I felt like a prisoner being held by from a riot while trying to catch a train at this station. Unlike South Station, this feels low brow, like the Penn Station of old. Right near if not attached to the TD Garden and only a handful of eateries. Makes me wonder if there is even a bathroom on the premises. I guess considering it is a commuter rail station that my options are fairly restrictive. A basic station and nothing more. read more

Eh- I mean why do you have machines scanning the tickets while you enter, just for you to go to the train and have to scan your tickets again. This causes traffic build up and people can easily miss their train. Also half the time they don't even work, which then you have to jump in another line. I had a question and an employee did get an answer but she took so long my train was there and I almost just left her because she was slowly walking back to me like she had no care in the world. This place is chaotic as well. Between the Bruins games people, people partying and we got the cross fire of Salem people and Halloween weekend people - wasn't fun and finding our Lyft was a mess. I really didn't like this at all, and the train windows were so dirty you couldn't even see out of them. I guess it doesn't help it's directly under TD Garden so it makes sense for the madness but I'll pass. read more

North station is everything all in one--and it's been renovated recently so it's really nice. It's a transportation hub for the subway and commuter rail, it houses the Bruins and Celtics games, and it even hosts large entertainment events. It also now has a hub hall (food court) which has cool dining options. Plus if you're not here for a huge event, they have an AMC, a night club, and hotel attached as well. Whether you're visiting from the suburbs or the inner-city, it's really accessible. If you'd prefer to drive they have parking garages. The commuter rail now is now blocked off and you must scan your ticket before you can enter the area which is new. They are pushing for people to buy them on the mTicket app, however there is still a ticket window off to the side. read more

See all

Great station. Very clean. friendly workers. Has a nice food court with many options read more

See all

My comments are for the commuter rail, not for the mood lighting, the Orange and Green lines or the Dunkin' if there is one. The setup is strange. No ticket machines are available. You can buy a ticket with a credit card from someone at the gate, or go over to a ticket selling window. To exit you must use a bar code to open the gate. Not only is this different than normal commuter rails like LIRR, it isn't even done at Back Bay and South Station. read more

Love how the 5:42 Delayed, 6:20 Delayed, Never showed up, then 7pm train arrives. We sit and then were told to change trains. Idk why I bothered with the trains, going back to driving or a job elsewhere! read more

Good thing they added some confounding turnstiles to ensure you have a ticket even though they both check & sell tickets on the train. Because who doesn't love an arbitrary obstacle that'll make you miss your train by 20 seconds and delay your trip by an hour. Pro tip: skip the ticket window where the tellers will stop to take a phone call mid-transaction, jump the turnstiles, and buy your ticket on the train. You know, like how you usually can at any normal train station. read more

This train comes fast . Thai is usually the case unless there is an accident. It's the standard fare for Boston trains . You can Google the appropriate fares online @ www.mbta.com. The train is fun. It also beats paying an Uber or parking . You can also get Charly Card to save on train fares . read more

An MBTA station is on the North End. It seems like one of the better ones. Mostly clean and easy to get around unlike many others it seems. Close to a few main attractions. There's also some chances to transfer. It seems like a pretty busy station but it's not hard to get around. It serves the Green and Orange Lines. This is the last chance to make a transfer between these two before they go their separate ways. Amtrak also has a connection. Getting there is kind of confusing because you have to take a few concourses to get there. Also it connects to the T Commuter Rail. This is also confusing getting from here to over there. Basically you can change between systems but you need to know before you go. There's not a lot of clarity on how to get to these other systems. Getting around the actual subway part is okay. The location is cool if you're looking for some fun stuff. Close to many good entertainment. It's near the Garden where the Bruins and the Celtics play. This is also near the pretty cool Lovejoy Wharf. read more

MBTA - North Station - Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ok I use the commuter rail from the burbs to get into Boston while I'm here for a visit. I've not taken the regular T trains of the orange line and the other lines so I can't say much about that. I purchase my ticket on the train and gotta remember to bring it with you cause you need to scan it when you get out. They have places to wait for your train but I had hoped for someplace to charge up your phone unless you have your own wireless charger. A few Dunkin Donuts around plus some restaurants inside. They do have cashiers so you can buy all your tickets to ride. It's a tidy as it can be as a commuter station it is what it is. The MTA staff is available but they all just seem aggrieved by patrons who don't know the drill either that or they have all just had a day. Not everyone who is using the system from Boston/suburbs. The crew on the commuter trains are great and helpful. read more

