Fall River station

Last updated
Fall River Depot
Fall River station platform construction, September 2022.jpg
Fall River station under construction in September 2022
General information
LocationPearce Street east of Davol Street
Fall River, Massachusetts
Coordinates 41°42′50″N71°9′15″W / 41.71389°N 71.15417°W / 41.71389; -71.15417
Line(s) Fall River Secondary
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg SRTA: 102 [1]
Construction
Parking513 spaces
Bicycle facilities8 spaces
AccessibleYes
History
Openedc. 1870 (previous station)
Openingmid-2024 (planned)
ClosedSeptember 5, 1958 (previous station)
Previous namesBowenville
Passengers
2030 (projected)390 daily boardings [1] : 2–66 
Planned services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Freetown
toward South Station
South Coast Rail Battleship Cove
Phase 2 (2030)
Terminus

Fall River station (Fall River Depot) is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in Fall River, Massachusetts. The station is being constructed as part of the South Coast Rail project and is expected to open in mid-2024.

Contents

History

Former station

The Fall River Railroad opened from Myricks to Fall River on June 9, 1845, and to the Old Colony Railroad at South Braintree in December 1846. [2] [3] : 403  They merged as the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad in 1854. [3] : 403  As the Old Colony and Newport Railway, it opened a line from Fall River south to Newport, Rhode Island in 1864. [3] : 416  The Dighton and Somerset Railroad opened in 1866, joining the Fall River mainline at Somerset Junction, north of Fall River. [3] : 393 

Postcard of the 1892-built station Fall River station 1912 postcard.jpg
Postcard of the 1892-built station

Bowenville station opened in the north part of Fall River around 1870. [4] [5] [6] [7] The railroad changed names again to become the Old Colony Railroad in 1872. The Old Colony constructed a station building at Bowenville, located on the east side of the tracks between Turner Street and Old Colony Street, in 1874. [8] A branch of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad (known as the Fall River, Warren and Providence Railroad) opened over the new Slade's Ferry Bridge on December 5, 1875, connecting to the Fall River mainline north of Bowenville; the branch provided electrified passenger service between Providence and Fall River from 1900 to 1934. [2] [9]

A new station designed by Bradford Gilbert opened in 1892 between Lincoln Avenue and Pearce Street, just north of the existing Bowenville station. Named Fall River, it became the main station for the city. [10] [11] The station was raised 8 feet (2.4 m) as part of a 1902–1905 project that eliminated eleven grade crossings in the city. [11]

Service to Providence, and to Taunton over the Dighton and Somerset, both ended in 1932. [3] : 172, 395  Newport service ended in 1938 due to the 88 stations case; Ferry Street station was closed until around 1950, leaving Fall River as a terminal. [3] : 416  Fall River service was suspended from 1949 to 1952, and ultimately ended on September 5, 1958. [12]

South Coast Rail

Retaining wall construction, November 2021 Wall construction at Fall River station, December 2021.jpg
Retaining wall construction, November 2021

In September 2008, MassDOT released 18 potential station sites for the South Coast Rail project, including Fall River Depot off Davol Street. [13] A 2009 conceptual design called for a single 730 ft (220 m) side platform serving the west track, with a second track allowing freight trains to pass the high-level platform; a two-story parking deck would be located on the west side of the tracks. [14] Plans released as part of the Final Environmental Impact Report in 2013 were nearly identical. [15] A 2009 corridor plan called for mixed-use transit-oriented development around the new station. [16] On June 11, 2010, the state took ownership of the Fall River Subdivision and several other CSX lines as part of a sale agreement. [17]

In 2017, the project was re-evaluated due to cost issues. A new proposal released in March 2017 called for early service via Middleborough by 2024, followed by full service via Stoughton by 2029. [18] The January 2018 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report reconfigured the planned parking lot configuration, as part of the previously planned deck site had been developed for use by a business. A parking lot on the west side of the tracks will be constructed during Phase 1, with a possible eastern lot (on the site of an existing retail structure) to be added later. [1] : 44 

The MBTA awarded a $159 million contract for construction of the Fall River Secondary portion of the project, including Fall River station, in May 2020. Service was then planned to begin in November 2023. [19] [20] Two former industrial buildings were demolished in 2020 to make room for the station and its parking lot. [21] [22] The station was 32% complete by February 2022, with 96% of platform foundations and some retaining walls in place. [23] Construction of the station reached 90% completion in October 2022, with the platform and canopies in place. [24] [25] [26] Substantial completion of the Fall River Secondary work was announced in December 2022. [27] Opening was delayed to mid-2024 in September 2023. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBTA Commuter Rail</span> Greater Boston commuter rail system

The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over 394 mi (634 km) of track to 134 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1, 2014, from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 128 station</span> Rail station in Westwood, MA

Route 128 station is a passenger rail station located at the crossing of the Northeast Corridor and Interstate 95/US Route 1/Route 128 at the eastern tip of Dedham and Westwood, Massachusetts, United States. The station is shared by Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It is served by most MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line trains, as well as by all Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela intercity trains. The station building, platforms, and parking garage are all fully accessible. It is the 23rd busiest Amtrak station in the country and the fifth busiest in New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Attleboro station</span> Railway station in Attleboro, Massachusetts, US

