 and was completed by 2003.[7][8][9] On June 24, 2019, the MBTA Board awarded a $29.7 million, 16-month contract for full cleaning, wayfinding signage replacement, and other improvements at North Station, Haymarket, State, and Downtown Crossing stations.[10] Much of the cosmetic work at Haymarket, including painting and floor repairs, was completed over the weekend of August 30–September 1, 2019.[11] As of May 2020, the work is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.[12]

Part of the Bulfinch Crossing development will be built over the busway in the early 2020s; the project will include a modernization of the Green Line entrance and the busway.[13][14] A temporary closure of the station during construction was originally considered; the developer later agreed to keep the station open, though temporary closures of the north headhouse may be needed.[15][16] As of February 2020, the section of the garage above the station is planned to be demolished in December 2020.[15]