After 22 years terminating at Ipswich, the line was restored to Newburyport in 1998
The Eastern Route main line between Boston and Portsmouth, New Hampshire opened in 1836 as the Eastern Railroad. Ferries were used to transport passengers between the East Boston terminal and Boston proper. The line was extended to Portland, Maine, in 1842 under a track-sharing agreement with the Boston and Maine Railroad.[4] The Gloucester Branch was constructed in 1847, but despite local support, it was not extended to Rockport until November 1861.[5] In 1854, with the opening of the Grand Junction Railroad, the Eastern Railroad acquired direct access to downtown Boston.[4]
The Boston & Maine leased the Eastern Railroad in 1884, and in 1893 the new North Union Station became the terminus of the B&M, its subsidiaries the Eastern Railroad and Boston & Lowell Railroad, and the Fitchburg Railroad.
Amesbury Branch service ended in 1936, and Essex Branch service in 1942.[6] Branch line service declined heavily in the 1950s, with the single Salem–Marblehead round trip gone by 1957. Massive service cuts on May 18, 1958, ended all Saugus and Danvers branch service, closed all stations south of Lynn, and halved Marblehead service.[6] Further cuts on June 14, 1959, ended Marblehead Branch service; stations at East Lynn, Salisbury, and West Manchester were also closed.[7][6]
On February 28, 1956, a southbound Danvers–Boston commuter train crashed into the rear of a stopped Portsmouth–Boston local train just north of Swampscott station during a snowstorm. The collision, blamed on the engineer operating at unsafe speeds for the conditions, killed 13 people and injured 283.[8]:317[9] A second collision in Revere later that morning injured 143 people – some of whom had already been in the Swampscott wreck.[10][11] On December 27, 1966, an outbound Budd RDCstruck an oil tanker truck at Second Street in Everett, killing 13 people.[8]:317
MBTA era
In the 1960s, the B&M's passenger services - which, by that time, were almost exclusively commuter services - began to become financially unviable until the MBTA subsidized, and then acquired, the services. The line beyond Newburyport was abandoned in 1982; however, commuter service had been cut back from Newburyport to Ipswich in 1976.[4] In 1998, service was restored to Newburyport at a cost of $46 million.[12]
In the late 1980s, the MBTA planned to construct a park and ride relief station off Route 107 in Saugus. A $400,000 planning study was funded in February 1988; the proposed $11 million station would have had 1,000 parking spaces and opened in late 1991.[13] The station was not built; instead, a high-level platform and parking garage opened at Lynn in January 1992.[14] In July 2019, Wynn Resorts proposed a combination commuter rail and Silver Line station in Everett to serve the newly owned Encore Boston Harbor casino and proposed surrounding development.[15]
Movable bridges and replacements
Draw Number 7 shortly before replacement
Owing to its position along the North Shore coastline, the Newburyport/Rockport Line has a large number of river crossings, including movable bridges over the Saugus River and Danvers River on the mainline as well as Days Creek and the Annisquam River on the Rockport Branch. Draw Number 7 over the Mystic River between Somerville and Everett, built in 1877, was the oldest horizontally folding drawbridge in the country[16] until it was replaced by a fixed high-level concrete span on August 26, 1989. The new $34.2 million bridge, which was completed nine months ahead of schedule, eliminated the 5 miles per hour (8.0km/h) speed restriction on the old bridge.[17][18]
The Beverly Drawbridge spanning the Danvers River was replaced in 2017. The abutments of the approach spans were repaired, followed by a 21-day service shutdown from July 17 to August 13, 2017, for the complete replacement of the swing bridge section.[19][14] The MBTA Board approved the $16.2 million contract in February 2016; work will last from March 2016 to December 2017.[20] The line was shut down on weekends from July 8 through August 27, 2017, for the installation of Positive Train Control equipment in order to meet a 2020 federal deadline; four of those weekends overlapped with the already planned service curtailments for drawbridge work.[21][14]
The Gloucester Drawbridge over the Annisquam River formerly consisted of a steel drawbridge and western approach span with a timber trestle for the eastern approach. It was built in 1911, modified in 1932, and substantially repaired in 1984–85. It was completely replaced with a modern box beam bridge on steel piles.[22] By February 2016, bidding was planned to begin by June for the four-year, then-$34 million project, though funding had not been allotted.[23] The MBTA Board approved a $56.9 million contract in October 2017; funding is split between federal and state funds. The 44-month project was to require 10 weekend shutdowns of the branch.[24] All service between West Gloucester and Rockport was replaced by buses from June 1 to 30, 2019 to allow for construction.[25]
