Providence/Stoughton Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | MBTA (within Massachusetts) Amtrak (within Rhode Island) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Southeastern Massachusetts Rhode Island | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | MBTA Commuter Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Train number(s) | 800–841, 860–893 (weekday) 1800-1819 (Saturday) 2800-2819 (Sunday) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Keolis North America | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 17,648 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 62.9 miles (101.2 km) (South Station–Wickford Junction) 18.9 miles (30.4 km) (South Station–Stoughton) [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Providence/Stoughton Line is an MBTA Commuter Rail service in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, primarily serving the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Most service runs entirely on the Northeast Corridor between South Station in Boston and Providence station or Wickford Junction station in Rhode Island, while the Stoughton Branch splits at Canton Junction and terminates at Stoughton. It is the longest MBTA Commuter Rail line, and the only one that operates outside Massachusetts. The line is the busiest on the MBTA Commuter Rail system, with 17,648 daily boardings in an October 2022 count.
The portion between Boston and Providence was originally built by the Boston and Providence Railroad between 1834 and 1847. The portion south of Providence was built by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad in 1837, while the Stoughton Branch was built by the Stoughton Branch Railroad in 1845. The lines were acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the 1890s.
The MBTA began subsidizing service in the 1960s, and purchased the infrastructure and rolling stock from Penn Central in 1973. Service was cut back to Attleboro in 1981, but rush-hour service returned as far as Providence in 1988 under an agreement with the state of Rhode Island. Off-peak service to Rhode Island resumed in 2000. An extension south from Providence opened to T. F. Green Airport in 2010 and to Wickford Junction in 2012. All stations have been made accessible with high-level platforms. Newer stations like T.F. Green Airport, as well as stations shared with Amtrak, largely have full-length high level platforms; older stations have mostly been retrofitted with "mini-high" platforms one car length long.
The Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) opened between Boston and Sprague Mansion in 1834, and on to Providence in 1835. A new line between Providence and East Junction via Central Falls, shared with the Providence and Worcester Railroad south of Central Falls, opened in October 1847. The B&P was leased by the Old Colony Railroad in 1888; the Old Colony was in turn leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. [3]
At the peak of service around the turn of the century, weekday service included six Boston–Providence local round trips, seven round trips from Taunton and New Bedford via Mansfield, 62 Boston–Forest Hills round trips running every 15 minutes, 12 Boston–Dedham round trips via Readville and 24 via West Roxbury, and 11 intercity round trips from beyond Providence. Connections to additional branch line trains were made at Canton Junction, Mansfield, and East Junction. [3] Forest Hills service was soon decimated by the competing Washington Street Elevated; branch line service declined in the 1920s and 1930s. Further reductions occurred after World War II; cuts in July 1959 reduced Providence service from 12 to nine round trips, Dedham service to one round trip, and Stoughton service to two round trips. [3] [4]
On December 31, 1968, the recently formed Penn Central bought the failing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The MBTA bought the section of the Providence–Boston line in Massachusetts, as well as many other lines including the Stoughton Branch, from Penn Central on January 27, 1973. On April 1, 1976 Conrail took over Penn Central and the commuter rail equipment was sold to the MBTA. Conrail continued to operate the line under contract to the MBTA until 1977, when the Boston and Maine Railroad became the sole contractor for all MBTA commuter rail service. Full subsidies by the MBTA for the Providence and Stoughton lines began on September 28, 1976, before which the Federal government helped. On March 31, 1977, the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority and Rhode Island Department of Transportation began to subsidize service beyond the MBTA district, and Stoughton began to pay to keep its station open, that cost later going to the Brockton Area Transit Authority.
On November 3, 1979, the line was closed north of Readville for long-term reconstruction as part of the Southwest Corridor project. All trains began using what is now the Fairmount Line, and special shuttle trains connected South Station to Back Bay. The new line, rebuilt below grade with space for three tracks (the old one had been above grade with room for four tracks), opened on October 5, 1987. [5] The Orange Line shares the corridor between Back Bay and Forest Hills.
