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Providence (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Providence Station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island
and is served by Amtrak
and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA). The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad
freight trains. It is the 17th busiest Amtrak station in the country, after BWI
.
Providence Station has full length high-level platforms and is wheelchair
accessible. A new layover facility for MBTA commuter trains, located north of the station in Pawtucket
, opened in 2006, allowing the MBTA to increase service to the city. Service to T. F. Green Airport
via a new station
began on December 6, 2010.
, Providence and Stonington
, and Boston and Providence
Railroads. This building was lost to fire in 1896, and replaced by a newer Union Station
, completed 1898, which consisted of five large brick structures, built by New Haven Railroad. In 1986, the current Providence Station (shown here) was built to replace the 1898 station, as part of a redevelopment project to free up land from a mass of train tracks that had hemmed in downtown Providence. It is much smaller than its predecessor, reflecting the diminished local role of railroad transit. Designed by Marilyn Taylor
of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
, local architectural historian William McKenzie Woodward lauds the building for its aesthetics, calling its saucer dome "an obvious yet very gracious gesture toward the (Rhode Island) State House
".
The now-renovated buildings of the 1892 station still form the northern side of Kennedy Plaza
in the center of Downtown Providence.
passenger rail routes serve the station: the Acela Express
and the Northeast Regional. The Acela Express is the United States'
only high-speed rail service; the Regional is a slower local service; both connect Providence with the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington D.C. Of the three Rhode Island stations served by Amtrak, Providence was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 1650 passengers daily.
(MBTA), also serves Providence station. The Providence/Stoughton commuter rail line
's southern terminus is located at T. F. Green Airport
. The Providence/Stoughton Line provides commuter service to towns between the airport, Providence and Boston, sharing track with Amtrak trains. Service might be extended farther south to Wickford Junction.
Unlike what the name implies, there is no direct service from Providence to Stoughton, Massachusetts
. Stoughton station lies on a branch of the Providence/Stoughton line that is only accessible from stations between South Station and Canton Junction.
hub for bus-based local and regional transportation is approximately ¼ mile away, the route is not marked. The 50, 55, 56, and 57 RIPTA
buses connect the state side of the station with Kennedy Plaza.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and is served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
(MBTA). The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad
Providence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
freight trains. It is the 17th busiest Amtrak station in the country, after BWI
BWI Rail Station
The Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station is an Amtrak and MARC commuter rail train station in Linthicum, an unincorporated area in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States....
.
Providence Station has full length high-level platforms and is wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
accessible. A new layover facility for MBTA commuter trains, located north of the station in Pawtucket
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, opened in 2006, allowing the MBTA to increase service to the city. Service to T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
via a new station
T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station)
T. F. Green Airport is a train station and intermodal facility in Warwick, Rhode Island on the Northeast Corridor, adjacent to T. F. Green Airport...
began on December 6, 2010.
History
Providence's first railroad station was Union Station, a brick edifice built in 1847 by the Providence and WorcesterProvidence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
, Providence and Stonington
New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island...
, and Boston and Providence
Boston and Providence Rail Road
The Boston and Providence Railroad was an early US Railroad in New England, connecting Boston and Providence and is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.-History:...
Railroads. This building was lost to fire in 1896, and replaced by a newer Union Station
Union Station (Providence)
Union Station describes two distinct defunct train stations in Providence, Rhode Island.The original Union Station was Providence's first, opening in 1847 to accommodate the needs of the newly thriving city. It was considered "a brilliant example of Romanesque architecture" in its time, and the...
, completed 1898, which consisted of five large brick structures, built by New Haven Railroad. In 1986, the current Providence Station (shown here) was built to replace the 1898 station, as part of a redevelopment project to free up land from a mass of train tracks that had hemmed in downtown Providence. It is much smaller than its predecessor, reflecting the diminished local role of railroad transit. Designed by Marilyn Taylor
Marilyn Taylor
Marilyn L. Taylor is an American poet, and was Poet Laureate of Wisconsin from 2009–2010, appointed by Governor James Doyle in November 2008. She was also Poet Laureate of Milwaukee from 2004–2006.-Books:* Going Wrong...
of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
, local architectural historian William McKenzie Woodward lauds the building for its aesthetics, calling its saucer dome "an obvious yet very gracious gesture toward the (Rhode Island) State House
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
".
The now-renovated buildings of the 1892 station still form the northern side of Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
in the center of Downtown Providence.
Amtrak
Two of Amtrak'sAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
passenger rail routes serve the station: the Acela Express
Acela Express
The Acela Express is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York...
and the Northeast Regional. The Acela Express is the United States'
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
only high-speed rail service; the Regional is a slower local service; both connect Providence with the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington D.C. Of the three Rhode Island stations served by Amtrak, Providence was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 1650 passengers daily.
MBTA
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
(MBTA), also serves Providence station. The Providence/Stoughton commuter rail line
Providence/Stoughton Line
The Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and T. F. Green Airport, Rhode Island...
's southern terminus is located at T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station)
T. F. Green Airport is a train station and intermodal facility in Warwick, Rhode Island on the Northeast Corridor, adjacent to T. F. Green Airport...
. The Providence/Stoughton Line provides commuter service to towns between the airport, Providence and Boston, sharing track with Amtrak trains. Service might be extended farther south to Wickford Junction.
Unlike what the name implies, there is no direct service from Providence to Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Stoughton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, and from Cape Cod.-History:...
. Stoughton station lies on a branch of the Providence/Stoughton line that is only accessible from stations between South Station and Canton Junction.
Ground transportation
A taxi stand faces the city side of the station. Though the Kennedy PlazaKennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
hub for bus-based local and regional transportation is approximately ¼ mile away, the route is not marked. The 50, 55, 56, and 57 RIPTA
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
buses connect the state side of the station with Kennedy Plaza.