On April 29, 2020, service between West Gloucester and Rockport was indefinitely replaced by buses due to a failure of the old bridge.[26] That June, the MBTA indicated the closure would continue until the completion of the bridge replacement in mid-2021.[27] In October 2020, weekend service was modified with the outbound bus connection at Manchester, so that trains could idle between the two stations.[14] This was repeated with weekday service on November 2, 2020.[28] On April 5, 2021, weekend bus shuttles were changed to run between Beverly and Rockport.[14] Other work during the closure included replacement of 11,000 wood ties with plastic ties, replacement of 12 culverts, and replacement of an old spring switch east of the drawbridge with a modern interlocking.[29] Portions of the line are being replaced by buses in several phases from April 11 to June 5, 2022, to allow for several construction projects including the completion of the drawbridge.[30] Regular service to Rockport over the bridge resumed on May 23, 2022.[31] Work on the bridge was completed in December 2022.[32]
The MBTA plans to replace the Saugus River drawbridge in the mid-to-late 2020s.[33]
COVID-19 changes
Substantially reduced schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic were in effect from March 16 to June 23, 2020.[14] Schedule changes effective November 2, 2020 shifted some peak service to off-peak, providing 30-minute midday headways on the inner portion of the line, as part of a transition to a regional rail model.[34] The final Newburyport-bound train on weekdays began operating as a shuttle from Salem, with a transfer from a Rockport-bound train.[28] In November 2020, as part of service cuts during the pandemic, the MBTA proposed to close Prides Crossing along with five other low-ridership stations on other lines.[35] On December 14, the MBTA Board voted to enact a more limited set of cuts, including indefinitely closing Prides Crossing and four of the other five stations.[36][37] That day, temporary reduced schedules were again put into place, with Prides Crossing not served.[38] Full service resumed on April 5, 2021, with Prides Crossing still closed.[39]
As of February 2022[update], weekday service had 12 Boston–West Gloucester round trips, 13 Boston–Newburyport round trips, three Boston–Beverly round trips, and one Salem–Newburyport outbound trip. Weekend service had nine round trips on each branch, with no short turns.[40] A series of partial and complete closures of the line took place from March 5 to June 12, 2022, to allow for signal construction work. Several shorter closures took place in July through September.[14] Lynn station temporarily closed on October 1, 2022, pending a reconstruction project.[41] By October 2022, the line had 11,333 daily riders – 76% of pre-COVID ridership.[1] Rockport Branch service was replaced by buses from October 15 to December 18, 2022, for the final phase of signal work.[14][32] All trips on the line were reduced to Zone 1A fares (the least expensive) from July 1 to August 31, 2023, during a closure of the Sumner Tunnel.[42]
South Salem
In February 2001, the MBTA began two parallel planning processes for the North Shore region: a Draft Environment Impact Statement for the Blue Line Extension (DEIS), and a Major Investment Study (MIS) for other projects primarily north of Salem. The MIS, released in 2004, identified a number of possible improvements to the Newburyport/Rockport Line, including upgrades to current stations, grade crossing eliminations, signal system improvements, increased frequencies, a second Salem tunnel, a branch line to Danvers, and new stations at Revere and South Salem.[43] A South Salem station would serve Salem State University, the North Shore Medical Center, and residential areas south of downtown Salem - some of which were served by the pre-1987 station, but only by the 455 and 459 buses thereafter. The station was estimated to cost $12.2 to $13.8 million, with a single island platform serving the line's two tracks, and would draw about 600 daily riders.[43] Two possible locations were considered: one with access from Laurel Street and the platform running to the north, and one with access from Ocean Avenue and the platform running to the south.[44][45]
None of the projects in the DEIS or MIS was actually built due to lack of funding, except for parking structures at Salem and Beverly which were mandated as Big Dig mitigation. In January 2015, Salem mayor Kim Driscoll indicated her support for a South Salem station in her State of the City address.[46] A feasibility study, released in March 2016, analyzed four possible station locations, including three sites near the MIS locations plus one at Jefferson Avenue to the south. The station would have two side platforms and cost between $15 million and $20 million depending on the site.[47] The study received mixed reactions from Salem residents, including concerns about construction, lights, and trains idling near a residential area but also hope for improved transit accessibility and higher property values.[48][49]
As of November 2016[update], a site off Canal Street near Lauren Street was considered the preferred alternative. Part or all of an adjacent industrial property could be purchased to provide pedestrian access and possibly a small parking lot on the west side of the tracks, improving access to the nearby North Shore Medical Center.[50][51]
Proposed electrification
