Providence/Stoughton Line

Providence/Stoughton Line
The MBTA's Orange Line and the Providence/Stoughton Line parallel each other in Boston. The Orange Line is on the left, with the commuter rail station at Ruggles on the right.
Info
Type	Commuter rail line
System	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Status	Operating
Locale	Southeastern Massachusetts Providence, Rhode Island
Termini	Boston South Station Providence Stoughton
Stations	14
Operation
Owner	Amtrak (Providence to RI/MA state line) MBTA (within Massachusetts)
Operator(s)	MBCR
Character	Elevated and surface-level
Technical
Track gauge	1,435mm (4ft 8½ inches)
Electrification	25kV 60Hz AC (only used by Amtrak)
Route map 0:00 South Station Amtrak connection Old Colony Lines 0:05 Back Bay Amtrak connection Framingham/Worcester Line 0:08 Ruggles Needham Line 0:16 Hyde Park Franklin Line 0:21 Route 128 Amtrak connection 0:26 Canton Junction 0:29 Canton Center 0:38 Stoughton 0:32 Sharon Franklin Line Foxboro 0:40 Mansfield 0:48 Attleboro 0:55 South Attleboro Blackstone River 1:04 Providence Amtrak connection T.F. Green Airport Wickford Junction

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.

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.

Ownership and financing

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.

As part of the 1989 (or 1988?^[1]) Pilgrim Partnership Agreement, Rhode Island provides capital funding (including some of its federal formula funds) for MBTA expansion in the state. Massachusetts (through the MBTA) provides the operating subsidy for MBTA Commuter Rail service in return.^[2] Rhode Island also pays Amtrak to allow the MBTA to use its tracks.^[3]

Extensions

Map of South County Commuter Rail project, Phase 1.

As part of the South County Commuter Rail initiative, A 20-mile extension is under construction past Providence to T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction in Rhode Island.

A further 24-mile extension is under consideration by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Possible stops include Cranston and East Greenwich, and existing Amtrak stations in Kingston, Westerly and perhaps Pawtucket-Central Falls (on the border of Pawtucket and Central Falls. A possible connection to the Connecticut Department of Transportation's Shore Line East commuter rail in New London, Connecticut is also being examined.^[4]

Accessibility

All stations but Sharon are handicapped accessible. See also MBTA accessibility.

Station listing

Main Line

State	Milepost	City	Station	Opening date	Connections and notes
MA	228.5	Boston	South Station	1899	Silver Line service to Logan Airport, Red Line, and all south side Commuter Rail lines Amtrak Acela Express, Lake Shore Limited, and Northeast Regional
	227.8		Back Bay	1899	splits from Framingham/Worcester Line Amtrak Acela Express, and Lake Shore Limited, and Northeast Regional 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 Plain		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	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	Westwood	Route 128		Amtrak Acela Express and Regional originally Green Lodge
		Dedham	Dedham Road		closed
	214.1	Canton	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 Northeast Regional temporarily closed February 19, 1981 (but still served by Amtrak)

South of Providence, the T. F. Green Airport and Wickford Junction stations are planned on the old New York, Providence and Boston Railroad.

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	1888	continued as Easton Branch

External links

• MBTA - The Providence/Stoughton Line

References

This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

• Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district (PDF)
• Mileposts from FRA Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory Files

1. ^ http://pghwong.com/projects/ftaridot.htm
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/10/vote_set_on_t_link_to_ri_airport/
4. ^ http://www.dot.ri.gov/engineering/intermod/index.asp#ComRail

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