Self transfering From Back Bay to North Station in Boston

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HakunaMatataGirl

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HI everyone!

I need some help. I'm traveling on a train for the first time alone and I'm leaving from Bridgeport , CT to Portland, ME. However, I'll be stopping in Boston. Now, I vaguely understand what I have to do but I just need some guidance! My ticket says I'll be arriving in Boston Back Bay at 7:54, then it says I have to self transfer to North Station at 10:00. I know I have to take the "T" or the Orange Line, but I'm just really worried about not making it to my train to Portland and being stuck in Boston alone! Can anyone tell me exactly what I have to do? Like, is 10:00 PM the time the train from Back bay goes to North Station? Do I have to stay at Back Bay for two hours until then? And how do I get to the self transfer when I get off the train at Back Bay? Please, I just need some help and any would be appreciated! Thank you!
 
As soon as you get in to Back Bay, get on whatever the transport is and go to North Station. It is best to be at North Station before train time. You should NOT wait at Back Bay. I hope that is 10:00am, not 10:00pm. You should be able to go on line and find out all you need to know about public transport in Boston. At least that works for other cities. I have never tried it for Boston.
 
George Harris said:
As soon as you get in to Back Bay, get on whatever the transport is and go to North Station. It is best to be at North Station before train time. You should NOT wait at Back Bay. I hope that is 10:00am, not 10:00pm. You should be able to go on line and find out all you need to know about public transport in Boston. At least that works for other cities. I have never tried it for Boston.
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In fact it is PM: It is NE Regional #176 (BBY 7:54pm) connecting to Downeaster #689 (BON 11:20pm).

Given the time of day, I would recommend the poster stay on the NE Regional train to South Station (the Back Bay Ticket is OK for South Station) and take a cab to North Station. The cab cost might be $10 to $15 including tip, but in my opinion, it is worth it for convenience and piece of mind.
 
I believe that the confusion here stems from the fact that for some strange reason, Amtrak assigns a train number and departure and arrival times to the Boston "self-transfer". The OP's itinerary looks like this:

176 Northeast Regional

Departs: Bridgeport, CT (BRP) 4:42 PM

Arrives: Boston, MA - Back Bay (BBY) 7:54 PM

2689 Self Transfer

Departs: Boston, MA - Back Bay (BBY) 10:00 PM

Arrives: Boston, MA - North Station Maine Service (BON) 10:10 PM

689 Downeaster

Departs: 11:20 PM Boston, MA - North Station Maine Service (BON)

Arrives: 1:45 AM Portland, ME (POR) Portland, ME

To answer your question, you should just get on any Orange Line train from Back Bay to North Station. They run about every 10 minutes, and are easy to use. You can take a look at the MBTA website for more information: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

I would not go to South Station, unless you have a lot of bags and need help carrying/transporting them. You have more than three hours between your trains, which is plenty of time to figure out how to use the T. The actual subway ride between Back Bay and North Station is about 10 minutes. If I were you, I'd be more worried about what to do in Boston for three hours. :)
 
HakunaMatataGirl said:
HI everyone!

I need some help. I'm traveling on a train for the first time alone and I'm leaving from Bridgeport , CT to Portland, ME. However, I'll be stopping in Boston. Now, I vaguely understand what I have to do but I just need some guidance! My ticket says I'll be arriving in Boston Back Bay at 7:54, then it says I have to self transfer to North Station at 10:00. I know I have to take the "T" or the Orange Line, but I'm just really worried about not making it to my train to Portland and being stuck in Boston alone! Can anyone tell me exactly what I have to do? Like, is 10:00 PM the time the train from Back bay goes to North Station? Do I have to stay at Back Bay for two hours until then? And how do I get to the self transfer when I get off the train at Back Bay? Please, I just need some help and any would be appreciated! Thank you!
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The "self transfer" just means you have to transfer yourself between the 2 stations. Due to the limitations of Arrow (the Amtrak reservation system), it must provide a "ticket" for the self transfer to give you a combined thru fare. Otherwise, the computer thinks you end your trip at Back Bay and start a new trip at North Sation!

Here's how to do the transfer if you have few bags that you can easily carry yourself:

  1. Get off at Back Bay, go up to the main level and turn right.
  2. Walk about 100 feet or less. There will be a bank of ticket machines (like ATMs) on your left. Buy your ticket.
  3. On your right are entry gates. Insert your ticket and go down to the platform. Take the train on the RIGHT side of the platform.
  4. Stay on this "T" (subway) for IIRC 6 or 7 stops.
  5. Get off at the "North Station" stop.
  6. Exit via the "Causeway Street" exit.
  7. Walk less than a few hundred yards to North Station. (It also says MBTA and BankNorth Garden - where the Celtics and Bruins play.)

