Westerly station

Westerly
Location 14 Railroad Avenue
Westerly, Rhode Island
Coordinates 41°22′52″N 71°49′48″W / 41.3812°N 71.8299°W / 41.3812; -71.8299Coordinates: 41°22′52″N 71°49′48″W / 41.3812°N 71.8299°W / 41.3812; -71.8299
Owned by Amtrak
Line(s)
  Northeast Regional
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 2
Construction
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code WLY
History
Opened 1837
Rebuilt 1872
1912-13[1]
Traffic
Passengers (2016) 42,560[2][3] Increase 4%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
Northeast Regional
  Proposed service  
ConnDOT
toward Stamford
Shore Line EastTerminus

Westerly is a passenger rail station on the Northeast Corridor located just north of downtown Westerly, Rhode Island. It is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional.

Westerly is one of a small number of Amtrak stations (along with Mystic and Aberdeen) on the Northeast Corridor that does not have high-level platforms for accessible boarding. However, Westerly is still handicapped accessible; passengers may use a portable lift to board trains, and the under-track passage includes a wheelchair lift on its staircases. Westerly is also one of three Northeast Corridor stations (along with adjacent Mystic to the south and Kingston to the north) that is served exclusively by Amtrak, with no commuter rail service.

History

Original depot between 1906 and 1912, with a Norwich and Westerly Railway trolley
The southbound Senator at Westerly in 1974

The Westerly station opened along with the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad on November 17, 1837. The original depot was a small wooden structure, similar to those still extant at nearby Noank and West Mystic.[1] In 1872, a new station - similar to those still standing at Kingston and East Greenwich - was constructed. It had a pedestrian tunnel (passenger subway) for passengers to reach the westbound platform and shelter.[1]

In 1912-13, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad constructed the present station as part of a curve straightening project. The station building was in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, as were several other New Haven Railroad stations (including Buzzards Bay) built around the same time.[3][1] The project included the station building, a new pedestrian tunnel, a westbound shelter that enclosed a tunnel entrance, and a shelter for the tunnel entrance on the eastbound side.[1] A two-story brick freight house, now occupied by Westerly Agway, was constructed the same year.[1]

The New Haven Railroad was at that time planning to expand the Northeast Corridor to four tracks along much of the route from New Haven to Boston, especially at busy stations. The bridge abutments to the west of the station over Canal Street and the Pawcatuck River were built for four tracks, although only two-track bridges were ever built. The line was rebuilt for three tracks from just east of the station to just west of Bradford, Rhode Island, with three-track bridges and cuts.[4] A maintenance road now occupies the third track slot.

The station received a $2 million renovation in 1998 that restored it to its original state. As part of the project, a lift system was installed in the passenger subway to make the station handicapped accessible.[3][1]

Amtrak closed the Westerly ticket office on October 1, 2016, ceasing all ticketing and passenger assistance services. The station platforms remain accessible to passengers, however the station waiting room will remain closed until further notice.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 296–297. ISBN 9780942147087.
  2. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2016, State of Rhode Island" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Westerly, RI (WLY)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. ↑ The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (Map). New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. 29 April 1956.
  5. ↑ "Westerly, RI (WLY)". Amtrak. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Amtrak closes Westerly station building". The New London Day. October 1, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
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