The MBTA has nearly completed work on accessible mini-high platforms on the inbound and outbound sides of the Wellesley Square commuter rail station that will make it feasible for more people with disabilities to use the train.
Update (2/14/25): The platforms are now slated to open on Feb. 17
Some in town have been working toward this goal for more than a decade (we’ve been writing about it since at least 2018). It was announced this past summer that $500,000 in federal accessibility funding secured by Congresswoman Katherine Clark would make project completion early this year a reality.
Mini-high platforms allow for level boarding at two cars of the train. Those being installed at Wellesley Square will be connected to the low-level platforms by a ramp. Riders will position themselves on the mini-high platform before the train arrives, and the operator will then provide assistance.
“The MBTA is pleased to bring these accessibility enhancements to Wellesley Square station as part of the T’s wider effort to improve accessibility across the system. We anticipate the platforms will be ready to launch soon following the completion of final items like critical signage installation within the station,” an MBTA spokesperson said.
Sheila Page, Wellesley’s new transportation & mobility manager, says “signs directing riders from one platform to another need to be approved by the Select Board and then installed. The platform will be formally open in the spring when the weather allows for additional ramp work to be completed.”
Liz Fahey, who has advocated for accessibility at the train station for years, is hoping the platforms will be open by April 4, which marks opening day for the Red Sox. Her adult son William, who has restricted mobility and uses a wheelchair to get around, works at Fenway. “Feeling very grateful for all those who never stopped advocating for this,” she writes, adding that many should benefit from the platform, including families with strollers, the elderly, and the visually impaired.
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