South Attleboro station is a temporarily closed MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line station in Attleboro, Massachusetts. It is located under Newport Avenue in the South Attleboro neighborhood, just north of the Rhode Island border. The station had two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor, connected by a footbridge to a park-and-ride lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braintree station (MBTA)</span> Transit station in Braintree, Massachusetts, US

Braintree station is an intermodal transit station in Braintree, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA's Red Line and the MBTA Commuter Rail Old Colony Lines as well as MBTA buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenbush Line</span> MBTA Commuter Rail line

The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which serves the South Shore region of Massachusetts. The 27.6-mile (44.4 km) line runs from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate to the Greenbush neighborhood in southern Scituate. There are ten stations along the line. From South Station, to Quincy Center, service operates in conjunction with the Old Colony Lines commuter rail service via the Old Colony Main Line. From Weymouth Landing/East Braintree to Greenbush, trains utilize the Greenbush Branch, the former South Shore Railroad line that was later incorporated into the Old Colony Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Colony Lines</span> Commuter rail lines in Massachusetts, US

The Old Colony Lines are a pair of branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, connecting downtown Boston, Massachusetts with the South Shore and cranberry-farming country to the south and southeast. The two branches operate concurrently for 10 miles (16 km) via the Old Colony Mainline from South Station to Braintree station. The Middleborough/Lakeville Line then winds south through Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater, Middleborough, and Lakeville via the Middleborough Main Line and Cape Main Line. The Kingston Line heads southeast to serve Weymouth, Abington, Whitman, Hanson, Halifax, and Kingston by way of the Plymouth branch. Limited service to Plymouth was provided prior to April 2021 but was cut due to low ridership and budget constraints. The Greenbush Line, which was also part of the Old Colony Division, was reactivated in 2007 as a separate project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleboro Secondary</span>

The Middleboro Secondary is a railroad line owned by MassDOT in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Attleboro to Middleborough via Taunton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Readville station</span> Railway station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Readville station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station located in the Readville section of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line. Readville is the outer terminus for most Fairmount service, though some trips continue as Franklin/Foxboro Line trains. The station is located at a multi-level junction, with the Northeast Corridor tracks at ground level and the Dorchester Branch above; Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use a connecting track with a separate platform. Platforms are available for the Providence/Stoughton Line on the Northeast Corridor tracks, but they are not regularly used. An MBTA maintenance and storage yard and a CSX Transportation freight yard are located near the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansfield station (MBTA)</span> Rail station in Mansfield, Massachusetts, US

Mansfield station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Located in downtown Mansfield, it serves the Providence/Stoughton Line. With 1,966 weekday boardings in a 2018 count, Mansfield is the third-busiest station on the system outside Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoughton station</span> Rail station in Stoughton, Massachusetts, US

Stoughton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in downtown Stoughton, Massachusetts. It is the current terminus of the Stoughton Branch of the Providence/Stoughton Line. The station has a parking lot to serve local riders and those driving from further south, as Stoughton is close to the Massachusetts Route 24 expressway. Stoughton currently has one platform serving one track; the platform has a mini-high section for accessibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brockton station (MBTA)</span> Railway station in Brockton, Massachusetts, US

Brockton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Brockton, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Middleborough/Lakeville Line and is a stop on the seasonal CapeFLYER service. The station has a single accessible full-length high-level platform that serves the line's two tracks. It is located adjacent to the BAT Centre, the primary hub for Brockton Area Transit Authority local bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleborough/Lakeville station</span> Commuter rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts, US

Middleborough/Lakeville station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts, just south of the Middleborough border. It is the southern terminus of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line; it is also an intermediate stop for seasonal CapeFlyer service to Cape Cod. Middleborough/Lakeville has a single full-length high-level side platform serving the line's single track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast Rail</span>

South Coast Rail is a project to build a new southern line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system along several abandoned and freight-only rail lines. The line has been planned to restore passenger rail service between Boston and the cities of Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford, via the towns of Berkley, and Freetown, on the south coast of Massachusetts. It would restore passenger service to some of the southern lines of the former Old Colony Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Taunton station</span> Future railway station in Taunton, Massachusetts, US

East Taunton station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in East Taunton, Massachusetts adjacent to the interchange between the Route 24 expressway and County Street. It is planned to open in mid-2024 as part of the first phase of the South Coast Rail project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freetown station</span> Future railway station in Freetown, Massachusetts, US

Freetown station is a future MBTA Commuter Rail station located in the Assonet village of Freetown, Massachusetts. It is planned to open in mid-2024 as part of the first phase of the South Coast Rail project. The station will have a single side platform on the west side of the Fall River Secondary, along with a park and ride lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battleship Cove station</span> Planned railway station in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA

