Manchester station (MBTA)

Last updated
Manchester By The Sea
MBTA 1636 at Manchester station, May 2014.JPG
An outbound train at Manchester station in 2014
General information
Location40 Beach Street
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°34′26″N70°46′09″W / 42.5740°N 70.7691°W / 42.5740; -70.7691
Line(s) Gloucester Branch
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Parking71 spaces (free)
Bicycle facilities7 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone6
Passengers
2018198 (weekday average boardings) [1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Beverly Farms Newburyport/​Rockport Line West Gloucester
toward Rockport
Location
Manchester station (MBTA)

Manchester station (signed as Manchester by the Sea) is an MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line station in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. The station is accessible, with mini-high platforms at the outbound end of the platform. [2]

Contents

History

A 1909 postcard of the 1895-built depot Manchester depot 1909 postcard.JPG
A 1909 postcard of the 1895-built depot

The Gloucester Branch opened from Beverly to Manchester in August 1847. It was extended to Gloucester station in December 1847, and to Rockport in November 1861. [3] The line later passed to the Eastern Railroad, which itself was absorbed by the Boston and Maine Railroad.

The original passenger station was replaced by a newer station in 1895. Neither survive, but the original freight house is present and used as a community center. [4] West Manchester station, which was located on Boardman Street, was closed in early 1940. [5]

When the MBTA was formed in August 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter service, Manchester was the northeast limit of its funding district. On January 18, 1965, the Boston & Maine cut Gloucester Branch service back to Manchester. After Gloucester and Rockport reached funding deals to subsidize out-of-district operations, full service was returned to Rockport on June 28, 1965. [6] The 1895-built station was demolished by 1977 and replaced by a laundromat. [7]

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">Lowell Line</span> MBTA Commuter Rail line

The Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the New Hampshire Main Line of the Boston & Lowell Railroad and later operated as part of the Boston & Maine Railroad's Southern Division, the line was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newburyport/Rockport Line</span> Commuter rail service in Massachusetts, US

The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg, operating via the Eastern Route of the former Boston and Maine Railroad, serves Chelsea, Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, and Beverly. From there, a northern branch continues via the Eastern Route to serve Hamilton, Ipswich, Rowley, and Newburyport, while other trains operate east from Beverly via the Gloucester Branch, serving Manchester, Gloucester, and Rockport. A bicycle coach is offered on the Rockport branch during the summer. With over 11,000 daily riders in October 2022, the line is the second-busiest on the system.

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

Andover station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Andover, Massachusetts. It serves the Haverhill Line. The station has one platform with a mini-high platform for handicapped accessibility serving one track, while the second track lacks a platform. The previous station building, used from 1907 to 1959, is still extant; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as Third Railroad Station.

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

West Concord station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located in West Concord, Massachusetts. It is served by the Fitchburg Line. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, with mini-high platforms for accessibility. The adjacent station building, now a restaurant, is not used for railroad purposes.

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

Ayer station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located off Main Street in the Ayer Main Street Historic District of Ayer, Massachusetts. It serves the Fitchburg Line. There are three tracks through the station, two of which are served by a pair of low-level side platforms, which are not accessible. There is a shelter on the inbound platform.

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

Norfolk station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Norfolk, Massachusetts, served by the Franklin/Foxboro Line. The station has one platform which serves a single track, with a mini-high section for accessibility. The Norfolk County Railroad opened through the North Wrentham village of Wrentham in 1849. A branch line to Medway was open from 1852 to 1864. The station was renamed Norfolk along with the town in 1870. Several different railroads operated the line, with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad running it for much of the 20th century. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) subsidies began in 1966, and the agency bought the line in 1973. The mini-high platform was added in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn station</span> MBTA rail station in Lynn, Massachusetts, US

Lynn station is an intermodal transit station in downtown Lynn, Massachusetts. It is a station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line and a hub for the MBTA bus system. The rail station and parking garage temporarily closed on October 1, 2022, pending a reconstruction project, while the busway remained open. Interim platforms nearby opened in December 2023.

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

Salem station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station served by the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station is located off Bridge Street near its interchange with North Street at the north end of downtown Salem, Massachusetts. The station has a single accessible full-length high-level platform serving the single track of the Eastern Route. Just south of the station is the Salem Tunnel, which carries the line under Washington Street. Salem is a major park and ride center, with a 700-space parking garage, as well as an MBTA bus terminal. It is the busiest commuter rail station in the MBTA system outside of the central Boston stations, with an average of 2,326 daily boardings in a 2018 count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Depot</span> Train station in Beverly, Massachusetts, US

Beverly Depot is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Beverly, Massachusetts. Located in Downtown Beverly, it serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is the junction of the line's two branches to Newburyport and Rockport and is served by every train on both branches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prides Crossing station</span> Former railway station in Beverly, Massachusetts

Prides Crossing station is a former MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, located in the village of Prides Crossing in Beverly, Massachusetts. It was opened by the Eastern Railroad as a flag stop in the mid-19th century. A stick style wooden station building was constructed around 1880 as wealthy residents built summer homes in the area. The Eastern Railroad was acquired in 1885 by the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M), which operated commuter service to Prides Crossing until the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) took over in the 1970s. Prides Crossing was reduced to peak-hour-only service in 1981. It was temporarily closed in December 2020 because of low ridership and a lack of accessibility, with the closure becoming indefinite in April 2021. The former station building, not used by the railroad since the mid-20th century, is occupied by a private business.

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

Beverly Farms station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in the Beverly Farms village of Beverly, Massachusetts. Located at the intersection of Oak Street and West Street, it serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The 1898-built station building is still present but no longer used for railroad purposes. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, each with a mini-high section to make the station accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Gloucester station</span>

West Gloucester station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, located off Massachusetts Route 133 in the west part of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester station (MBTA)</span>

Gloucester station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Located off Railroad Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Gloucester, it serves the Rockport branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station consists of a single side platform serving the line's single track. The station has a mini-high platform, making it accessible.

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

Rockport station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Rockport, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the Rockport branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station complex consists of a single side platform with one revenue track plus 4 layover tracks for parked trains and a short stretch of auxiliary track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton/Wenham station</span>

Hamilton/Wenham station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts. It serves the Newburyport Branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is located just south of the intersection of Bay Road and Walnut Road, and straddles the Hamilton–Wenham town line, with the southern end of the platform geographically in Wenham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newburyport station</span> Railway station in Newburyport, MA

Newburyport station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It is located between Parker Street and U.S. Route 1 south of downtown Newburyport, and serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station is the terminus of the Newburyport Branch of the line, with three parking lots totalling over 800 spaces. The Clipper City Rail Trail, running along the former right-of-way, connects the station to the town center. Newburyport station is fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballardvale station</span> Train station in Andover, Massachusetts, US

Ballardvale station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Haverhill Line, located in the Ballardvale village of Andover, Massachusetts. The station has a single side platform serving a single track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitchburg Intermodal Transportation Center</span> Regional rail and bus station

The Fitchburg Intermodal Transportation Center is a regional rail and bus station located in downtown Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It is a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line and a hub for Montachusett Regional Transit Authority local and intercity bus routes.

References

  1. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  2. "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
  3. Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 264–265. ISBN   0942147022.
  4. Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. p. 188. ISBN   9780942147087.
  5. "Two Stations closed on Boston & Maine". Boston Globe. December 28, 1939. p. 8 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  7. Henry, Alan P. (August 10, 1977). "There's no depot like an old depot". Boston Globe. p. 3 via Newspapers.com.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Manchester station (MBTA) at Wikimedia Commons