After Rhode Island cut back its subsidy, Sunday service was truncated to Attleboro in October 1977, with off-peak and Saturday service following suit in April 1979. On February 20, 1981, the MBTA stopped serving Rhode Island altogether after that state declined to renew its subsidy. [5] On September 17, 1986, Massachusetts and Rhode Island reached an agreement to resume service. [6] Rush-hour service to Rhode Island was restored on February 1, 1988. On June 20, 1990, a new stop opened in South Attleboro and most trains were extended to the station; regular Sunday service returned in 1992. [5]
In 1990, a northbound commuter train was involved in a collision with a northbound Night Owl train. The accident, which occurred to the west of Back Bay station, injured over four hundred people, although there were no fatalities. [7]
Some off-peak weekday trains were extended to Providence starting on December 11, 2000. [5] On July 24, 2006, the MBTA increased weekday Providence service from 11 to 15 daily round trips. Weekend service to Providence resumed on July 29, and a new layover facility was opened in Pawtucket. [8] [9] [10]
The South County Commuter Rail initiative, a 20-mile extension past Providence to T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction in Rhode Island was implemented between 2010 and 2012. The T. F. Green Airport part of the extension opened in December 2010, with Wickford Junction service beginning in April 2012. [11] An infill station at Pawtucket/Central Falls opened on January 23, 2023. [12] [13]
Additional studies and proposals to expand Providence/Stoughton Line service have occurred; though none have been funded or pursued. In 2001, prior to the South County extension, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation considered constructing infill stations in Cranston and East Greenwich along with the addition of extending commuter service to existing Amtrak stations in Kingston and Westerly. Under this plan, RIDOT proposed the establishment of its own statewide commuter service along the Northeast Corridor that would connect with MBTA service and an extension of CTrail's Shore Line East. [14] Ultimately, the MBTA would be contracted to operate trains as far as Wickford Junction, with Kingston and Westerly being relegated to only Northeast Regional service. [5]
An extension to Westerly was once again studied by RIDOT in 2017. The study also assessed electrification and extensions of Shore Line East service to Westerly or Kingston. Ultimately, none of the alternatives moved beyond the preliminary study phase. [15] A passing siding and new platforms at Kingston were completed in 2017, which may enable commuter services in the future. [16] As of 2024, there are no plans to extend Providence Line service.
A major extension of the Stoughton Branch has been proposed as a part of Phase 2 of the South Coast Rail project. Phase 2 of the South Coast Rail, projected for completion in 2030, would extend the Stoughton Branch south over the abandoned Dighton and Somerset Railroad through Easton, Raynham, and Taunton. Currently, the line between Stoughton and Dean Street in Taunton is abandoned; however, the route is rail-banked for future service, precluding it from overdevelopment. It would join Phase 1 (scheduled to open in mid-2025) near East Taunton station and replace the section of the Phase 1 route through Middleborough. Current plans call for the reconstruction of Canton Center and Stoughton stations; new stations on the extended route would include North Easton, Easton Village, Raynham Place, and Taunton. [17]
Amtrak electrified the Northeast Corridor north of New Haven to Boston as part of the Northeast High Speed Rail Improvement Program in 2000; however, the MBTA has not utilized this, and continues to operate diesel locomotives under-wire. Electrified commuter service had not been pursued due to costs associated with traction substation expansion, electric multiple unit procurement, as well as additional catenary installation at several station sidings and layover facilities. [18] [19] By the late 2010s, the MBTA began exploring options to pilot electric trains for Providence service as part of a long-term transition to regional rail. [20]
The MBTA would propose several pilots for electric Providence service during the early 2020s; however, none would come to fruition. In 2019, the MBTA had preliminary discussions with Amtrak about leasing Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives to test on the Providence Line. [21] By 2021, the MBTA shifted plans to instead pilot electric multiple units (EMU) on Providence service in 2024, with the Fairmount Line and the inner section of the Newburyport/Rockport Line electrified later in the decade. [22] [23] In June 2022 the MBTA reversed plans and specified that pilot electric service would utilize leased Amtrak locomotives, not EMUs, in 2024; additionally, long-term electrification would utilize battery-electric multiple units (BEMU) on the Providence/Stoughton Line and Fairmount Line by 2028–29. [24] By 2024, all plans to pilot electric service on the Providence Line had been indefinitely postponed.