Conveniently located at the TD Garden and the Commuter Rail with a ton of transfers into the city. The MBTA office is there with time frame guides. There are employees at the entrance of the gates to help you if you need it. The waiting area is fairly big with kiosks for snacks and drinks. Once your train arrives the screen will tell you what track to go on. read more

Pigeons roam free and defecate all over the floor and the buildup on the lights is a gross health health concern, ie bird flu. Looks like it hasn't been cleaned in months. A pressure washer and a floor cleaner would take care of this in short order. Been coming here for 50 years, worst I've ever seen. Bird control is needed to address the root cause. This is a case of normalization of deviance. Take a ride to Penn Station and observe the spotless shining floors. read more

The trains run on time, staff is helpful and organized, and tickets are affordable and easy to obtain.

New to the city and still learning how everything works here. The staff was wonderful in its aid. Don't do like I did and enter the ticket gate before going to the latrine. It's outside the gate. If you do however speak to the agent at the gate. She let me out and back in and took the time to answer my questions. The staff here is what really sold it for the commuter rail. read more

Large station though not as big as South Station. The do have a bunch of food vendors so that you can get a bite while you wait for your train. There is a decent amount of construction right now. Getting from the Commuter Rail platforms to the Green Line is a bit of a walk, but they do tell you how to get there. Big departures board has all the upcoming trains but they don't announce until only a little bit before departing. Annoying but consistent with other trains. read more

MBTA - North Station - Departure board at North Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We had a hart time navigating the purple line late on a Saturday night it was a mess the person on the train wasn't exactly clear.

I've been really surprised by how much the subway does pass frequently which btw is both underground as well as outside on the street. That was prettuy unic to me even if I know we kinda got the same thing in Toronto I'm from Montreal where the subway's only underground. Plus I also been really surprised by the efficacity of their transport system and i didn't felt insecure at all during my ride Good Job Boston you did amazed me with your public services read more

If you're traveling inbound, and you need to transfer between the orange and green lines, the only way they could have made it any easier is if they had someone carry you from one train to the other. It's more functional than friendly (not that it's unfriendly), being easy to get around and over to the Amtrak part as well, but not someplace where you have a lot of extra options. That's fine for me, because I'm usually either using this station to get from one point to another, or maybe going to the Garden for something. If I'm looking for food and drink, I'll get that outside, or at my next destination. As others have put it, it's a well organized hub. read more

MBTA North Station is the most station I utilized the most during my stay in Boston, since my hotel is only 2 minute walk from the station. I can get on to the Green/Purple or Orange Line from here so basically it is really accessible from here to other part of Boston. Even with 3 lines, there are enough signage so I don't feel like I am lost or in a maze. I guess I was lucky to have miss game days traffic and excitement... maybe I should be back in town next time to catch a game at TD Garden? read more

MBTA - North Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My first time at the North Station. Wow. So bad. 1) Bathrooms - dirty, graffiti, doors missing locks and no soap in the dispensers. Some people don't even bother with the sinks & skip washing hands altogether. Welcome to Boston ! 2) Employees at station - not helpful. Asked for directions, map indicted was wrong. Need help? Forget about it. 3) Food options - pizza, ice cream, donuts - unhealthy high sugar & fat - next stop Mass General cardiology department. 4) General "ambience" if you want to call it that, is urban grime meets anxious travelers. Not a lot of people smiling. Most look like they can't wait to get out of there 5) Location - this is the worst part. When you take the Amtrak from New York, they make you transfer to another Amtrak station located in a completely different area. This means you either have to take the subway or a taxi. The subway requires a transfer for the South station but is direct to Back Bay. Basically there are three separate Amtrak stations, different trains connecting them, and staff handing out little to no instructions while laughing as you walk away confused. The entire experience was unpleasant. I had planned to spend a few hours in Boston but thanks to multiple hour delays & no one to remedy the connections, I ended up skipping Boston completely. Not that I care. I love New York & would rather spend my money there anyway. read more

