Stoughton station

Stoughton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in downtown Stoughton, Massachusetts. It is the current terminus of the Stoughton Branch of the Providence/Stoughton Line. The station has a parking lot to serve local riders and those driving from further south, as Stoughton is close to the Massachusetts Route 24 expressway. Stoughton currently has one platform (split across Wyman Street) serving one track; the platform has a mini-high section for accessibility.

Stoughton
1888-built Stoughton station building in 2016
General information
Location	45 Wyman Street, Stoughton, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°7′27″N 71°5′58″W
Line(s)	Stoughton Branch
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	BAT: 14
Construction
Parking	333 spaces ($4.00 fee)
Bicycle facilities	6 spaces
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	4
History
Opened	1845
Rebuilt	1888, 2030 (proposed)
Previous names	Stoughton Central (until November 1, 1896)[1]
Passengers
2018	917 (weekday average boardings)[2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Terminus Providence/​Stoughton Line Canton Center toward South Station
Former services Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Stoughton Junction toward Taunton Stoughton Branch West Stoughton toward Canton Junction
Proposed services Preceding station MBTA Following station North Easton toward Battleship Cove or New Bedford South Coast Rail Phase 2 (2030) Canton Center toward South Station
Stoughton Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Coordinates	42°7′27″N 71°5′58″W
Built	1888
Architect	Charles Brigham
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.	74000384[3]
Added to NRHP	January 21, 1974

History

A Penn Central Budd RDC at Stoughton in 1971

The Stoughton Branch Railroad opened from Canton to Stoughton in 1844. The original station was replaced in 1888 by a granite station with a 60-foot (18 m) tower. It was opened by the Boston and Providence Railroad in March 1888.^[4] The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places son January 21, 1974.^[3] In December 2018, the state announced a $75,000 grant for a restoration of the building.^[5]

Plans

Stoughton station is proposed to be reconstructed as part of Phase 2 of the South Coast Rail project, which would extend the Stoughton Branch south to several South Coast cities in 2030.^[6] A second track would be added through the station to support increased bidirectional service; the two new platforms would be located fully south of Wyman Street so that trains do not block the crossing.

Due to a sharp curve, full-length high-level platforms were originally thought not to be feasible; instead, each platform was to have a 45-foot-long mini-high platform at the southern end.^[7]

Under newer plans, the tracks would be moved slightly west south of Wyman Street, so that full-length high-level platforms will be built a block south at Brock Street, connected with an overhead pedestrian bridge. A new parking area with nearly twice the number of spaces would be built; the old right-of-way and parking areas would be redeveloped.^[8] The town of Stoughton opposes the plan because it would increase rail traffic though grade crossings in downtown Stoughton.^[6]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
• List of Old Colony Railroad stations

References

1. Jacobs, Warren (October 1928). "Dates of Some of the Principal Events in the History of 100 Years of the Railroad in New England. 1826-1926". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. 17 (17). Railway and Locomotive Historical Society: 15–28. JSTOR 43504499.
2. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
4. "Stoughton's New Depot". The Boston Globe. March 18, 1888. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Berke, Ben (December 17, 2018). "After years of negotiations, Stoughton set to acquire historic train depot". The Enterprise. GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
6. Laidler, John (June 16, 2017). "Sharp differences over latest plan for South Coast Rail". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
7. "Existing Stoughton Station / Proposed Construction" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. July 1, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2014.
8. "Figure 3.2-21 Stoughton Station Proposed Reconstruction" (PDF). Volume II: FEIS/FEIR Figures Final Environmental Impact Statement/Final Environmental Impact Report on the South Coast Rail Project proposed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District. August 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2014.

External links

Media related to Stoughton station at Wikimedia Commons

• MBTA – Stoughton
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. MA-972, "New Haven Railroad Station, Wyman Street, Stoughton, Norfolk County, MA", 7 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page (1969)
• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. MA-28, "Boston & Providence Railroad, Stoughton Station, 53 Wyman Street, Stoughton, Norfolk County, MA", 1 photo, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page (1982)