In late 2022 RIDOT applied for a $3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant to study Providence Line electrification; however, the application was rejected by the FRA in 2023, which precluded the study. [25] [26] In July 2024, the MBTA and Keolis moved forward with a proposal to procure and operate BEMUs on the Fairmount Line by 2028; however, Providence service was omitted due to increased fleet requirements. [27] [28] [29] [30]
Several preliminary projects to enable electric service have been proposed or are underway. A 1.7-mile (2.7 km) section of non-electrified platform sidings at Attleboro, not included in the initial Amtrak electrification, was planned for electrification in mid-2022 to support future electric MBTA operations; however, the project was delayed and completed in mid-2024. [31] Electrification of the station siding at T.F. Green Airport to enable Northeast Regional service has been subjected to several planning studies. [32] [33] Current plans for Phase 2 of the South Coast Rail Project would fully electrify the Stoughton extension and the Phase 1 route by 2030. [17]
In August 1971, the MBTA began operating Boston–Foxboro and Providence–Foxboro service for events at the new Foxboro Stadium. [5] [34] Providence service ended early in the 1973 season due to insufficient ridership; Boston service ended that October. [35] Boston service via the Franklin Line resumed in 1986. [36] It was rerouted over the Providence/Stoughton Line in 1989, with intermediate stops at Back Bay, Hyde Park, Route 128, Canton Junction, Sharon, and Mansfield; a reverse move was made at Mansfield to access the Framingham Secondary. [37] Boston–Foxboro service was again rerouted over the Franklin Line in 1995. [38] [39] Providence–Foxboro event service resumed for the 1997 season, with intermediate stops at South Attleboro, Attleboro, and Mansfield. [40] [41] Event service was extended to T.F. Green Airport in 2012, but cut back to Providence in 2019. [42] [43]
Substantially reduced schedules were in effect from March 16 to June 23, 2020. [5] Service changes effective November 2, 2020, shifted some peak service to off-peak, providing 60-minute all-day headways between Providence and Boston. [44] Reduced schedules were again put in effect on December 14, 2020. [45] [5] As part of a schedule change on January 23, 2021, Sunday morning Boston–Providence service began operation for the first time since the New Haven era. [46] On February 26, 2021, South Attleboro station was temporarily closed due to structural deterioration. [5] Full service was restored on April 5, 2021. [47] As part of that schedule change, all Providence/Stoughton Line trains began stopping at Ruggles station after an additional platform there was completed. [48] [49] Additionally, the final Providence-bound train on weekdays began stopping at Forest Hills station to provide a transfer to a shuttle train to Needham. [50] [51] During the closure of the Orange Line from August 19 to September 18, 2022, additional Providence/Stoughton Line trains stopped at Forest Hills. [52] One of these trains – a midday Providence outbound – continued to stop after September 19. [53]
Daily ridership reached 17,648 in October 2022 – 69% of pre-COVID ridership. [1] On October 2, 2023, the last evening Stoughton-bound train began operating via the Fairmount Line – the first such service since 2004. [54] South Attleboro station reopened with limited weekday service – three northbound and four southbound trains – on May 20, 2024. All weekend service and some weekday service began stopping at Readville station to provide timed transfers with Franklin/Foxboro Line trains operating over the Fairmount Line. [55] [56]
As of February 2022 [update] , weekday service has 20 Boston–Providence round trips, half of which run to Wickford Junction, and 16 Boston–Stoughton round trips. Weekend service has nine Boston–Providence round trips, with no Wickford Junction or Stoughton service. [57]
The main branch forms the far northern leg of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. All Acela Express trains and all Northeast Regional routes between Boston and New York City run along this line. South Station, Back Bay, Route 128 and Providence have long ranked among the busiest Amtrak stations in the country. With fast and frequent MBTA and Amtrak service, the Providence-Boston share of the Northeast Corridor is one of the busiest rail lines in the country.
