Stoughton station

Stoughton station is located in downtown Stoughton about west of Washington Street (Route 138). The station is in the middle of a broad curve; the single track of the Stoughton Branch is aligned approximately northwest–southeast through the station. Parking lots are located on both sides of the tracks. It is built of granite, arranged as random ashlar blocks, from the Myron Gilbert Quarry in Stoughton. A porte-cochere is located at the northeast end. The women's waiting room has wood trim that arches to the ceiling. The slate roof has copper coping. A portico over the entrance from Wyman Street is half-timbered. A wooden canopy, attached to the building, covers part of the platform. ==History==

Old Colony and New Haven The Stoughton Branch Railroad opened from Canton – on the Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) mainline – to Stoughton on April 7, 1845. The original Stoughton station was a wooden structure at Railroad Avenue. It included an engine house and freight house in the same building. The Stoughton Branch was extended south to North Easton by the Easton Branch Railroad on May 16, 1855. It used the Easton Branch Railroad between North Easton and Stoughton Junction (south of Stoughton); passenger service ended between Stoughton and Stoughton Junction. The Old Colony acquired the B&P in 1888, consolidating all the railways in southeastern Massachusetts under a single owner. The company routed some service to the South Coast cities of Fall River and New Bedford trains via Stoughton at times. The Old Colony was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. The New Haven resumed running South Coast trains via Stoughton during and after World War I. The wreck was caused by two boys, aged seven and nine, who placed spikes on the rails, explaining later that they did this because they "just wanted to see a real train wreck". By 1927, almost all service to New Bedford and Fall River ran via Stoughton. Penn Central merged into Conrail on April 1, 1976. The MBTA began subsidizing Stoughton service on September 28, 1976; it was eventually designated as part of the Providence/Stoughton Line. On March 12, 1977, the Boston and Maine Railroad began operating the southside commuter rail lines, including the Providence/Stoughton Line – the first of several contract operators for the service. Beginning on March 31, 1977, the town of Stoughton began contributing to the subsidy for its service. This subsidy was later taken up by the Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT). The station was threatened by redevelopment plans in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After the renovations, there was not continued maintenance, and the building again began to deteriorate. The station building was closed to passengers on May 1, 2009, when a vendor ended its arrangements to sell MBTA tickets. In 2010, town officials began talks with the MBTA about leasing and renovating the building. In November 2015, town residents approved $250,000 for purchase of the station and $350,000 for exterior renovations. The state legislature limited the sale price to $175,000 in 2017. In December 2018, the state announced a $75,000 grant for further restoration of the station building. The town ultimately acquired the building in mid-2019 at a cost of $175,000. The station was used in the 2019 film Little Women as a stand-in for Concord station. South Coast Rail Planning for South Coast Rail service to Fall River and New Bedford began in the 1980s. By 1988, the MBTA was tentatively planning to extend service to Taunton via Stoughton. A 1990 study found that the Stoughton route would be most viable for South Coast service. A 1995 study found that routes via Stoughton or Attleboro would be feasible; it recommended a shorter Stoughton Branch extension to North Easton. The MBTA briefly pursued plans for the Attleboro route, but a 1997 study again recommended the Stoughton route. Planning for the Stoughton route continued until it was suspended in 2003. Planning resumed in 2005. A 2009 alternatives analysis report again recommended the Stoughton route. Plans released that year called for a second track to be added through Stoughton station to support increased bidirectional service. The two new platforms would be located fully south of Wyman Street on a curve; they would have -long mini-high platform at their southern ends. Stoughton officials indicated that they would seek for a tunnel to be built through the downtown area — as was done in Hingham on the Greenbush Line — with the station moved underground. Under 2013 plans, the tracks would be moved slightly west south of Wyman Street, with full-length high-level platforms built a block south at Brock Street, connected with an overhead pedestrian bridge. A new parking area with nearly twice the number of spaces would be built; the old right-of-way and parking areas would be redeveloped. In June 2016, the MBTA announced that the project cost had been significantly increased, with completion not expected until 2030. This caused officials to consider alternate plans, including an interim service to New Bedford via Middleborough. In March 2017, the state announced a revised plan intended to provide service sooner. Phase 1 would follow the Middleborough route and open in 2024 with service to both Fall River and New Bedford. Phase 2 would follow the Stoughton route (including electrification) and open in 2029. Later that year, the Phase 2 date was revised to 2030. The town of Stoughton opposed any Stoughton routing because it would increase rail traffic though grade crossings in downtown Stoughton. By 2024, with Phase 1 nearing completion, it was unclear whether Phase 2 would ever be constructed. ==See also==