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Route 128 (MBTA station)
Encyclopedia
Route 128 is a station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Providence/Stoughton
MBTA Commuter Rail
line, with inbound service to Back Bay
and South Station
in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton
or TF Green Airport
. It is also known as "University Park" station. The station is also served by Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
service to New York City
and Washington, D.C.
, including all Acela Express
high speed trains.
Route 128 Station is located at Exit 13 off Interstate 95
/US 1/MA Route 128, in Westwood, Massachusetts
, a suburb of Boston
. Primarily a commuter station, Route 128 is mainly intended as a highway-to-rail park and ride
facility, and has no connections to MBTA bus service. There are separate automobile entrances and levels for Amtrak (overnight) and commuter rail (day only) parking. Fast Lane
transponders are accepted for payment of parking fees.
Of the eleven Amtrak stations in Massachusetts, Route 128 was the fourth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of nearly 1,100 passengers daily.
Blue Hill Drive/Green Lodge Street, the original alignment of the Circumferential Highway (Route 128), used to pass over the railroad where the platforms now are. With the building of the new alignment of 128, the old road was little-traveled, and the bridge was removed. The abutment
s are still visible on each side.
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...
Providence/Stoughton
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...
MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
line, with inbound service to Back Bay
Back Bay (MBTA station)
Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
and South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton
Stoughton (MBTA station)
Stoughton is a railroad station on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Providence/Stoughton Line located in Stoughton, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the Stoughton branch of the Providence/Stoughton Line....
or TF 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...
. It is also known as "University Park" station. The station is also 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...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
service to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, including all 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...
high speed trains.
Route 128 Station is located at Exit 13 off Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
/US 1/MA Route 128, in Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,618 at the 2010 census. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its...
, a suburb of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Primarily a commuter station, Route 128 is mainly intended as a highway-to-rail park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facility, and has no connections to MBTA bus service. There are separate automobile entrances and levels for Amtrak (overnight) and commuter rail (day only) parking. Fast Lane
Fast Lane
Fast Lane is the RFID electronic toll collection system used in Massachusetts. Fast Lane is used on the Massachusetts Turnpike, Sumner Tunnel, Ted Williams Tunnel, and Tobin Bridge. It is also accepted at one parking structure operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority...
transponders are accepted for payment of parking fees.
Of the eleven Amtrak stations in Massachusetts, Route 128 was the fourth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of nearly 1,100 passengers daily.
Renovations
A new, completely rebuilt station opened in 2000, with a $30 million, multi-level 2,000-space parking garage, bicycle racks, staffed ticket windows, small concession and vending area, and an enclosed, well-lit waiting area. The new parking garage at Route 128 Station has been a source of controversy, due to the financing plan that relies heavily on customer revenues which have failed to meet expectations.Blue Hill Drive/Green Lodge Street, the original alignment of the Circumferential Highway (Route 128), used to pass over the railroad where the platforms now are. With the building of the new alignment of 128, the old road was little-traveled, and the bridge was removed. The abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s are still visible on each side.
Accidents
On January 28, 2003, there was a fatal accident at Route 128 Station, resulting in the death of a 34-year old woman who was struck by a commuter train.Accessibility
- Route 128 Station is wheelchair accessible and has full length high level platforms. (There is a section of low level platform left over from the earlier station, but it is not normally used.)
- Other Amtrak stations on the Northeast Corridor are generally accessible. Most have high-level platforms.
- Only selected MBTA commuter rail stations have wheelchair access and most of those have short elevated platforms that only serve one or two cars. See MBTA accessibilityMBTA accessibilityPhysical accessibility on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority system is incomplete but improving, with accessibility on all buses , all Orange Line stations, all but 2 Red Line stations, and all but 2 Blue Line stations...
.
Parking
Parking Rate: $5.00/first 14 hours. $12/each day thereafter - FastLane and Credit Cards AcceptedNearby attractions
- Westwood Industrial Park
- 5 miles via car or taxi to Norwood Memorial AirportNorwood Memorial AirportNorwood Memorial Airport is a public-use airport located two miles east of the central business district of Norwood, a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by the Town of Norwood...
, a general aviationGeneral aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
facility