Through 1958, when the Highland Branch was served by the New York Central's Boston and Albany Railroad, Riverside station was at the junction between the Highland Branch and the B&A main line. The MTA built a large commuter parking lot with a new brick station at the center and opened the branch to streetcar service on July 4, 1959. In 1995, new elevated platforms were built at the north end of the yard and the 1959-built station used as a bus terminal. The 1995-built platforms were raised slightly above track level; these made the station handicapped accessible when low-floor trolleys arrived in 2002. Riverside is the only surface-level Green Line station aside from Lechmere with a prepayment platform area. This allows passengers to board at all doors. Fare control began during morning peak hours only when the current platforms opened in 1995, and full-time in 2006 when the CharlieCard fare card system was introduced. A track connection still exists with the main line; catenary is installed up to the junction for offloading trolleys delivered by the railroad onto the light rail network. On October 20, 1996, severe flooding overflowed the banks of the Muddy River and flooded the Green Line subway from the western portals to Boylston. From October 23 to 25, a commuter rail shuttle was run from a temporary platform at Riverside to South Station using the old track connection. In October 1997, Riverside was identified as a possible site for a parking garage, but this was not pursued. On February 12, 2009, the MBTA authorized an 85-year lease of a portion of the Riverside parking lots for a mixed-use development. As originally planned, this development was to contain of office space, of retail space, and 190 residential units. In late 2019, the city rezoned the site to allow for a larger development., plans call for of office space, of retail space, 582 residential units, a 150-room hotel, and a 1,990-space parking garage. The station will be modified with two elevators, new ramps, and a new canopy structure. A parcel at the southwest end of the yard, originally to be used for the development, will be retained by the MBTA for yard expansion beginning around 2024. In 2014, the state announced plans Riverside would be the terminus of a proposed DMUIndigo Line to South Station, via the former track connection, but the plans were cancelled in 2015. A private group plans to restore the pedestrian underpass at the former mainline station as part of a trail network in the area. The state awarded $100,000 in design funding in 2019.
Station layout
Bus connections
route runs as a partial express to downtown Boston from Riverside. The 500 and 555 routes formerly ran to Riverside as well. Intercity bus services to and from Boston, including Greyhound Lines, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Go Buses, and Megabus, offer occasional stops at Riverside. This service was temporarily suspended in early 2010, but was reinstated that October.
