Westborough (MBTA station)
WESTBOROUGH
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File:MBTA Westborough.jpg
Westborough station in April 2009
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Location | Smith Parkway & Fisher Street Westborough, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Platforms | 2 side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connections | WRTA Westborough Commuter Shuttle[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parking | 443 spaces ($4.00 fee) 8 accessible spaces |
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Bicycle facilities | 4 spaces | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disabled access | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fare zone | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | June 22, 2002[2][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traffic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers (2013) | 759 (weekday inbound average)[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Westborough is a regional rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line, located off Smith Parkway in Westborough, Massachusetts, west of the town center. The station consists of two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. Each side has a small mini-high platform for handicapped access; an overhead ramp structure connects the two platforms.
History
B&A station
The Boston and Worcester Railroad (B&W) opened from Boston to Westborough on November 17, 1834, and on to Worcester the next July.[5] The line ran through the town center, with a station east of Main Street.[6][7]
In 1898, the Boston and Albany Railroad, successor to the B&W, began a project to eliminate dangerous grade crossings in downtown Westborough. 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of new tracks were built north of the downtown area along with a new station. The station was built in a Richardsonian Romanesque style, but designed by a B&A architect rather than the firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge which had designed stations for the B&A until 1894.[8][9]
On April 24, 1960, the New York Central sharply cut services on the former B&A line. All local stops west of Framingham, including Westborough, were eliminated.[5] Commuter service to Worcester ended in 1975, replaced by a single daily Amtrak train.[3] The station building was purchased by an abrasives company but largely unused, and fell into disrepair. A local civil engineering firm purchased the station in January 2000 and restored it for use as their offices, which opened in February 2001.[8]
MBTA station
In 1994, service to Worcester was restored as mitigation for delays with reopening the Old Colony Lines. Service initially ran nonstop from Framingham to Worcester, but intermediate park and ride stops were added later as mitigation for delays in reopening the Greenbush Line. Westborough station was opened on June 22, 2002, along with Southborough.[3] It is not located as the former station site, but instead to the west of downtown Westborough, closer to busy Route 9. The $4.9 million station originally included 311 parking spaces.[2] Due to high demand, an additional 142-space lot costing $500,000 was opened in January 2006.[10]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westborough (MBTA station). |