Construction Is Underway On Back Bay Station Makeover

Developers are promising to deliver “a first-class transit hub.”

9:35 AM EST on February 9, 2026

A plan to revamp the MBTA’s aging Back Bay station is finally entering its first phase of major construction after a decade’s worth of planning.

This work was originally planned to begin in 2023. A kick-off presentation in July of that year from developer BXP (Boston Properties) promised that Back Bay would become “a first-class transit hub of ‘airport quality’” with these renovations.

The proposed renovations would result in a 52 percent increase in seating, a 69 percent increase in dedicated waiting space, and a 49 percent increase in bike parking space, among other station improvements.

An interior rendering of the Back Bay station concourse, showing high vaulted ceilings, large windows, and wooden benches where people are sitting. Signage for Tracks 5 and 7 is visible in the background. — The interior redesign of Back Bay emphasizes access to natural light.MBTA

Workers have already finished a seven-month enabling, or pre-construction, phase, where crews established work zones, built electrical infrastructure, and delivered steel. Phase one of the construction work is officially underway, set to last until June.

This work will focus on the Clarendon Street exterior of the station, as well as the center and east side of the interior.

Back Bay’s Makeover Details

The $37 million dollar Back Bay Station Concourse Renovation Project is being led by BXP, the MBTA, and the City of Boston as just one part of the MBTA’s broader Back Bay Station Improvements project.

Back Bay Station sees a considerable amount of traffic – the MBTA’s Orange Line, Commuter Rail, Amtrak, and numerous buses, including the Logan Airport Express, all make stops here.

As a key rail and bus hub with a number of food and retail destinations both inside and nearby, the station is prime for restoration that meets the moment in terms of its daily visitors.

“The current station has a constrained layout and can be difficult to navigate,” the MBTA project plan’s website acknowledges.

This rendering of Back Bay is from inside the station facing the street. A glass wall shows the Back Bay Logan Express bus passing by. Inside, there is a staircase with blue tiling that leads down to the train platforms. Commuters are walking up the stairs, through the station, and sitting down. — This rendering shows how passengers will be able to move between the station and Dartmouth Street after phase two of the station's renovations.

The plan for the station’s reconstruction also focuses on air quality improvements for riders.

New jet fans in the train tunnel will pull in fresh air to the platforms, and pressurizing two stairwells between the train tracks and the upper-level concourse will prevent diesel exhaust fumes from trains from rising up into the waiting areas.

Speaking of the concourse, updates to the upper level of the station will include enhanced audio and lighting, new architectural features, updated electrical systems, improved signage and wayfinding, additional waiting areas on the concourse level, modified Orange Line fare gates, and the relocation of MBTA booths. These changes aim to improve pedestrian flow, facilitate new retail opportunities, and modernize the space.

A rendering of the Back Bay Station's main hall. A tall, orange pillar holds a large analog clock. Commuters walk through the station while others sit on new benches under large arches. — Plans for the new concourse include new architectural features, improved signage and wayfinding, additional waiting areas, and enhanced lighting to handle heavy foot traffic, improve the pedestrian experience in the space, and offer a modern and open aesthetic.

Phases of Work

In this first phase of the work, the Clarendon Street entrance will be closed, but the elevator will remain in service, and scaffolding will be set up along the Orange Line platform.

A new bike cage at the Clarendon Street entrance will be available for public use by next week.

A floor plan of Back Bay Station that uses a color-coded legend to show work zones in yellow, closed areas in red, and accessible paths with green arrows. — This map details the first phase of construction taking place from February - June 2026. There will be a large work zone and several closed areas in the central concourse, a new bike cage on the Clarendon Street side, and accessible paths so that commuters can still access Orange Line and Commuter Rail platforms during renovations.

Following the completion of the east side in June, work crews will begin renovating the west side of the station on the Dartmouth Street side, which is slated to last from this July until April 2027.

For more information, sign up for updates, email team@backbaystationrenovations.com, or visit the Back Bay Station Concourse Renovation Project page, or the MBTA’s Back Bay Station Improvements project page.