West Gloucester station

West Gloucester station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, located off Massachusetts Route 133 (Essex Road) in the west part of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

West Gloucester
West Gloucester station in 2008
General information
Location290 Essex Avenue (Route 133)
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Coordinates42.61195°N 70.70550°W / 42.61195; -70.70550
Line(s)Gloucester Branch
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport CATA: West Gloucester
Construction
Parking43 spaces ($2 per day)
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone7
Passengers
201837 (weekday average boardings)[1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Manchester
toward North Station
 Newburyport/​Rockport Line Gloucester
toward Rockport

History

When the Gloucester Branch Railroad opened in 1847, there were no stops except Manchester and Gloucester.[2] A number of infill stations were later added; West Gloucester station was open by 1872, and by 1884 had a small depot building on the south side of the track.[3][4] That building was gone by 1977.[5]

West Gloucester station was closed on January 30, 1981, during severe budget cuts; 1977-opened Harbor station 1.1 miles (1.8 km) east remained open.[6][7] The line was temporarily closed on January 7, 1985, after a November 1984 fire destroyed the drawbridge between Salem and Beverly. When the line reopened on December 1, 1985, West Gloucester was reopened but Harbor remained closed.[6]

On April 29, 2020, service between West Gloucester and Rockport was indefinitely replaced by buses due to a failure of the old Gloucester Drawbridge.[8] That June, the MBTA indicated the closure would continue until the completion of the bridge replacement.[9] Regular service to Rockport over the bridge resumed on May 23, 2022.[10]

References
  1. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  2. Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 76. ISBN 9780685412947.
  3. "Gloucester". Atlas of Essex County, Massachusetts. D.G. Beers & Co. 1872 – via Ward Maps.
  4. "Plate 11". Atlas of The City of Gloucester and Town of Rockport. G.M. Hopkins & Co. 1884 – via Ward Maps.
  5. Henry, Alan P. (August 10, 1977). "There's no depot like an old depot". Boston Globe. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  7. "T changes start today". Boston Globe. February 1, 1981. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  8. "Rockport Line Service Changes". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020.
  9. "Newburyport/Rockport Trains between Rockport and West Gloucester Replaced with Shuttle Buses through Summer 2021" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. June 9, 2020.
  10. "MBTA Commuter Rail Spring/Summer Schedule to Take Effect May 23" (Press release). Keolis Commuter Services. May 10, 2022.

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