As the MBTA plans to transition to a regional rail model with more frequent service, the Newburyport/Rockport Line is a priority for electrification because it serves environmental justice communities.[clarification needed] In April 2021, the MBTA indicated plans to electrify the line between Boston and Beverly Depot. Studies for facility needs and traction power were noted as being funded, while design and planning for required infrastructure changes were not.[52] In June 2022, the MBTA indicated plans to begin service with battery electric multiple units on the line in 2031. The section from Chelsea to Hamilton/Wenham and Manchester (save for the Salem Tunnel) would have overhead wires. A light maintenance facility would be constructed near Salem. Improvements to a turnback track near Beverly, allowing more frequent diesel service in the interim, are planned to be completed in late 2022.[53]
North Station is a commuter rail and intercity rail terminal station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by four MBTA Commuter Rail lines – the Fitchburg Line, Haverhill Line, Lowell Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line – and the Amtrak Downeaster intercity service. The concourse is located under the TD Garden arena, with the platforms extending north towards drawbridges over the Charles River. The eponymous subway station, served by the Green Line and Orange Line, is connected to the concourse with an underground passageway.
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).
The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between the two cities, until the Boston & Maine put an end to the competition by leasing the Eastern in December 1884. Much of the railroad's main line in Massachusetts is used by the MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, and some unused parts of its right-of-way have been converted to rail trails.
Bellingham Square station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Silver Line bus rapid transit (BRT) station located near Bellingham Square slightly north of downtown Chelsea, Massachusetts. The station has two accessible side platforms for buses on the SL3 route. The Boston and Maine Railroad and predecessor Eastern Railroad served Chelsea station at the same location from the mid-1850s to 1958. The MBTA opened Chelsea station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line in 1985. Prior to its 2010 cancellation, the Urban Ring Project planned for a circumferential BRT line with a stop at Mystic Mall. Planning continued for the Chelsea segment; a Silver Line extension to Mystic Mall was announced in 2013. Construction began in 2015, and SL3 service to the renamed Bellingham Square station began on April 21, 2018. Commuter rail service moved to the newly constructed Chelsea station on November 15, 2021.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Manchester station 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rowley station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Rowley, Massachusetts. It is the penultimate station on the Newburyport branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line.
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.
The MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility is the primary train maintenance repair facility for the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It is located in the Inner Belt area of Somerville, Massachusetts, near North Station in Boston. The present Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility was built from 1995 to 1998, replacing the Boston Engine Terminal which was built by the former Boston and Maine Railroad. The present facility opened on March 25, 1998.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates subway, bus, commuter rail, and ferry service in the Greater Boston region. Boston has some of the highest rates of non-motorized commuting in the United States, including high bicycle usage. The MBTA offers certain provisions for riders wishing to make part of their trips by bicycle. The agency allows bicycles to be carried on all fixed-route services except the Green Line and the Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line light rail lines, although they are restricted on the commuter rail and heavy rail subway services at peak hours. Bicycle storage areas are offered at many stations, with "Pedal and Park" locking bicycle cages at certain high-usage stations.
Chelsea station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transit station located adjacent to the Mystic Mall in Chelsea, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the SL3 route of the MBTA Silver Line bus rapid transit (BRT) network, and is served by the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail. The accessible station has a loop with two small platforms for the Silver Line, and two full-length side platforms for commuter rail trains.
References
1 2 Poftak, Steve (October 27, 2022). "GM Report"(PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p.6.
1 2 3 T. Zabek (January 1, 2010). "Eastern Division". Remnants of the Boston & Maine Railroad. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
1 2 3 Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. pp.75–77. ISBN9780685412947.
↑ Belcher, Jonathan (January–February 2022). "MBTA Vehicle Inventory as of February 28, 2022". Rollsign. Vol.59, no.1–2. Boston Street Railway Association. p.17.
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