Attleboro station (Massachusetts)

Attleboro station

Company type	Commuter rail station
Industry	Transportation
Founded	1835 (1835)
Headquarters	Attleboro, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Greater Attleboro-Taunton area
Products	Commuter rail services
Parent	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Attleboro station serves as a commuter rail stop on the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line, located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. In 2018, it accommodated 1,547 daily passengers, making it the fourth most frequented MBTA station outside of Boston.

Rail operations to downtown Attleboro have been uninterrupted since 1835. The historic two-story station buildings for northbound and southbound trains, erected between 1906 and 1908 during a grade crossing elimination project, currently host private enterprises and were recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The MBTA platforms are situated just south of these heritage structures.

Additionally, Attleboro acts as a vital transfer hub for the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority, with bus platforms positioned at the nearby Attleboro Intermodal Transportation Center.

Early history

The Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) commenced service between Boston and Providence in June 1835. From Attleboro, two branch lines extended: the Attleboro Branch Railroad, operated by B&P starting January 1870, and the Taunton Branch Railroad’s Attleboro Branch to Taunton beginning August 1, 1871. In 1873, B&P built a new station north of Mill Street at a grade crossing; initially intended as a joint venture with the Taunton Branch Railroad, it was ultimately completed solely by B&P. This elaborate Victorian Gothic structure became a notable feature.

In 1888, the B&P was acquired by the Old Colony Railroad, which itself was absorbed by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. The Old Colony Railroad constructed a freight house at Attleboro in 1891. Following the expiration of the Attleboro Branch Railroad lease in 1901, New Haven built a connection to the Walpole and Wrentham Railroad, returning control of the branch line to its original owners. In June 1903, this branch was transformed into an interurban trolley route locally referred to as the "Gee Whiz Line." The service was taken over by the Rhode Island Company in 1907 and continued until 1932. Currently, there are plans to convert part of this corridor into a recreational trail.

New station

In 1891, residents petitioned the New Haven Railroad to remove hazardous grade crossings. By 1905, a substantial viaduct was constructed for both the mainline and Taunton branch lines, eliminating thirteen grade crossings and expanding track capacity to four through Attleboro—one of the few locations east of New Haven featuring quadruple tracks. Two-story Romanesque stations were erected on each side of the tracks; the northbound building opened in 1906 and the larger southbound structure followed in 1908.

Passenger service on the Taunton branch concluded in 1958, while seasonal long-distance trains to Cape Cod operated until 1964. Due to reduced Rhode Island subsidies, off-peak MBTA service to Providence was truncated to Attleboro in April 1979. All rail services ceased on February 20, 1981.

MBTA era

During summers from 1986 to 1988, Amtrak’s Cape Codder made stops at Attleboro. In 1988, state-supported service operated by the Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad ran from Attleboro to Hyannis, but ended due to funding cuts. Although low ridership caused Amtrak’s Cape Codder to stop serving Attleboro after 1989, it continued operating until 1996.

Rush hour MBTA trains resumed running through to Providence on February 1, 1988; off-peak and weekend services were extended first to , then later fully restored to Providence with increased funding. On January 5, 1989, both station buildings were officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings remain under private ownership. A $990,000 MBTA renovation began on January 16, 1989, which included installation of mini-high platforms to improve accessibility by late 1990. Starting in 1997, MBTA introduced special event trains between Providence and , with stops at Attleboro.

Plans for a parking garage accommodating 782 vehicles around 1999 were never realized. The Attleboro Intermodal Transportation Center opened on November 7, 2013, improving integration between local bus routes and commuter rail through dedicated bus lanes and a waiting area located west of the viaduct.

A non-electrified siding stretch approximately 1.7 miles long near Attleboro was slated for electrification by mid-2022 to facilitate future electric MBTA services. As of 2024, transit-oriented development aiming for up to 600 residential units is proposed to replace surface parking west of the station; in June 2024, both city officials and MBTA issued a request for qualifications related to this project.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Bristol County, Massachusetts

External links

• MBTA – Attleboro Station
• Mill Street entrance viewed via Google Maps Street View
• Main Street entrance seen on Google Maps Street View