Walpole (MBTA station)
WALPOLE | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Walpole MBTA Station | |||||||||||
| Location |
275 West Street Walpole, Massachusetts 02081-1608 | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°08′43″N 71°15′29″W / 42.1453°N 71.2581°WCoordinates: 42°08′43″N 71°15′29″W / 42.1453°N 71.2581°W | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | |||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Parking | 574 spaces | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | 5 spaces | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Fare zone | 4 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1883 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Walpole Union Station | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Walpole is a station along the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin Line from Franklin, Massachusetts, to Boston. The station is located in Walpole, Massachusetts, near the town center.
History
The current station was built in 1883 and was formerly known as Walpole Union Station, having originally served the Old Colony Railroad as well as the New York and New England Railroad.[1] The tracks the MBTA trains use through Walpole were first laid about 1848 as part of the Norfolk County Railroad, which was chartered in 1846 to run from Dedham to Blackstone.[2] The original station for Walpole was built in 1848 and was located near the intersection of East and Elm Streets; it was demolished about 1883 when the current station building was opened.
The former Old Colony Railroad line, which spans from Mansfield to Framingham, is now part of CSX Transportation's Framingham Subdivision; regular passenger service on the line ceased by the 1950s. A short segment of this line south of Walpole is used for special event service to the Foxboro station at Gillette Stadium. The MBTA completed a study in 2010 to determine the feasibility of extending full-time commuter rail service to Foxboro.[3] The station is notable as it has the oldest station house still extant on the Franklin line. The structure underwent restoration in the early 1980s, though it still retains a significant amount of its original features. As of September 1, 2009, Walpole Station head house closed. However, as of sometime before 2011-2012 the head house is open during commuting hours Monday through Friday of about 5am-8:30am which features an indoor heated waiting room during cold weather with benches, a small snack bar, and restrooms. Train tickets can be purchased on the train or inside the head house.
The official address of Walpole Station is 275 West Street, but it is actually located on a side road leading to the station across the Foxboro Stadium Line. Parking is not only available at the station on the south side of the tracks but on the north side of the tracks off of Elm Street (MA 27).
Parking across the street is $3.00 but parking close to the station building is $4.00. There are four different parking lots for Walpole - two close to the platform and two across the street (Spring St & West St). An unofficial fifth lot farthest from the train is located on Elm Street or Rt. 27 near East Street. Parking passes can be bought here for $70.00 by signing up for monthly parking on MBTA.com. This station is Zone 4.
References
- ↑ Railroad Stations in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
- ↑ "Norfolk's Railroads". Town of Norfolk, Mass. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Foxborough Commuter Rail Feasibility Analysis". MBTA. Retrieved 2010-12-09.