Windsor Gardens station

Last updated

Windsor Gardens
Windsor Gardens MBTA station, Norwood MA.jpg
An outbound train at Windsor Gardens station in December 2012
General information
LocationEngamore Lane
Norwood, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°10′19″N71°13′11″W / 42.17189°N 71.21973°W / 42.17189; -71.21973
Line(s) Franklin Branch
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Other information
Fare zone4
History
OpenedMarch 29, 1971 [1]
Passengers
2018257 (weekday average boardings) [2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Walpole
toward Forge Park/495
Franklin/​Foxboro Line Norwood Central
toward South Station
Foxboro
Terminus
Location
Windsor Gardens station

Windsor Gardens station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Franklin/Foxboro Line station in southern Norwood, Massachusetts. The station has a single side platform serving a single track; it is not accessible. The only entrance to the station is from an adjacent apartment complex; use of the station is not restricted to residents of the complex, though there is no public parking.

Contents

A station serving the South Norwood area was opened on the Norfolk County Railroad in 1849, with two more added on a separate line in 1892. The three stations closed in 1938 as part of the 88 stations case. The line became part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in the 1960s and 1970s. Windsor Gardens station opened on March 29, 1971, to serve the apartment complex, which opened in 1962.

Station design

Windsor Gardens station is located in the South Norwood neighborhood of Norwood, Massachusetts, just north of the Walpole border. It is located off Engsmore Lane within the Windsor Gardens apartment complex, though use of the station is not restricted to residents. There is no public parking or bicycle facilities at the station; there is pedestrian access through the complex from Walpole Street. [3] The station has a single side platform, about 350 feet (110 m) long, on the west side of the single track of the Franklin Branch. The low-level platform is not accessible. [4] [3] The station has two small shelters for passengers, but no station building. [5] [6]

History

Former stations

The former East Walpole freight house East Walpole freight house, July 2021.jpg
The former East Walpole freight house

The Norfolk County Railroad opened through South Dedham (now Norfolk) on April 23, 1849. [7] : 43 Winslow(s) station (also called Durfees and South Dedham–East Walpole), located at Washington Street, opened that year. [8] [9] : 356  [10] [11] : 154  The line went through several operators in its early decades, with the New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) taking over in 1875. [7] : 44  The Washington Street grade crossing adjacent to the station was replaced by a railroad bridge and road underpass in 1897. [12]

The Old Colony Railroad extended its Wrentham Branch north to Norwood Central in February 1892. [9] : 366  Among the stations on the extension were Morrills, located at Morse Street adjacent to the George H. Morill Printing Ink Works in Norwood, and East Walpole (also called Bird Mills) at Washington Street in Walpole. [8] [9] : 365  [13] The Old Colony became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H) in 1893, followed by the NY&NE (as the Midland Division) in 1898. [7] : 9 

Winslows, Morrills, and East Walpole stations were closed on July 17, 1938, as part of the 88 stations case, which included the termination of all Wrentham Branch passenger service. This left no stations on the Midland Division between Norwood Central and Plimptonville. [14] [15] The three station buildings are no longer extant, though an 1890s-built freight house at East Walpole has been repurposed for commercial use. [5]

Windsor Gardens

One of two shelters at the station North shelter at Windsor Gardens station, July 2021.jpg
One of two shelters at the station

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was founded in 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service. MBTA subsidies for Midland Division service began in 1966. [1] The NYNH&H merged into Penn Central at the end of 1968. In January 1973, the MBTA purchased the Penn Central commuter rail lines; Midland Division service became the Franklin Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. [1]

The first part of the 676-unit Windsor Gardens apartment complex opened in 1962. [16] After several years of negotiations, Windsor Gardens station opened on March 29, 1971 to serve the complex. [1] [17] It was initially served by two daily round trips; a local official expected it to "lift a mile of traffic off the Southeast Expressway a day". [17] The station was featured in advertisements for the complex; a promotion with free tickets was used to attract residents later in 1971. [18] [19]

By 1983, the station had nearly 400 daily riders. [7] : 0  Harbor station – a similar station in Gloucester which also served a single apartment complex – was in use from 1977 to 1985 but failed to attract riders. [7] : 0  [1] Accessible mini-high platforms were added to several Franklin Line stations in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but Windsor Gardens was not made accessible. [3] [20] [21] Windsor Gardens became a flag stop for all trains effective October 11, 2021. [22] A planned project to double-track the line would add a second track (and possibly a second platform) at the station. [23] As of November 2024, design work for that phase is expected to be completed in 2025. [24] In May 2024, the MBTA listed Windsor Gardens as one of seven stations that would require "complex solutions" to be made accessible. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Station</span> Train station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

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.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malden Center station</span> Transit station in Malden, Massachusetts, US

Malden Center station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transit station in Malden, Massachusetts. Located on an elevated grade above Pleasant Street in downtown Malden, it serves the rapid transit Orange Line and the MBTA Commuter Rail Haverhill Line. The station has one island platform for the two Orange Line tracks and a single side platform for the single commuter rail track. Two busways are used by 12 MBTA bus routes.

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

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.

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

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.

<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">Franklin/Foxboro Line</span> MBTA Commuter Rail line

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plimptonville station</span> Former railway station in Walpole, MA

Plimptonville station was an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Walpole, Massachusetts. It was located near the Neponset River next to a small dirt parking lot between Plimpton Street and the tracks. It was a flag stop on the Franklin Line, and received the least service of any MBTA station, with just one round trip per day, consisting of an inbound morning train and an outbound evening train at the height of rush hour. Ridership on that round trip averaged just 12 passengers daily by a 2018 count.

