Brookfield station (Metro-North)

Last updated

Brookfield
Brookfield, CT Station.jpg
The former station building in 2021
General information
Owned by CTDOT
Tracks1
Proposed services
Preceding station MTA NYC logo.svg Metro-North Railroad Following station
North Danbury Danbury Branch New Milford
Terminus
Former services
Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station
Danbury Pittsfield Branch New Milford
toward Pittsfield

Brookfield station is a proposed passenger rail station on the Danbury Branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line, to be located in Brookfield, Connecticut.

History

The station in the early 20th century Brookfield CT station postcard.jpg
The station in the early 20th century

The Brookfield station first opened in 1840, and was built by Housatonic Railroad. The Brookfield station was located in the Iron works district of Brookfield, today known as "Four Corners" or the "Town Center District". The station was designed to be used for both passenger and freight service. On September 24, 1868, a second station had opened on Stony Hill Road that was known as "Brookfield Junction". Passenger service was operated by Penn Central until April 30, 1971. [1]

Two possible locations have been determined for a Metro-North station in the future. One proposed location is on Pocono Road across from the Brookfield Municipal Center, and the other is on Whisconier Road on the property of the Brookfield Craft Center (which utilizes the old station building as an art gallery). [2] Original plans for the station had surfaced in 2009–2010, when a study was conducted to determine the viability of the station. [3] Three potential station sites were being considered, including restoration of the old station. [4] The final project report, issued in 2016, concluded that the costs of electrification of the existing line or the extension to New Milford were too high to offset the small increase in ridership. [5]

In September 2020, due to an increase in demand for expansion of commuter rail service to Greater Danbury, the United States Department of Transportation awarded a $400,000 grant to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments to study improvements along the Danbury Branch line and develop a plan for expanding service north and re-examine construction of a North Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford station. [6]

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References

  1. "Brookfield and Its Railroads, 1840-1941". TylerCityStation.info. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. "Danbury Branch Documents: Appendix C - Station Area Potential Maps" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. March 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. Boyd, Aaron (June 17, 2010). "DOT Considering Extending Rail Service To Brookfield". Patch.com. Patch Media. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. Singh, Vinti (December 24, 2008). "Metro-North could build station in Brookfield". Norwalk, Connecticut: NewsTimes. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  5. "Danbury Branch Line Final Implementation Plan" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. September 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  6. "Six rail projects among 58 receiving BUILD grant capital funding". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Media. September 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2022.