This travel hub takes me into NH. I prefer South Station because of the food options. There was a McDonald's, but that has closed. This station is a serious commuter hub. There just so happens to be Amtrak trains that go to Maine. They could add more seats to the lobby. It would slow down the people running for trains. It reminds me of Penn Station, at the NJ Transit train area. There's always a mad dash for the train gate. If they had better food options, I'd give it 4 stars. There are a ton of restaurants and bars around but I don't wanna run for a train. read more

MBTA - North Station - The board!!! - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

This is a major hub for the north Boston area- with a whole bunch of train lines coming together and connecting on the 1st floor of the TD Garden, so it's a busy place. There's a whole lot going on here- between all the normal commuter stuff happening, to the Bruins and Celtics games- it keeps this place hustling! With the commuter platforms being run by the MBTA, it seems that they could do better of showing route maps, a diagrams of the transit system. A lot of it was left to guessing and online transit apps. The platforms were clean, and there were restrooms available. I was a bit disappointed that my unlimited 7-day pass didn't work on the ride out to Salem on the purple line. I thought that the thing was good for all area transit, but guess not. It cost $15 round trip to Salem. There are plenty of escalators to get you around, and the signs are good- they just need more maps. read more

I've been to North Station many, many times over the years, both through the commuter rail and the T. It's pretty small and outdated compared to South Station, but it has TD Garden so there's that. Still has pretty decent amenities overall, even though it's not always the cleanest. (I do wish security would do a better job at dealing with panhandlers though...) There are two times you want to avoid being here if possible: rush hour during the work week, and whenever there's a Celtics game. It's pretty quiet if you're there late at night, after 9-10pm. Since North Station is a stop on both the Green and Orange lines, you can get to pretty much anywhere in Boston through this station. You can switch to the Red Line via Park Street (also on both the Green and Orange lines). You can also take an Amtrak ride (about two and a half hours) to Portland, ME via the Downeaster. There's several self-help kiosks available where you can purchase commuter rail tickets. Right before the entrance to the T there's also a bunch of kiosks where you can reload your Charlie Card or purchase tickets for the T. If you want to use a power outlet you'll most likely be sitting on the floor in an awkward place, which I wouldn't recommend for various reasons. Food and drink options include McDonald's, Crazy Dough pizza, Emack & Bolio's, a small bar, a newspaper/snack stand, and, for some reason, two Dunkin' Donuts (it's Boston, that's really the only explanation for this). There's also a CVS right across the street if you need to kill time or pick up something on your way to or from the station. Best advice for North Station and Boston in general is to stay vigilant, move quickly, and know where you're going (or at least back it look like you do). read more

This is an extremely poorly run and fairly incompetent transportation system. They advertise all summer long to switch from car commute to train/subway/bus in order to allow construction on major tunnels in Boston and avoid traffic and yet have major delays on subway lines causing you to miss trains. I've only been commuting via MBTA for three weeks and have already missed two trains due to two separate subway delays (I got on the subway a good 40 minutes before my train left north station and still missed it) and have also had one train cancelled shortly before boarding and another train delayed shortly before boarding. I would rather rot in traffic than take this commuter service and will not be renewing my monthly pass. I shouldn't have to pay almost 400 a month for a pass to then have to pay for an Uber to get me to north station on time because the subways can't stick to a schedule. As I'm writing this my train is sitting at the station 20 minutes late for departure and we've just been asked to deboard and board on another track. The MBTA oozes incompetence. read more

This is one of the best train stations I have ever used. It's clean, organized, easy to navigate and lots of places to choose from if you need a quick bite to eat. read more