The MBTA owns the section from Boston to the Rhode Island border (called the Attleboro Line), while Amtrak owns all track in Rhode Island. [58] The entire line is part of the Northeast Corridor.
As part of the 1988 [59] Pilgrim Partnership Agreement, Rhode Island provides capital funding (including some of its federal formula funds) for MBTA expansion in the state. Massachusetts (through the MBTA) provides the operating subsidy for MBTA Commuter Rail service in return. [60] Rhode Island also pays Amtrak to allow the MBTA to use its tracks. [61]
Fare zone | Location | Miles (km) [2] [62] | Station | Connections and notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1A | Boston | 0.0 (0.0) | South Station | Amtrak: Acela , Lake Shore Limited , Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail: Fairmount, Framingham/Worcester, Franklin/Foxboro, Greenbush, Old Colony, and Needham lines; CapeFlyer (seasonal) MBTA subway: Red Line; Silver Line (SL1 , SL2 , SL3 , SL4) MBTA bus: 4 , 7 , 11 Intercity buses at South Station Bus Terminal | |
1.2 (1.9) | Back Bay | Amtrak: Acela Express, Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional MBTA Commuter Rail: Framingham/Worcester, Franklin/Foxboro, and Needham lines MBTA subway: Orange Line MBTA bus: 10 , 39 | |||
2.2 (3.5) | Ruggles | MBTA Commuter Rail: Franklin/Foxboro and Needham lines MBTA subway: Orange Line MBTA bus: 8 , 15 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 28 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 47 , CT2 , CT3 | |||
5.0 (8.0) | Forest Hills | Limited service MBTA Commuter Rail: Franklin/Foxboro and Needham lines MBTA subway: Orange Line MBTA bus: 16 , 21 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 34E , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 50 , 51 | |||
6.5 (10.5) | Mount Hope | Closed November 2, 1979 | |||
1 | 8.4 (13.5) | Hyde Park | MBTA Commuter Rail: Franklin/Foxboro Line MBTA bus: 24 , 32 , 33 , 50 | ||
2 | 9.5 (15.3) | Readville | MBTA Commuter Rail: Fairmount and Franklin/Foxboro lines MBTA bus: 32 , 33 | ||
Westwood | 11.4 (18.3) | Route 128 | Amtrak: Acela Express, Northeast Regional | ||
3 | Canton | 14.8 (23.8) | Canton Junction | Split with Stoughton Branch | |
4 | Sharon | 17.9 (28.8) | Sharon | ||
Foxborough | 23.0 (37.0) | East Foxboro | Closed November 1977 | ||
6 | Mansfield | 24.7 (39.8) | Mansfield | Blue Apple Bus | |
7 | Attleboro | 31.8 (51.2) | Attleboro | GATRA: 10, 12, 15, 16, 18 | |
36.8 (59.2) | South Attleboro | Limited service GATRA: 11, 16 RIPTA: 1 , 35 | |||
Pawtucket, RI | 39.0 (62.8) | Pawtucket–Central Falls | Closed February 19, 1981 | ||
8 | 39.5 (63.6) | Pawtucket/Central Falls | RIPTA: R-Line , 1 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 75 , 76 , 78 , 80 , QX | ||
Providence, RI | 43.6 (70.2) | Providence | Amtrak: Acela Express, Northeast Regional RIPTA: R-Line , 3 , 4 , 50 , 51 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 66 , 72 | ||
9 | Warwick, RI | 51.9 (83.5) | T.F. Green Airport | RIPTA: | |
10 | North Kingstown, RI | 62.9 (101.2) | Wickford Junction | RIPTA: 14 , 65x , 66 | |
Currently operating station |
State | Fare zone | Location | Mile (km) [2] | Station | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MA | 3 | Canton | 14.8 (23.8) | Canton Junction | Splits from main line (Northeast Corridor) |
15.6 (25.1) | Canton Center | MBTA bus: 716 | |||
4 | Stoughton | 18.9 (30.4) | Stoughton | BAT: 14 | |
Currently operating station |
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 135 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1, 2014, from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).
