Waverley (MBTA Station)
History
The Fitchburg Railroad opened through Belmont on December 20, 1843, but no station stop at Waverley Square existed until about 1860. Service on the Massachusetts Central Railroad which ran parallel to the Fitchburg, began in 1881, and operations continued under the successor Central Massachusetts Railroad by 1885. The two railroads had separate station buildings, both of which remained in use until somewhat after both railroads were consolidated under the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M).
The tracks originally ran through the square at grade, with level crossings of Trapelo Road and Lexington Street. In August 1951, the town approved an agreement with the state and the B&M for a $1.125 million state-funded project to lower the tracks 18 feet (5.5 m) to eliminate the crossings. The work was completed in 1952, at which time Central Mass Branch trains were moved from their parallel tracks onto the Fitchburg main. All service to Waverley and nearby Belmont Center station ended in 1958.
Service to Belmont Center and Waverley resumed on March 4, 1974. The Central Mass Branch had been discontinued in 1971, so all service was on the South Acton (now Fitchburg) Line. The station building was gone by 1977. Weekend service was discontinued at the two stops on January 30, 1981 as part of general cutbacks, but restored on December 6, 1993.
A 2004 MBTA proposal called for a five-story air rights building above the station. The 2005 Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Implementation Plan called for consolidating Waverley and Belmont stations into a single station between the locations. In 2015, the MBTA considered closing either Waverley or Belmont station due to the cost of making Waverley station accessible. In 2024, the MBTA began updating the 2014-completed plans for making the station accessible. The updated plans will consider 400-foot (120 m)-long platforms as well as standard 400-foot (120 m) platforms.
References
- ^ Humphrey, Thomas J. & Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 86–88. ISBN 9780685412947.
- ^ Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
- ^ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
- ^ ABC Pathfinder Railway Guide. New England Railway Publishing Company. 1858. p. 16 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Underpass OK'd for Waverly Sq. at $1,125,000 Cost". Boston Globe. August 3, 1951. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Henry, Alan P. (August 10, 1977). "There's no depot like an old depot". Boston Globe. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "T changes start today". Boston Globe. February 1, 1981. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cole, Caroline Louise (February 12, 2004). "MBTA air rights eyed for 5-story complex". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
- ^ "MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Branch Improvements". Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Implementation Plan. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 2005. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ Berkowitz, Bram (September 17, 2015). "Belmont could be home to new MBTA station". Gatehouse Media, LLC. Wicked Local. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ TUCKER, FRANKLIN B. (September 16, 2015). "Belmont Could See One, Both MBTA Commuter Stations Closed In Favor of New Stop". The Belmontonian. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ Brownsberger, Will (September 4, 2015). "A New Challenge for Belmont and the MBTA". State Senator. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ "Accessibility Initiatives—December 2024" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 6, 2024. p. 10.
External links
Media related to Waverley station (MBTA) at Wikimedia Commons