West Natick station

West Natick
An outbound train leaving West Natick station in 2017
General information
Location249 West Central Street
Natick, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°16′59″N 71°23′30″W / 42.2831°N 71.3918°W / 42.2831; -71.3918
Line(s)Worcester Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport MWRTA: 10, 11
Construction
Parking178 spaces ($4.00 fee)
Bicycle facilities5 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone4
History
OpenedAugust 23, 1982[1]
Passengers
2018944 (weekday average boardings)[2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Framingham
toward Worcester
 Framingham/​Worcester Line Natick Center
toward South Station
Location
Map

West Natick station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line, located off West Central Street (MA-135) in Natick, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1982 as a park and ride station.

History

The demolished inbound mini-high platform in May 2017

The Boston and Albany Railroad opened through Natick in September 1834.[3] In the late 1800s, Walkerville station was briefly open at Speen Street, midway between Natick Center and the modern station site.[4][5]

On August 23, 1982, the MBTA opened West Natick station to ease demand at Natick and Framingham stations.[1] The $500,000 station included a 200-space park and ride lot. [3][6] The station should have been built accessible (state accessibility laws date from the 1970s, long before the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act), but it was not due to a budget shortfall. Accessible mini-high sections were installed around 1993.[7]

In early 2016, the mini-high accessible platforms were closed because the folding platform edges were deteriorated, risking a dangerous collapse like one that happened at North Billerica station in 2015.[8] The MBTA earmarked $4 million to replace them and brought a portable lift to the station to maintain accessibility.[9] The mini-high platforms were demolished in March 2017; new composite platforms opened that November.[8]

The adjacent Boden Lane bridge was closed on October 31, 2019, after it was damaged by brush-clearing equipment.[10] On November 5, MassDOT announced that the bridge would be permanently closed and replaced.[11] The bridge was removed in December 2019; a temporary pedestrian span opened on January 27, 2020.[12][13] Solar panels over the parking lots were added in 2021.[14]

In June 2021, the MBTA issued a $28 million design contract for a project to add a third track from Weston to Framingham, including reconstruction of the three Wellesley stations and West Natick station. The project was expected to cost around $400 million, of which rebuilding West Natick station would be $37 million, with completion in 2030.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. ^ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  3. ^ a b Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 21, 28. ISBN 9780685412947.
  4. ^ "Natick, Sherborn". Atlas of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. George H. Walker & Co. 1875 – via WardMaps.
  5. ^ "Natick". County Atlas of Middlesex Massachusetts. F.W. Beers. 1875 – via WardMaps.
  6. ^ 1982 Annual Report. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 1965. p. 68 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ Iudica, Doreen E. (August 2, 1992). "Advocates push for train access". Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.(second page) Open access icon
  8. ^ a b Black, Sara (December 11, 2017). "Composites enable handicap-accessible train platforms". Composites World.
  9. ^ Coueignoux, Stephanie (March 21, 2016). "FOX25 Investigates wheelchair ramps boarded at Commuter Rail stations". FOX25. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  10. ^ Schwan, Henry (November 1, 2019). "No time frame for reopening of Boden Lane Bridge in Natick". Metrowest Daily News.
  11. ^ "Natick: Boden Lane Bridge to Remain Closed" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. November 5, 2019.
  12. ^ McNamara, Neal (January 8, 2020). "New Boden Lane Pedestrian Bridge Arrives In Natick". Natick Patch.
  13. ^ Linsky, David (January 27, 2020). "Boden Lane Bridge Update". Natick Patch.
  14. ^ "2021 Annual Town Meeting: Fourth Session". Town of Natick. April 29, 2021. pp. 4, 5.
  15. ^ Kelly, Maribel (June 21, 2021). "MBTA Contract No. C72PS01: Worcester Line Track and Stations Accessibility Improvements (P0261) Design and Engineering Services" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Media related to West Natick station at Wikimedia Commons