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

Union Station, also known as Walpole station, is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Walpole, Massachusetts. It is located at the crossing of the Franklin Branch and Framingham Secondary just west of downtown Walpole. The station has one side platform on the Franklin Branch serving the Franklin/Foxboro Line service. Unlike most MBTA stations, Walpole station is not accessible; an accessible platform is under construction.

<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 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.

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

Endicott station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Dedham, Massachusetts, served by the Franklin/Foxboro Line. It is located off Grant Avenue at Elmwood Avenue. The station is not accessible, though the addition of accessible platforms is planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dedham Corporate Center station</span> Railroad station in Dedham, Massachusetts

Dedham Corporate Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Dedham, Massachusetts. It serves the Franklin/Foxboro Line, and is located just off exit 28 of Interstate 95/Route 128. It serves mostly as a park-and-ride location. The station consists of two platforms serving the Franklin/Foxboro Line's two tracks. Previous stations named Dedham Junction and Rust Craft (1955–1977) were located near the modern site.

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

Norwood Depot is an MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin/Foxboro Line station located in downtown Norwood, Massachusetts. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Franklin Branch, each with a mini-high section for accessibility. The Norfolk County Railroad opened through South Dedham in 1849, with a station at the modern location. It was renamed Norwood in 1872. The line came under control of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1895. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began subsidizing service in 1966 and purchased the line in 1973. Under the MBTA, renovations to the station were made around 1977 and 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood Central station</span> Rail station in Massachusetts

Norwood Central station is an MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin/Foxboro Line station located near downtown Norwood, Massachusetts. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Franklin Branch, each with a mini-high section for accessibility. It serves as a park-and-ride location for Boston's southwest suburbs; with 1,041 daily riders it is the busiest station on the line outside Boston. The former station building, a one-story yellow brick structure, has been converted to commercial use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forge Park/495 station</span> Rail station in Franklin, Massachusetts, US

Forge Park/495 station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station served by the Franklin/Foxboro Line. It is located off Route 140 near Interstate 495 in Franklin, Massachusetts, United States. A park and ride station serving southwestern Boston suburbs and northeastern Rhode Island, it is the outer terminus of the Franklin/Foxboro Line. The station has two side platforms serving a single track, with an accessible mini-high platform and a station building on the south platform.

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

Wilmington station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Wilmington, Massachusetts served by the Lowell Line. It is located near the intersection of Main Street and Church Street in Wilmington's town center. The station is accessible, with mini-high platforms serving both tracks.

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

Lansdowne station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. Lansdowne is located next to the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood near Kenmore Square, below grade between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue.

<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">North Wilmington station</span> Train station in Wilmington, Massachusetts, US

North Wilmington station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in North Wilmington, Massachusetts. It serves the Haverhill Line, and is located off Middlesex Avenue (Route 62). It has some of the most limited station faculties on the MBTA system – a single short non-accessible platform serving the line's single track at the location, with a small parking lot and shelter for passengers. North Wilmington served by most Boston–Haverhill trains except for a small number that use the Wildcat Branch. It is a flag stop except during weekday peak hours. An accessible platform is expected to open in early 2025.

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

Mishawum station is an indefinitely-closed MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line station located in the north part of Woburn, Massachusetts just north of the Route 128/I-95 beltway. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. Mishawum is a limited-service flag stop intended for reverse commuting to the adjacent office park, with no weekend service. With just 32 boardings on an average weekday in 2018, Mishawum is one of the least busy stations on the commuter rail system.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. ↑ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  3. 1 2 3 "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
  4. ↑ Held, Patrick R. (2010). "Massachusetts Bay Colony Railroad Track Charts" (PDF). Johns Hopkins Association for Computing Machinery. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 116, 150–151. ISBN   9780942147087.
  6. ↑ Godwin, Ariel (April 27, 2011). "Inventory of Park-and-Ride Lots at MBTA Facilities". Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association.
  8. 1 2 Norwood including East Walpole, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Sanborn Map Company. July 1923. pp. 14, 23, 24.
  9. 1 2 3 Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN   9780942147124.
  10. ↑ Barrett, Richard C. (1996). Boston's Depots and Terminals. Railroad Research Publications. p. 215. ISBN   9781884650031.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Charles J. (Summer 1962). "Commuter Services in the Boston Area, 1835-1860". The Business History Review. 36 (2): 153–170. doi:10.2307/3111453. JSTOR   3111453. S2CID   154294514.
  12. ↑ McGinley Hart & Associates (October 1988). "Historic Structure Inventory Form". MBTA Historical Property Survey, Phase II– via Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System.
  13. ↑ Fanning, Patricia J. (2002). Norwood: A History. Arcadia Publishing. p. 32. ISBN   9781439630556 – via Google Books.
  14. ↑ "New Haven Announces Changes in Timetables". Boston Globe. July 13, 1938. pp. 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com. (part 2, part 3) Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  15. ↑ "Would Close 93 Stations". Boston Globe. June 28, 1938. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ "676 Units for Norwood Gardens". Boston Globe. September 16, 1962. p. A-47 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 "Norwood to Boston in few steps now reality". Boston Globe. April 11, 1971. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Penn Central Stops Here [Advertisement]". Boston Globe. October 17, 1971. p. B-58 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Winning Commuter Tickets Drawn". Boston Globe. October 31, 1971. p. A-57 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Notice to Bidders". Boston Globe. June 29, 1990. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  21. ↑ "Notice to Bidders". Boston Globe. April 28, 1989. p. 60 – via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  22. ↑ "Franklin Line 2021 Fall/Winter Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. October 11, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2021.
  23. ↑ "FMCB Approves Franklin Line Double Track Phase 2 Work and Phase 3 Preliminary Design Work" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 18, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Franklin Line Double Track". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 20, 2024. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Accelerating Accessibility within the Commuter Rail: Freestanding Mini-high Platform Initiative" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. May 23, 2024.
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.