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West Gloucester station

Coordinates: 42°36′43″N 70°42′20″W / 42.61195°N 70.70550°W / 42.61195; -70.70550
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West Gloucester
West Gloucester station in 2008
General information
Location290 Essex Avenue (Route 133)
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°36′43″N 70°42′20″W / 42.61195°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 Newburyport/​Rockport Line Gloucester
toward Rockport
Location
Map

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.

History

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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

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  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. ^ a b 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 icon
  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. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
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Media related to West Gloucester station at Wikimedia Commons