Battleship Cove is a proposed MBTA Commuter Rail station in Fall River, Massachusetts. It is planned to be the southern terminus of the Fall River branch of the South Coast Rail project, and will open in 2030 as part of the project's Phase II. The station will have no parking—it is intended for tourists visiting Battleship Cove and the Fall River waterfront, with Fall River station to the north serving commuters—and will be open seasonally. Previous passenger service to Fall River included stations at Fall River Wharf (1847–1937) and Ferry Street (1864–1958). The Wharf station was the terminus of the Fall River Line steamship service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Street station (MBTA)</span> Under-construction railway station in New Bedford, Massachusetts, US

Church Street station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station located in northern New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. It is planned to open in mid-2024 as part of the first phase of the South Coast Rail project. The station will have a single side platform on the east side of the New Bedford Subdivision, along with a park and ride lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Bedford station</span>

New Bedford station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The station is being constructed as part of the South Coast Rail project and is expected to open in mid-2024.

The Dighton and Somerset Railroad, currently referred to as the Dean Street Industrial Track, is a railroad that ran between Fall River and Braintree, Massachusetts. It opened in 1866; from the 1890s to the 1930s and again in the late 1950s, it was the primary rail route from Boston to the South Coast. Passenger service ended in stages with the final regular service in 1958, though freight service on two short segments continues into the 21st century. MBTA Commuter Rail service is proposed to be extended onto the northern part of the line around 2030 as part of the South Coast Rail project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleborough station</span> Rail station in Middleborough, Massachusetts, US

Middleborough station is an under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail station in Middleborough, Massachusetts. It is expected to open in mid-2024 as part of the South Coast Rail project, replacing Middleborough/Lakeville station for regular service. The station will have a single side platform located inside the wye between the Middleborough Main Line and the Middleboro Secondary.

References

  1. 1 2 3 VHB/HNTB (January 31, 2018). "Chapter 2 – Alternatives Analysis". South Coast Rail Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report. Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
  2. 1 2 Phillips, Arthur Sherman (1945). The Phillips History of Fall River: Fascicle II. pp. 176–178 – via Internet Archive.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN   9780942147124.
  4. ↑ "Correction". Fall River Daily Evening News. June 15, 1870. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Friends Yearly Meeting". Fall River Daily Evening News. June 8, 1871. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Old Colony & Newport Railway and its Connections, New England Lith. Co., 1865–1872 – via Wikimedia Commons
  7. ↑ Walling, H.F.; Gray, O.W. (1871). "City of Fall River". Massachusetts State Atlas. Stedman, Brown & Lyon. p. 86 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  8. ↑ Bailey, Oakley Hoopes (1877). "City of Fall River, Mass". O.H. Bailey & J.C. Hazen.
  9. ↑ Karr, Ronald Dale (2010). Lost Railroads of New England (Third ed.). Branch Line Press. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-942147-11-7.
  10. ↑ "The New Railroad Station, "Fall River"". Fall River Daily Evening News. December 11, 1890. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 History of Fall River, Massachusetts. Fall River Merchants Association. 1911. pp. 43, 44 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ↑ Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 36. ISBN   9780685412947.
  13. ↑ "South Coast Rail Fact Sheet: October 2008" (PDF). South Coast Rail. October 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Fall River - Fall River Depot Rail Alternative" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. June 30, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Figure 3.2-28 Fall River Depot Station Conceptual Station Design" (PDF). Volume II: FEIS/FEIR Figures Final Environmental Impact Statement/Final Environmental Impact Report on the South Coast Rail Project proposed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District. August 2013.
  16. ↑ South Coast Rail Economic Development and Land Use Corridor Plan (PDF). Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. June 2009. p. 73. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2013.
  17. ↑ "The Massachusetts Rail Program" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. June 2010. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2012.
  18. ↑ Dungca, Nicole (March 22, 2017). "State changes gears on Middleborough commuter rail plan". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  19. ↑ "South Coast Rail Main Line Construction Contract Approved" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. May 11, 2020. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  20. ↑ Tabakin, Jennifer (May 11, 2020). "MBTA Construction Contract No. K78CN03: Fall River Secondary Commuter Rail Expansion Project" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  21. ↑ Roy, Linda (August 6, 2020). "North End industrial site demolished for commuter rail station". South Coast Today.
  22. ↑ Winokoor, Charles (October 7, 2020). "Groundwork being laid for Fall River Depot train station". South Coast Today. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "South Coast Rail Briefing for MBTA Board of Directors" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. February 24, 2022. p. 7.
  24. ↑ Goode, Jo (October 12, 2022). "South Coast Rail's Fall River station is 90% complete — here's when trains hit the tracks". Herald News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022.
  25. ↑ "South Coast Rail Fall 2022 Fact Sheet" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 2022.
  26. ↑ "South Coast Rail Fall River Construction Update" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. October 13, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Substantial Completion of $159 Million Contract for South Coast Rail Main Line Construction" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 8, 2022.
  28. ↑ Medeiros, Dan (September 29, 2023). "South Coast Rail passenger service is being delayed. Here's why, explained in 60 seconds". The Herald News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Fall River station at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.