Merritt 7 station

Merritt 7 station is a commuter rail stop on the Danbury Branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, located in Norwalk, Connecticut. Merritt 7 is named after an adjacent business park based near the interchange of the Merritt Parkway and Route 7. The station has one high-level 6-car long side platform to the west of the single track. It is owned and operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT).[1]

Merritt 7
View of the new platform opened in June 2023
General information
LocationGlover Avenue
Norwalk, Connecticut
Coordinates41.14803°N 73.42768°W / 41.14803; -73.42768
Owned byConnecticut Department of Transportation[1]
Operated byConnecticut Department of Transportation[1]
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
ConnectionsBus transport Norwalk Transit District: Route 7 Link
Construction
Parking88 spaces[2]
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone41
History
OpenedJuly 29, 1985[3]
RebuiltSeptember 2020–June 7, 2023
Passengers
2018181
Rank100 of 124[4]
Services
Preceding station Metro-North Railroad Following station
South Norwalk
toward South Norwalk, Stamford or Grand Central
 Danbury Branch Wilton
toward Danbury

History
The new Merritt 7 station under construction in March 2021.

The Merritt 7 corporate park built the station while separating the station from building entrances by a fence to make the complex transit adjacent but not transit-oriented.[5] The station was opened on July 29, 1985, by Metro-North. At the time of its opening, it was the only privately built rail station in Connecticut. Construction of the station cost $750,000.[3]

The station was rebuilt with a 510-foot (160 m) six-car-long high-level platform on the west side of the tracks, slightly north of the former station. The new station has a full-length canopy and an accessible pedestrian overpass with elevators.[6] The state authorized funding for the project in 2017.[7] Bidding took place in April–June 2020; construction began that September.[8][7] The new platform opened on June 7, 2023, but the footbridge over the tracks to the office park was delayed due to supply chain issues with glass panels.[9]

References
  1. Office of Rail, Bureau of Public Transportation (January 2007). "New Haven Line Train Station Visual Inspection, Summary Report" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation.
  2. Urbitran Associates Inc. (July 2003). "Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Table 1: New Haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization, Page 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2007.
  3. Charles, Eleanor (July 28, 1985). "Rail Station For Corporate Park". New York Times. p. CN11. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  4. METRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6.
  5. Connecticut Department of Transportation January 2007 Visual Inspection Report
  6. Guenther Chapman, Nancy (February 2, 2017). "Merritt 7 train station construction funded by state". Nancy on Norwalk.
  7. Dylan, Jonah (March 20, 2023). "Opening of new train station at Norwalk's Merritt 7 stop delayed until summer, CTDOT says". New Haven Register. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  8. "State Contracting Portal Solicitation Details". State of Connecticut. June 17, 2020.
  9. Lutge, Katherine (July 23, 2023). "Pedestrian bridge at Merritt 7 train station in Norwalk delayed by supply chain; new platform opens". The Hour. Retrieved July 24, 2023.

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