Providence/Stoughton Line
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. The Stoughton Branch, built as the Stoughton Branch Railroad, splits at Canton Junction and runs for two more stations to Stoughton, Massachusetts.
Contents |
[edit] History
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, though operation continued to be done by Conrail. 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.
On February 20, 1981 the MBTA stopped serving Rhode Island, as funding from the state had ended. Rush-hour service was restored on February 1, 1988. Some off-peak weekday trains were extended to Providence starting on December 11, 2000. Weekend service to Providence has resumed as of July 29, 2006.
[edit] Ownership
The MBTA owns the track from Boston to the Rhode Island border. Track in Rhode Island is owned by Amtrak. The entire line is part of what is known as the Northeast Corridor.
[edit] Accessibility
All stations but Sharon are handicapped accessible. See also MBTA accessibility.
[edit] Station listing
[edit] Main Line
| State | Milepost | City | Station | Opening date | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | Boston |  South Station |
1899 | Red Line and all south side Commuter Rail lines Amtrak Acela Express, Regional and Lake Shore Limited |
|
| 227.8 | Back Bay |
1899 | splits from Framingham/Worcester Line Amtrak Acela Express, Regional and Lake Shore Limited original line continued northeast from here to a terminal at Park Square |
||
| 227.1 | Chickering | closed | |||
| 226.7 | Ruggles |
October 5, 1987 | Orange Line | ||
| 226.3 | Roxbury | closed | |||
| 225.6 | Heath | closed | |||
| 225.0 | Boylston | closed | |||
| 224.5 | Jamaica Plains | closed | |||
| 223.9 | Forest Hills | Orange Line; only served by Needham Line trains Needham Line (old Dedham Branch) splits |
|||
| 222.8 | Mount Hope | closed November 2, 1979 | |||
| 221.8 | Clarendon Hills | closed | |||
| 221.2 | Hazelwood | closed | |||
| 220.7 | Hyde Park |
October 5, 1987 | temporarily closed November 2, 1979 | ||
| 219.4 | Readville | only served by trains using the Fairmount Line Franklin Line splits and Fairmount Line joins (both part of the Midland Railroad (NYNH&H)) split with Dedham Branch |
|||
| 217.4 | Dedham | Route 128 |
Amtrak Acela Express and Regional originally Green Lodge |
||
| Westwood | |||||
| Canton | Dedham Road | closed | |||
| 214.1 | Canton Junction |
split with Stoughton Branch | |||
| 211.0 | Sharon | Sharon | |||
| 206.4 | Foxborough | East Foxboro | closed November 1977 | ||
| 204.2 | Mansfield | Mansfield |
junction with Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad (NYNH&H), now the line to Foxboro (special events) | ||
| 197.1 | Attleboro | Attleboro |
junction with Attleborough Branch and Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad Attleborough Branch (NYNH&H) | ||
| East Junction | not a station split with old main line to East Providence |
||||
| 193.9 | Hebronville | closed | |||
| 191.9 | South Attleboro |
June 20, 1990 | |||
| RI | 190.9 | Central Falls | Boston Switch | not a station merge with Providence and Worcester Railroad |
|
| 188.5 | Pawtucket | Pawtucket-Central Falls | closed February 19, 1981 | ||
| 187.3 | Woodlawn | not a station junction with Moshassuck Valley Railroad |
|||
| 186.4 | Providence | Providence |
February 1, 1988 | Amtrak Acela Express and Regional temporarily closed February 19, 1981 (but still served by Amtrak) |
South of Providence, the T. F. Green Airport station is planned on the old New York, Providence and Boston Railroad in Warwick.
[edit] Stoughton Branch
| State | Milepost | City | Station | Opening date | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | 0.0 | Canton | Canton Junction |
splits from main line to Attleboro | |
| 0.6 | Canton Center |
||||
| 18.3 (~4) | Stoughton | Stoughton |
continued as Easton Branch |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district (PDF)
- Mileposts from FRA Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory Files
