Cobblehop / Routes / Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards

Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards

Plain directions from Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards, checked against the fall 2026 MBTA schedule.

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Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards

Trip timeabout49min
How oftenAbout every 15 min
  • Orange Line
  • Red Line
  • Bus 70
  1. Take the Orange LineFrom Back Bay, toward Oak Grove3 stops, about 4 min
  2. Change at Downtown Crossing
  3. Take the Red LineToward Alewife4 stops, about 8 min
  4. Walk about 3 min to Green St @ Magazine StAfter you get off at Central
  5. Take bus 70Toward Market Place Dr13 stops, about 14 min
  6. Get off at Arsenal St @ Arlington StThe stop after 495 Western Ave
  7. Walk about 5 min to Arsenal Yards

Weekdays, fall 2026 schedule · First and last trips

Quick answer: Take the Orange Line toward Oak Grove to Downtown Crossing, the Red Line toward Alewife to Central, then bus 70 to Arsenal St @ Arlington St, and walk about 5 min. The trip takes about 49 minutes (43-52 min depending on the connection). On weekdays bus 70 runs about every 15 min during the day.

Get the live route from Back Bay to Arsenal Yards

Step by step

  1. At Back Bay, take the Orange Line toward Oak Grove.
  2. Ride 3 stops, about 4 min, through Tufts Medical Center and Chinatown, and get off at Downtown Crossing.
  3. At Downtown Crossing, change to the Red Line toward Alewife.
  4. Ride 4 stops, about 8 min, through Park Street, Charles/MGH and Kendall/MIT, and get off at Central.
  5. Walk about 3 min from Central to Green St @ Magazine St.
  6. At Green St @ Magazine St, change to bus 70 toward Market Place Dr.
  7. Ride about 14 min (13 stops). Get off at Arsenal St @ Arlington St, the stop after 495 Western Ave.
  8. Walk about 5 min to Arsenal Yards.

Other ways to go

Which one is faster depends on when you leave. Cobblehop compares them with live times and gives you the one that gets you there first.

Times and frequency

DayFirst tripLast tripHow often (daytime)Trip time
Monday-Friday4:47 am12:51 amAbout every 15 minAbout 49 min
Saturday4:44 am12:45 amAbout every 15 minAbout 49 min
Sunday6:05 am12:59 amAbout every 20 minAbout 48 min

First and last trip are when the first train of the trip leaves Back Bay, on the fall 2026 schedule. "How often" is for bus 70 (the least frequent part of the trip).

Late at night

On weekdays, the last trip that works leaves Back Bay at 12:51 am and gets to Arsenal Yards around 1:24 am, using bus 1 and bus 70. On Saturday nights the last trip leaves at 12:45 am, and on Sunday nights at 12:59 am. Late at night, ask Cobblehop for the last trip. It checks live times and tells you when to leave.

Tips for this trip

Step-free access

MBTA data lists every station on this route (Back Bay, Downtown Crossing and Central) as accessible. Downtown Crossing has 6 elevators in MBTA data. Elevators do break, so check the MBTA's elevator alerts before you go.

What it costs

Fares as of October 2026. Check the MBTA's fares page before you ride.

Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards: common questions

How do I get from Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards by public transit?

Take the Orange Line toward Oak Grove to Downtown Crossing, the Red Line toward Alewife to Central, then bus 70 to Arsenal St @ Arlington St, and walk about 5 min. The trip takes about 49 minutes (43-52 min depending on the connection).

How long does it take to get from Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards?

About 49 minutes on the main route, or 43-52 minutes depending on the connection.

Do I have to change along the way?

Yes, 2 times: at Downtown Crossing and Central. Take the Orange Line toward Oak Grove to Downtown Crossing, the Red Line toward Alewife to Central, then bus 70 to Arsenal St @ Arlington St, and walk about 5 min.

How often does bus 70 run?

About every 15 min on weekdays during the day, about every 15 min on Saturdays and about every 20 min on Sundays, on the fall 2026 schedule.

What time is the last bus from Back Bay Station to Arsenal Yards?

On weekdays, the last trip that works leaves Back Bay at 12:51 am and gets to Arsenal Yards around 1:24 am, using bus 1 and bus 70. On Saturday nights the last trip leaves at 12:45 am, and on Sunday nights at 12:59 am.

More routes from Back Bay Station

Official sources

Cobblehop is independent and isn't affiliated with these agencies or operators. Schedules on this page come from MBTA/MassDOT public data. Check their pages for the latest schedules and service changes:

Published October 30, 2026. Times were computed from the fall 2026 MBTA schedule (2026-11-04 for weekdays). Service changes, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.

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Get the live route from Back Bay to Arsenal Yards