Brattle Loop Usage!

Why did they choose to terminate the B at North Station, and the D at Government Center during this whole demolition/re-routing process anyway?

Before the Canal St. Stub End was closed the trains ran like this.

B and D terminated at Government Center, run as directed terminations at Park St.

C trains terminated at North Station

E trains Terminated at Lechmere.



I hope the T goes back to that system when Lechmere is reopened. It seemed to work very efficiently.

What do trains that terminate at Gov't Center do there trackwise? They do not use the loop, right, otherwise the loop would be used more often.

The track map from world.nycsubway.org that you linked in the other thread pretty much illustrates the Gov't Center track layout. Basically, there are two loops, one oriented towards each direction, that are situated on top of each other.

If you have a chance to visit again -- when on the northbound (Lechmere) platform, look up the track towards Haymarket. You can see the switch and signal for the loop that the GC turnback trains use to head west again. As soon as they leave the Lechmere-bound track, they cross the Brattle Loop track, then curve off and begin to run roughly parallel to the westbound main track and the Brattle Loop, before finally crossing the Brattle Loop track again, joining the westbound (Park St. bound) main track, and entering back into GC station on the other side, headed towards the western end of the Green Line branches.