Green Line- D Line

Oh the horror! The horror! I only take it because my Doctor is on that line.

Ok, honestly I’d give it 1.5 stars but I can’t in good conscience rate it 2 stars.
Lets start with what it is better than:
The B-​line
Hell
The C-​line
Stinky bathrooms
What it is not better than:
The Blue Line
The Orange Line
The Red Line (noticing a trend here?)
Basically, the green lines suck. Big time. The D line may be better than the rest of them, but that’s like saying a pile of poo smells better if there is an air freshener on top of it.
To the specifics:
While the schedule is somewhat consistent, it is nowhere near as frequent as the other lines (red, orange, etc) especially during rush hour. Which means that people pack on the trains at the beginning of the line and the people at the middle stops (especially between Reservoir and Longwood) are up the creek, so to speak. At least once a week, almost without fail, my commute is delayed ~10 minutes because a train pulls up to my stop that is so full that nobody can get on. And then, inevitably, when you do get on one, half the train gets off at Longwood. They could do one of two things to rectify this; either have more 3-​car trains during rush hour or just have the trains run more frequently during rush hour (maybe that means just more along each of the above-​ground stops so you don’t clog the downtown portion of the green line).
The moral; MORE RUSH HOUR TRAINS!!!
The whole front-​door-​exit-​only can be a little annoying, but that isn’t a huge problem by me since I pay for a monthly pass and want others to pay their way. If they could come up with another (cheap) solution, I’m sure they would have. My only complaint is that they announce the front-​door-​only policy at EVERY stop. Is that really necessary?

I have lived on the B and C lines before and now that I live on the D line I can say that by far this is the best of those 3 lines on the Green Line services.
I have had instances where it has run very late to the ‘schedule’ on the weekend but for the most part the weekday service is very consistent.
My biggest grievance is that they don’t always open all the doors so I can run like a manic down to the train and the front door is open but the back is not so I don’t make it on in time. I have purchased a monthly pass every month for the past 6 years and even if I didn’t they make a point of broadcasting that you need to come up and show your pass when they do open the doors. It would make the train a lot faster if they opened all the doors so people could get off and on faster.

Hey! It’s been three years now D Line. I know my standard are high, what can I say, I’m a needy commuter. I have seen the wonders of the Paris and NYC metro systems so I know what’s up when it comes to riding a good system– you can’t fool me. Although, I feel like I do owe you at least a small thank you for commuting my bum all around Boston-​Brookline from time to time. Maybe after a kind, but critical review, you will finally tell me why you still remain annoying after all these years together. It’s not looking like an equal relationship to me…
Since I moved (and still remain) to Brookline Village in 2008, I have seen little to zero improvements on how you operate. This angers me. Sometimes you still take up to 20 minutes during ideal traveling times… this, I just don’t understand. Especially on Sunday AM’s, during Red Sox games and a little after 9AM weekdays. Sometimes you make me so late it’s embarrassing how often I have to use the excuse «Oh, it’s the train again.» You’re so inconsistent, I’m really ashamed of you!
What have been the minute improvements? Well, MBTA did update your cars to three-​car-​trains, but I find little to no difference in this. Some Mondays on my way to work, I would wait for three trains to go by filled to capacity, and then boom a 3-​car empty train will finally appear… but now I’m late to work. Thanks. And really, what IS it with all the stopping and starting? Can you give us a smooth ride and not have the poor little Jewish women falling all over the place?
But, for the most part, I do like that when you finally decide to arrive, my train ride is only 10 minutes to Copley Square. Compared to the B and C lines… this is you’re winning, and outstanding trait.
It’s a love/​hate relationship, but you know… you get me where I need to go.

The D Line, like the other branches of the MBTA’s Green Line, is making the best of a bad situation. The outdated tunnels make nearly hairpin turns underground, making it impossible to run trains that are longer than 3 cars (and those 3 car trains are pushing the tunnels’ limits). The unfortunate consequence is that the D Line cannot accommodate the morning rush (running trains more frequently would just lead to a bottleneck & further delays downtown). In the morning, commuters are packed tighter than sardines, even in those 3 car trains.
During the afternoon rush, don’t bother trying to board the D Line after Park Street. The train originates at Government Center and is known to fill to capacity at that first stop. Most trains still have room at Park Street (the 2^nd outbound stop). Commuters at Boylston are out of luck until later in the evening.
Non-​rush hour trains have 2 cars, but on off hours, the D Line will sometimes run 1 car trains. Oftentimes, these single cars are also packed with travelers, even during the late night hours. 1 car trains are also run on the weekends, and can also get crowded (do you see a pattern here?). Occasionally the train will break down, and the conductor must shut down and restart the train at every stop. Also note that a lot of young families live along and use this line; on weekends the crowding is exacerbated by several strollers on board.
If you’re looking for an apartment or home near a transit line, avoid the D Line, especially if you work in downtown Boston and need to get to the office at a set time. For students, those who work at home, or anyone else with a flexible schedule, the D Line may suit your needs fairly well.
Overall, the D Line gives me a sense of what it would be like to live in Roland Deschain’s fictional universe, where the world has «moved on,» and all technology is a decaying shadow of its former greatness. I hate to rate it so low because I understand that the poor quality is not a result of malicious bad management (we all know that funds, especially those for public transit, are tighter than ever), but the D Line is of truly poor quality.

Oh D-​Line… I feel like we have such a love/​hate relationship going. You know that my shuttle from Riverside only comes every twenty minutes, so why is it that you insist on having daily delays that cause me to get there right as it’s leaving? It’s just not cool…
But a few times you have really pulled through for me. I appreciate it when you roll up last second and get me in just on time. You were much better at this during the winter and if I had to pick a time for you to be so temperamental, that would certainly be it.
When you were on, you were ON this winter. But when you were off, oh boy were you off. You should really stop letting weather ruin your reputation. The rain needs to stop washing away the ground under your tracks and snow/​wind/​seemingly any weather really needs to stop knocking branches onto your tracks. All I can do is sigh as I get yet another text message about the delays on the D line.
I appreciate that you’re trying to improve though. Keep up the three car trains during rush hour and the ability to allllllllllmost be predictable.

All green line trains SUCK! They are so slow. It’s better to take a car, bus, or even a bike and make it to your destination faster. The trains are also really really short. The service is frequent during rush hours, but during other times… Don’t even think of using the green line.