North station really needs to be redesigned. I understand they have space issues being in Boston, but its poorly designed. And not-secure. They need to have more visible security as well. They never have enough transit police around except when there's Celtics or bruins games at the garden. They need regular transit police statined there. The new MBTA commuter fare gates are horrible and hard for people to learn to use and understand. They should make it so you can put money on your charlie card that you use for the subway and be able to use for your ticket and scan it on the fare gates. They are forcing you to get a smart-phone because everything has to be done on the phoen these days. What about older folks who dont want to use a phoen or cant learn tech as easily? What about people who can't afford phones??? They need to make it so you can add money onto your charlie card and use that to pay for the fare, and scan at the fare gates, so you dont have to go onto an app and have it consume time. Also what if your phone dies? They have not thought this through. Rush hour is ridiculous at the station due to the new fare gates. I understand it is to prevent people from skipping paying the fares, but there's got to be better way. The station is too crowded, too small, and it doesnt help they have TD garden right above it. Which jams everything up even more when there's a game. The TD garden needs to develop more entrances rather than have everyone come to one spot up the escalators to check in. Other arenas I've been to such as the AMWAY Center for the orlando magic in Florida have entrances and scanners /security on all four corners of the arena. They need to develop more entry for the garden on all corners of the building. Or maybe have escalators going up to the balcony from the outside where they have a separate entry way for the garden, from the balcony level and a separate entry way escalator for the premium levels. The food court is nice, but way too overpriced, and extremely crowded, especially on game days. The bahtroom you can smell from the outside and is usually not kept too clean. I usually use the bathroom down in star-marke. They have a few good new additions like Guy Fieris restauraunt, star market, and Big Night live a music venue, but overall not much else has changed and its gotten worse. Also they need to figure out a way that non commuters can access the convenience store in the station or Dunkins. Can you please move the fare gates or allow a walkway to the convenience store for non commuters if we want to grab a drink or something??? You cant access the convenience store unless you are a commuter without going through a big hassle to find a T employee to let you in. They need to station security officers from securitas or transit cops there to let people come and go if they want to use the store. Or they need to move the store outside the gates. They should close the Dunkin Donuts in the corner on the right side....and put the convenience store there. They have another dunkins already. Poorly designed , high priced, and overcrowded. read more

It takes you places. It does, for real cause it's a train station. Duh. It has both the green and orange line inside and the out in the Garden first level is the commuter rail. Inside the T stop it's really nice, fairly new and it's like a hub for control for the T cause they have a big window area with lots of screens and equipment. Lots of Charlie machines, I have a monthly link but there's a lot of machines. Game nights or event nights, yaaaa good luck over here hahaa, I mean I'm okay with it it's busy as all hell but it doesn't bother me. What does bother me about it is stupid people complaining about it. You may get shoved, accidentally of course. The layout is pretty good the green line outbound is bottom across from orange inbound and the orange outbound you go upstairs to get back downstairs to the other side and then green in is uptop above green. Confused yet? Very easy once you actually see it. Come stop by NS it's a good stop. read more

I like North Station for three reasons: The Downeaster, TD Garden, and the green and orange lines. Tavern in the Square across the street is a good addition to my list of likes. The dislikes? The bathrooms. The smells. No ventilation during the hot summer months. I had a 9am train to Maine on a March morning, and I wanted to use the ladies room. I walked in, and there was feces all over the walls. I thought...oh hell no...and waited till I got on the train to use the bathroom. Much cleaner and better than what I saw in the ladies room at North Station. And that's sad. I mean, South Station had just gotten renovated and their improvements were by far better than North Station. Eeew. Just learned my lesson to not even try anymore. I agree with Robert H, it has been "upgraded" since the dog days of way back when, but not by much it seems. read more

Utilitarian, nothing fancy but with plenty of commercial space for Dunkin and other food shops. Not too easy to get to from the subway because of the construction. You have to go to the street, walk across through this breezeway and then into the doors for the station. At least the restrooms were clean. read more

First time using the MBTA, and I have to say it was a really good experience. The train from Swampscott to Boston was delayed, but once we got on, they did not charge us which was nice. After that it was a short ride in. Enjoyed the day in Boston, Took the T to the aquarium and had fun. The whole transit system was super easy to navigate and everybody was very helpful. Got back to the north station, and there was a friendly employee answering questions for people. He gave us a schedule, and Showed us an app we could get to be getting our tickets super easy. He was a really nice guy. Wish we would've got his name, but a very nice representative of the MBTA read more

