Mystic, CT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | 2 Roosevelt Avenue (US 1) Mystic, Connecticut United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 41°21′03″N71°57′48″W / 41.3509°N 71.9632°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owned by | Amtrak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) | Amtrak Northeast Corridor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 2 side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connections | SEAT: Stonington HOP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accessible | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Station code | Amtrak: MYS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | December 1858 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt | 1866, 1905 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY 2021 | 14,284 [1] (Amtrak) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mystic station is an intercity train station on the Northeast Corridor, located off Roosevelt Avenue (US 1) east of downtown Mystic, Connecticut. It is served by a limited number of trains on Amtrak's Northeast Regional service, with three to five daily trains in each direction. Amtrak's Acela also passes by this station, but does not stop. Mystic is one of only three stations on the Northeast Corridor (along with adjacent stations Westerly and Kingston to the north) to be served exclusively by Amtrak, with no commuter rail service.
The first Mystic station opened in 1858; it burned down and was replaced in 1866. The current station building was built in 1905. A classic small American train station, it was used as the model for American Flyer model stations for over 50 years. The station only has low platforms, unlike most Amtrak stations on the Northeast Corridor; however, a wheelchair lift is available for accessibility. The station building is used as a coffee shop and passenger waiting area.
The New Haven, New London and Stonington Railroad opened from Stonington to Groton in December 1858 and was shortly thereafter acquired by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad. [2] A wooden depot, similar to those still extant at West Mystic and Noank, was constructed. [3] The station burned on July 4, 1866 due to Independence Day celebrations; it was soon replaced. [4]
A new station was built in 1905 by the New Haven Railroad. [3] [5] The station is primarily wood on a brown brick base, with Georgian Revival architectural elements such as Palladian windows on the east and west facades. It is clad in wood shingles, which had become popular in New England in the late 19th century as a result of interest in colonial history. [5] [3] Franklin/Dean College station in Massachusetts was built to a similar design in 1912. [3] The eastern half of the station was a waiting room for passengers, while the western half was a baggage room with few windows. [5] The 1866-built station was repurposed as a freight house. [4]
The station was built with a lengthy gabled canopy which stretched both directions along the platform. The canopy was destroyed in September 1938 by the 1938 New England hurricane; the station was damaged but repaired. [5] [3] The station was used as a model for the American Flyer toy train station beginning in the mid-20th century and lasting over 50 years. [3] [6]
The New Haven Railroad folded into Penn Central in 1969, and passenger operations transferred to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. The station was in poor shape and closed to passengers; although ownership was uncertain, the property was claimed by Amtrak. [5] It was resumed as a station stop in 1974, but no passenger facilities were available. [7]
In 1976, a group of local residents formed Mystic Depot, Inc. to renovate and reopen the building. They received $40,000 from Amtrak, $15,000 from the state, and raised $36,000 from donations and memorabilia sales. Work began in late 1977 and the station was finished in April 1978. The Mystic Garden Club landscaped the station grounds. [5] The station was restored to a typical mustard and maroon paint scheme. [8] Amtrak leased the station to Mystic Depot, Inc. for $1.00 annually. [3] The rails were moved slightly away from the station building in 1981 when the Mystic River bridge to the west was rebuilt on a new alignment. [3] A wooden shelter was built around 1986 for eastbound passengers. [3]
In 2001, the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce began operating a tourist center in the station. [3] The waiting room and a ticket machine were available to passengers, and the station was staffed by volunteers. After the Chamber's lease expired, the station building was closed on March 15, 2015, though Amtrak service continued. [9] Three proposals were submitted for reuse; a Rhode Island-based company won the lease in June 2015 to use the building as a cafe and gift shop. [10] The new leasees began renovating the exterior in late 2015; the Mystic Planning and Zoning Commission approved the interior plan in December 2015. [11] The shop, Mystic Depot Roasters, has seating and a ticket machine for Amtrak passengers; it opened on September 30, 2016. [12] [13]
Weekday stopping service was scheduled to increase from three northbound and two southbound trains to five northbound and six southbound trains on March 16, 2020. [14] However, on that date Amtrak temporarily reduced Northeast Corridor service due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [15]
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore to Washington, D.C. The NEC closely parallels Interstate 95 for most of its length, and is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States both by ridership and by service frequency as of 2013. The NEC carries more than 2,200 trains daily.
Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station or simply New Haven, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. It is the third such station in the city of New Haven, preceded by both an 1848 built station in a different location, and an 1879 built station near the current station's location. Designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert, the present beaux-arts Union Station was completed and opened in 1920 after the previous Union Station was destroyed by fire. It served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad for the next five decades, but fell into decline following World War II along with the United States railroad industry as a whole.
Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service which operates along the Northeast Corridor through southern Connecticut, United States. The rail service is a fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and is operated under the CT Rail brand. SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor between New London and New Haven; limited through service west of New Haven to Bridgeport and Stamford has been suspended since 2020. Cross-platform transfers to Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line trains are available at New Haven for service to southwestern Connecticut and New York City. Pre-COVID, around 2,200 riders used the service on weekdays.
Stamford station, officially known as the Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center or the Stamford Transportation Center, is a major railroad station in the city of Stamford, Connecticut, serving passengers traveling on Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, and CTrail's Shore Line East. In addition, it is also a major bus terminal for Greyhound, Peter Pan, and CTtransit buses. Annual ridership on Metro-North exceeded 8.4 million in 2016, making it the second busiest station in the entire system, after Grand Central Terminal.
Providence station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island, served by Amtrak and MBTA Commuter Rail. The station has four tracks and two island platforms for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains. It is now the 11th busiest Amtrak station in the country, and the second-busiest on the MBTA Commuter Rail system outside of Boston.
Springfield Union Station is a train and bus station in the Metro Center area of Springfield, Massachusetts. Constructed in 1926, Springfield Union Station is the fifth-busiest Amtrak station in the Commonwealth, and the busiest outside of Greater Boston.
The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island. It is now part of Amtrak's high-speed Northeast Corridor.
The Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center is a transit facility located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The $11 million facility is named after Joseph Scelsi, a longtime State Representative who represented Pittsfield. Owned by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA), it is serviced by local BRTA bus services, Amtrak intercity rail service, and Peter Pan intercity bus service. The second floor of the building houses two classrooms used by Berkshire Community College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Kingston is a historic railroad station located on the Northeast Corridor in the village of West Kingston, in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. It was built at this location in 1875 by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, replacing earlier stations dating back to the opening of the line in 1837. Current rail services consist of Northeast Regional trains in each direction, most of which stop at the station. Historically Kingston provided commuter rail service to Providence and Boston via Amtrak's commuter rail services. The MBTA is looking at extending their commuter service with the Providence/Stoughton Line.
Old Saybrook station is a regional rail station in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It is served by both Amtrak Northeast Regional intercity trains and CTrail Shore Line East commuter service.
New London Union Station is a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor located in downtown New London, Connecticut, United States. Union Station is a station stop for most Amtrak Northeast Regional trains and all CTrail Shore Line East commuter rail trains, making it the primary railroad station in southeastern Connecticut. It serves as the centerpiece of the Regional Intermodal Transit Center, with connections to local and intercity buses as well as ferries to Long Island and Fishers Island, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island. The station has one side platform and one island platform serving the two-track Northeast Corridor; the latter platform also serves a siding track that connects to the New England Central Railroad mainline.
Westerly station is a passenger rail station on the Northeast Corridor located just north of downtown Westerly, Rhode Island. It is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional. Amtrak's Acela also passes by this station, but does not stop.
Berlin station is a train station located in the Kensington neighborhood of Berlin, Connecticut. It is on the New Haven–Springfield Line and is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Hartford Line, and Valley Flyer, in addition to the Hartford Line commuter rail. Two high-level platforms, each six cars long connected by an overhead pedestrian bridge opened at the Hartford Line service launch on June 16, 2018. On December 21, 2016, the historic 1900-built station building was destroyed by a fire.
Windsor station is a historic railroad station on Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line, located in downtown Windsor, Connecticut. It is served by Amtrak Northeast Regional and Valley Flyer intercity service and CT Rail's Hartford Line commuter rail service. The nearby Hartford & New Haven Railroad-Freight Depot serves as the home of the Windsor Arts Center.
Windsor Locks station is an Amtrak and CT Rail train station in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, on the New Haven–Springfield Line. It is served by four Amtrak services - the Hartford Line shuttles, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter - as well as CT Rail Hartford Line commuter rail trains.
Madison is a passenger rail station along CTrail's Shore Line East commuter rail line, which runs on the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and New London. Madison station consists of a mid-sized parking lot and one high-level side platform on the southbound side of the tracks.
The Hartford Line is a train service run by Amtrak primarily between Springfield, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, along Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line.
Groton station was one of the shortest-lived Amtrak passenger rail stations, in service from January to April 1978 during the last incarnation of Amtrak's Clamdigger service. Previous stations at several locations in Groton were served from 1852 until the mid-20th century.
The Mystic River Railroad Bridge is a railroad bridge carrying Amtrak's Northeast Corridor over the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut, between the towns of Groton and Stonington.
Niantic was a train station on the Northeast Corridor located in the Niantic village of East Lyme, Connecticut. Opened in the 1850s, it was rebuilt in 1899 and again in 1954 by the New Haven Railroad. It closed in 1972, then reopened from 1978 to 1981 for use by the Amtrak Beacon Hill. A new station has since been proposed to be built in Niantic to serve the Shore Line East commuter rail service.