Braintree, located at Ivory and Union Streets in Braintree, Massachusetts, is the southernmost station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Red Line. It also is a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Old Colony Lines. While the tracks of the Red Line and commuter rail lines are all parallel to one another, their platforms are offset; the commuter rail platform is located north of Union Street, while the Red Line platform is south of the street.The station features a large park and ride garage, with space for 1,322 automobiles (though the garage often fills up on busy days). It can be easily reached from Exit 17 off Route 3. Braintree is fully handicapped accessible on all modes.HistoryThe station opened on March 22, 1980 for Red Line service. Between 1984 and 1988 the Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad operated a state-subsidized seasonal weekend service from Braintree to Hyannis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Commuter rail service began on September 26, 1997, when the Old Colony Lines re-opened.From 1980 to 2007, a double entry fare and single exit fare were charged at Braintree and Quincy Adams when leaving the subway. The extra fares were discontinued as part of a fare increase and service change on January 1, 2007. Similar charges existed until 1980 on the inner stations on the Braintree Branch.