In all honesty, it's a pretty terrible train station, especially for one that may be making a first impression on someone coming to Boston. The subway portion is fine, nothing really wrong with it, but it also doesn't matter as much, since that's mostly used by locals or people from the suburbs coming in for games or concerts. It serves the Orange and Green Lines, which can get you to most places in Boston. However, the commuter rail/Amtrak terminal is sad. It's the basement of TD Garden, and it really does feel like a basement. The seating is not only inadequate, but also uncomfortable. When you finally do get your hands on a bench, it's a warped wooden one that you'd find in an unkempt park. The food options are 2 Dunkin Donuts 50 feet from each other and the famously over-priced, underly-delicious ice cream shop, Emack & Bolio's. Okay, there are others too (Crispy Dough is actually pretty bomb), but there isn't much to choose from, they close early, and there's no where to eat it. Don't even think about going to the bathroom here, as hardly any of the doors lock and the walls under the hand dryers are covered in mold. This one probably has more to do with the MBTA in general and less with North Station, but it drives me insane that they only announce the track of an outbound train 10 minutes before it leaves, and you can only board on certain cars. I'm comparing this to Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center, which is beautiful, has a ton of food, and doesn't include a mad dash to try to get a good seat, so it may be a bit unfair, but I do wish those coming in from out-of-state train rides could get a better first impression of this city. read more

This place is less horrifying compared to Penn Station. There are usually a few pigeons walking around inside. This is where you take the Amtrak and Commuter rail. There are a few take out places in case you need food for the train ride. You have to walk a tiny bit to get to the T. I do not love hanging out here, but it gets the job done. read more

three stars for people watching. Oh man you will see some of the funniest things here. I have stories I love to tell for years, that have happened here. yeah it maybe late and overcrowded, but its a complete freak show. Was there tonight, saw a woman con guys out of money by flirting with them for a little bit. Two guys were standing outside rapping (not for the crowd literally just to themselves, it was odd). I never leave with out some story read more

MBTA - North Station - Toban bridge @ night - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

DO NOT EVER use the public bathrooms at the North Station MBTA - they are filthy!!! What is more amazing is you can always see one of those yellow buckets outside with mops and one of those cones that remind you the floors are wet which may lead you to think someone is actually cleaning these bathrooms but this could not possibly be the case as they are disgusting. The toilets have not seen a genuine cleaner since 1965 and the walls are grimed and full of graffiti - this restroom is commonly used by hundreds of commuters and its condition is a disgrace - welcome to Boston!!! read more

See all

Highly organized. Trains seem to run on time & navigating is pretty straightforward. Lots of dining options while you wait!

One of the cleaner mbta stations and very simple to navigate. Easily accessible and lots of space.

Well the subway or T station is in need of an update. The floors are all cracked and tiles missing. But its well lit and safe. Better than Haymarket station. Then upstairs is the commuter rail station lobby. Its new. They have an elevator or stairs that can get you there. Some food shops are up there. Some homeless people hang out sometimes but its not too bad. The ceil has some funny signs on it and i once saw someone left a grill in the bathroom. You can get your charlie tickets downstairs by the subway trains. Those also have tickets for the commuter rail. Dunkin has free wifi. They got a grumpy old man cop who is here a lot. The train conductors are cool tho. read more

This is specifically for my experience with the Green Line and Orange Line. My daily commute has me pass through North Station and it gets the job done. I haven't had many issues with the Orange Line here besides traffic delays at further stops, but waiting for the outbound Green Line trains here can be a real pain. It's nice to look at the updated ticker to see which train is coming next, but it's totally unhelpful when the train you do want doesn't show up for up to a half hour. Otherwise, the entire station is pretty clean and very roomy. Just make sure to watch out when criss crossing after a train just releases its passengers. I enjoy the Celtics advertisements as I wait for my train though :) read more

Great way to get around Boston. Easy to follow the maps and friendly help if you have questions. I'm glad we chose this option rather than driving into the city and fighting for parking. read more

MBTA - North Station - Lots of DD around Boston - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

busy train station with very very poor air quality imo. the bathrooms are gross too. this station is like the main one in boston so ofc it smells bad and is messy. read more