Bradford station
| Company type | MBTA Commuter Rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1837-10-26 |
| Headquarters | Haverhill, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Commuter rail services |
Bradford station serves the Bradford area within Haverhill, Massachusetts as part of the MBTA Commuter Rail network, specifically on the Haverhill Line. Adjacent to the station lies the layover yard for the Haverhill Line.
History
The Boston and Portland Railroad extended its route to Bradford on October 26, 1837, initially making it the line’s endpoint until January 1, 1840, when the tracks crossed the Merrimack River into New Hampshire. In 1843, this railroad was renamed the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M).
On September 22, 1851, the Newburyport Railroad inaugurated its Haverhill Branch connecting Georgetown to Bradford. By 1860, control of the Newburyport Railroad had transferred to the B&M. During the 1870s, a new station building was constructed, likely coinciding with efforts to double-track the line. Later, between 1904 and 1905, the depot was elevated by eight feet as part of a project aimed at eliminating grade crossings.
Passenger operations on the Haverhill Branch ceased in 1933, although freight service to a nearby paper mill persisted until 1982. In the 1960s, the B&M sold the station building for commercial use. When the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was established in 1964 to support suburban commuter rail services, Bradford and surrounding areas initially were not included. By January 1965, most B&M passenger services north of Haverhill were discontinued except for a single Boston–Dover round trip that stopped at Bradford. This service was subsequently reduced to terminate at Haverhill in June 1967 following local subsidy arrangements.
Operations halted on June 30, 1976, due to withdrawal of state funding. Later that year, the MBTA acquired B&M’s commuter rail assets including the Western Route. Restoration planning for service to Haverhill commenced in 1978, leading to resumption on December 17, 1979; however, Bradford was initially excluded from this renewed service. By 1993, the original station structure had been converted into a laundromat.
Prior to MBTA’s contracting of Amtrak operations in 1987, trains were stored on sidings owned by Guilford north of Haverhill. A new two-track layover yard was built next to a reconstructed Bradford station at a cost of $2.2 million without undergoing environmental review beforehand. This sparked community concerns regarding noise and diesel exhaust emissions. Accessibility improvements including mini-high platforms were installed around 1992.
As of 2022, plans are underway by the MBTA to relocate and enlarge the layover facility during the mid-to-late 2020s timeframe. Due to replacement work on South Elm Street bridge, Haverhill station will be closed temporarily from July 15, 2024, through June 30, 2025; during this interval, Bradford will function as the outer terminal for the line.