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.
Forest Hills station is an intermodal transfer station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA rapid transit Orange Line and three MBTA Commuter Rail lines and is a major terminus for MBTA bus routes. It is located in Forest Hills, in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Most Providence/Stoughton Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line trains, and all Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains, pass through the station without stopping. Forest Hills station is fully accessible on all modes.
South Attleboro station is an 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 has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor, formerly connected by a footbridge to a park-and-ride lot; only the north platform is in use.
The Fairmount Line or Dorchester Branch is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Except for a short portion in Milton, it lies entirely within Boston, running southwest from South Station through the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park. Weekend service began on November 29, 2014. Most trains reverse direction at the south end at Readville, but some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use the Fairmount Line rather than the Northeast Corridor.
The Boston and Providence Railroad was a railroad company in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which connected its namesake cities. It opened in two sections in 1834 and 1835 - one of the first rail lines in the United States - with a more direct route into Providence built in 1847. Branches were built to Dedham in 1834, Stoughton in 1845, and North Attleboro in 1871. It was acquired by the Old Colony Railroad in 1888, which in turn was leased by the New Haven Railroad in 1893. The line became the New Haven's primary mainline to Boston; it was realigned in Boston in 1899 during the construction of South Station, and in Pawtucket and Central Falls in 1916 for grade crossing elimination.
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.
Foxboro station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Foxborough, Massachusetts, located adjacent to Gillette Stadium and the Patriot Place shopping center. The station has a single side platform serving the main track of the Framingham Secondary. It is the terminus of a branch of the Franklin/Foxboro Line service, and is served by trains from Boston via the Franklin/Foxboro Line and from Providence via the Providence/Stoughton Line during events at Gillette Stadium.
T. F. Green Airport station is a train station and intermodal facility in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the Northeast Corridor, adjacent to T. F. Green Airport. It extends the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line from Boston, which previously only went as far as the Providence train station. The station was completed in October 2010 and MBTA service began on December 6, 2010. On November 14, 2011, service expanded to 10 weekday trains in each direction. Trips to and from Boston's South Station take 75 to 90 minutes.
The Franklin/Foxboro Line is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts. Most weekday trains use the Northeast Corridor before splitting off onto the namesake Franklin Branch at Readville, though some weekday trains and all weekend trains use the Dorchester Branch between Boston and Readville.
Wickford Junction station is a commuter rail station located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States. It is the southern terminus of the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line and serves as a park and ride location for commuters to Providence and Boston. The station consists of a single high-level side platform on a stub-end siding next to the Northeast Corridor mainline.
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 on the Providence/Stoughton Line.
The Providence metropolitan area is a region extending into eight counties in two states. Its core is in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts; its largest city is Providence, Rhode Island. With an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%, the Providence MSA is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The MSA covers all of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts, with an average population density of 2300 per mi2.
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 the MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount, Franklin/Foxboro, and Providence/Stoughton Lines. 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 Attleboro Line tracks at ground level and the Dorchester Branch above. Franklin/Foxboro Line trains that run on the Northeast Corridor use a connecting track with a separate platform. An MBTA maintenance and storage yard and a CSX Transportation freight yard are located near the station.
Attleboro station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. By a 2018 count, Attleboro had 1,547 daily riders, making it the fourth busiest station on the system outside Boston.
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.
Pawtucket/Central Falls station is a commuter rail station in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It opened for MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line service on January 23, 2023. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Northeast Corridor. It is also a hub for RIPTA local bus service.
The Beacon Hill was a daily 157-mile (253 km) commuter rail service operated by Amtrak between Boston, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, from 1978 to 1981. The Beacon Hill was one of the last long-haul commuter services operated by Amtrak. Service consisted of a single rush-hour round trip, with service eastbound to Boston in the morning and westbound to New Haven in the evening.
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 will 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 includes passenger service to some of the southern lines of the former Old Colony Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
Media related to MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line at Wikimedia Commons