Expansion to double size of North Station by November(2006)

I believe that the balcony had been blocked off many years before the advent of the MBTA Commuter Rail. Here is a long ago postcard view of it .

There is supposed to be an official ribbon cutting tomorrow (Wedneday, 1/31/07). If anyone knows the exact time of this ceremony, please post here.

Channel 4 is reporting 1pm for the time of the ceremony.

When I was there last night, I did not see any destination board or TV screen anywhere in the new lobby.

The benches are from South Station. The ones from North Station were a different shape. The ceremony is scheduled for 1p, and the Gov is coming. The modern solari board is on order and will be installed when they get it.

I'll try to be there. (But if it were up to me, I'd have waited until the board arrived before scheduling a public ceremony.)

I will be there too, I am the conductor on the 1:20p Fitchburg today.

It does seem like they're rushing the dedication a bit early -- I was through there on Monday and didn't think it was that ready.

Hopefully the rest of the monitors throughout the station will get replaced when they install the Solari board. Some of them are cutting off the track numbers on the right side -- kinda makes it hard to tell 6, 8 & 9 apart.

I went to the ceremony. Before it ended, they switched the flat-panel TV next to track 1 from a construction video to a display of MBTA commuter train times.

I presume that the Amtrak Downeaster times will be included on it, but I don't know. (The next Downeaster departure was too many hours in the future to show up when I was there.)

There is still a temporary "cross-platform" just outside the sliding doors, so you can walk out any door and reach any track. You can see the track sitting under this cross-platform. I assume the cross-platform will eventually be removed, the bumper posts moved back towards the Garden, and you'll have to walk out the correct door for your track.

The new lobby has lots of benches but no vendors or food stands yet. Let's hope they arrive soon.

The ticketing and information windows are still where they used to be, as are the two MBTA Fare Vending Machines. Will they install more?

I think it looks more like a bowling alley than a train station. But, hey it's better than the sardine can they had before. Now at least you can actually sit down and wait for your train. I'm sure Dunkin Donuts/McDonalds or someone else (Starbucks?) will move in ASAP.

And we also don't have to worry about a possible fire hazard either with such confined space either.

I noticed in the new section that tracks 1-10 are numbered but tracks 11 & 12 are not. Are tracks 11 & 12 out of service for good? Or did the T run out of money to buy an 11 & 12?

And this is probably nitpicking, but I don't like how NS has a metal "Track" sign in front of every number on the wall. It seems like an expensive waste of money. We know the numbers are for tracks, it's a bleeping train station!

Tracks 11 and 12 were never connected even before this construction. I think Spaulding Rehab Hospital needs to be demolished first. This could actually happen once they relocate to Charlestown in a couple of years.

Does anyone know what food establishments will be moving into North Staiton's new area? I would think McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts would move, as they got prety good business. the Morning commute arriving North Station it was a zoo trying to get a donut and coffee at DD!

I believe they did work on the restrooms both Mens and Womens

John, do you know if you guys (MBCR) will be getting any new crew areas at all. Not sure if they will still be sticking with the trailers

I'd hope we get something higher quality than either McD's or DD. South Station is a good example to follow.