Transit time on the "T" is 12 minutes. Another T comes about every 10-15 minutes. If you have many bags, or are unsure of yourself, as was said, I would stay on the train to South Station (the next and final stop) and take a cab to North Station. You do not have to change your ticket - it is good for both Back Bay and South Station.
 
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The traveler gave you excellent advice - print it out and bring it with you! The T is easy to use. Just get off at Back Bay, take the orange line to North Station. It will be OK. Good luck! :)
 
You can also take the T from South Station to North Station if you care, but it is a 2-seat ride. Take the Red line from South Station to Downtown Crossing (the next stop), and then the Orange Line to North Station. Or you can take the Red line to Park St. and transfer to the Green line, which is more a light rail in a subway than a regular subway. This also goes to North Station, but the Green Stine stop at North Station is elevated,and across the street. I did it with a humongous backpack and it was fine, but then, I'm a bit of a subway geek, so I didn't mind changing trains. Also, I was heading south, and I prefer to board at South Station rather than back Bay in order to get my choice of seats. Also, South Station has a Club Acela and Back Bay does not.
 
Thank you everyone for your help it really helped me clear things! I have three hours until my train leaves for Portland so I'm sure I'll be able to figure everything out and it will go smoothly! Thanks again!
 
Adding to the_traveler's excellent advice, when you purchase a ticket from a ticket machine, note that it's called a "CharlieTicket" and that you'll want a $2.50 stored value amount for a one-way ride, or $5 if you're planning on making a round trip.
 
MARC Rider said:
the Green Stine stop at North Station is elevated,and across the street.
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The last time I took the Green Line and it was elevated, was, IIRC, when I attended the Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour ("old Friends") at the Boston Garden. I think that was in winter 2004?!

Yeah, it hasn't been elevated in a while. It is nice that they put it underground because it really improves the streetscape and pedestrian access to North Station and to the neighborhood that is across Causeway Street.
 
MARC Rider said:
You can also take the T from South Station to North Station if you care, but it is a 2-seat ride. Take the Red line from South Station to Downtown Crossing (the next stop), and then the Orange Line to North Station. Or you can take the Red line to Park St. and transfer to the Green line, which is more a light rail in a subway than a regular subway. This also goes to North Station, but the Green Stine stop at North Station is elevated,and across the street. I did it with a humongous backpack and it was fine, but then, I'm a bit of a subway geek, so I didn't mind changing trains. Also, I was heading south, and I prefer to board at South Station rather than back Bay in order to get my choice of seats. Also, South Station has a Club Acela and Back Bay does not.
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The Downtown Crossing transfer from the Red to Orange Line involves a considerable amount of walking and climbing up and down stairs. The transfer from Red to Green at Park Street is much quicker and shorter walk and just one flight of stairs, with more frequent service on the Green Line too. Be careful to get on a train going beyond Government Center. Many Green Line trains terminate at Government Center short of North Station.
 
Ok I too am making this trip alone but I am coming up from Newport news VA to Portland Maine and have to self transfer from back bay to north station and it says departure for the transfer is 8:07am and the arrival time is 8:15am that's only 8 minutes wow I have the same concerns about missing my connection My first train arrives at 7:55 am and my next train I am transferring to leaves at 9:05 am is 1 hour and 10 minutes enough time to catch my second train?
 
As everyone else has said just transfer on the orange line as soon as you get to Back Bay, the ride is about 10 to 12 minutes and its a couple bucks. Side note, when I made my transfer at Back Bay last summer, one of the T employees saw me with my bags and asked if I was off the Amtrak train and and I said yes. She rang me through the turnstile and said not to worry about the fare. I don't know if they normally do this or if I just got lucky.
 
You should have plenty of time to make that connection on the orange line to north station from back bay.
 
Also you can pay $2.00 for your T fare instead of $2.50 if you stop at the Commuter Rail ticket office and buy a $2.00 CharlieCard from a ticket agent. The vending machines only sell the more expensive CharlieTickets.

I discovered this when I arrived in Boston and realized I had forgotten my Charlie Card to pay the cheeper fare and asked at the information booth in South Station a friendly agent had no problem selling me a $4.00 Charlie Card, all I needed for my visit (two trips).
 
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