Buzzards Bay station
| Company type | Railway station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Headquarters | Buzzards Bay , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail services, tourist excursions |
Buzzards Bay station, situated on Main Street in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, includes an interlocking tower and lies adjacent to the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge. It functions as a mid-route stop for the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority's summer weekend passenger service, the CapeFLYER, and marks the westernmost terminus for tourist excursions operated by the Cape Cod Central Railroad. Although there have been suggestions to extend the MBTA Commuter Rail service along the Middleborough/Lakeville Line to Buzzards Bay, these plans have yet to be realized.
History
Initially known as Cohasset Narrows, this station was established in 1848 as part of the Cape Cod Branch Railroad. The name was changed to Buzzards Bay on August 1, 1879, following acquisition by the Old Colony Railroad in 1872. The Woods Hole Branch began operations on July 17, 1872. By 1891, the Old Colony Railroad had enhanced the station’s surroundings with elaborate landscaping, featuring a prominent flowerbed and a twelve-foot fountain.
The existing station structure was erected in 1912 by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Prior to the opening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1916, Buzzards Bay was positioned on the northern shore of the Monument River at a junction connecting the main line from Middleborough to Cape Cod and the Woods Hole Branch. The canal replaced this river, resulting in rail lines being relocated to its southern bank. The New Haven Railroad maintained daily passenger services to Boston, along with seasonal Cape Codder routes to New York City well into the 1960s.
Originally adjacent to active tracks, the station building is now set back due to track removal. It currently accommodates year-round administrative offices and serves as a seasonal visitor center operated by the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce.
Buzzards Bay was also a stop for Amtrak’s Cape Codder between 1986 and 1996 and hosted service from the Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad from 1984 to 1988. In 1988, Massachusetts undertook renovations at the station, including installation of an accessible platform in anticipation of extending commuter rail service to Falmouth—a plan that did not come to fruition.
Cape Cod Central Railroad
Serving as the western endpoint for Cape Cod Central Railroad, Buzzards Bay is the departure point for tourist train excursions between Buzzards Bay and Hyannis. During summer months, it also functions as a starting location for trips to West Barnstable, select dinner trains running along the Canal, and a special September journey commemorating Cape Cod Canal Day with a stop at Sagamore’s Pairpoint Glass facility. In wintertime, Buzzards Bay hosts various holiday-themed excursions reminiscent of the Polar Express experience.
CapeFLYER and proposed commuter service
The Middleborough/Lakeville Line commenced operations up to in 1997. A feasibility study conducted in 2007 explored extending commuter rail service further to Buzzards Bay with additional stops; however, other initiatives such as the Greenbush Line extension took precedence, postponing any construction efforts.
In 2014, a new high-level platform was constructed nearer to the bridge to avoid blocking Academy Drive during CapeFLYER stops. Later that year, plans were unveiled to reinstate an upgraded siding near the station featuring a universal crossover located before Cohasset Narrows.
The success of CapeFLYER revitalized discussions about extending Middleborough/Lakeville Line commuter rail service. By late 2013, local chambers of commerce and town officials expressed support for expansion toward Buzzards Bay, prompting public meetings in early 2014.
Bourne’s Transportation Advisory Committee initiated studies on this extension in 2014 with backing from MassDOT’s Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS). A Local Impact Report released in 2015 recommended constructing an approximately 800-foot high-level platform alongside two parking alternatives: either enlarging the current lot to accommodate 120 vehicles or developing a larger facility with capacity for 400–600 vehicles involving road realignment. CTPS projected daily ridership near 875 if all Middleborough trains extended service to Buzzards Bay.
Bourne officially joined the MBTA district in 2015 and began paying assessments by mid-2016 despite no confirmed commuter rail service due to budget limitations. For Fiscal Year 2017, Bourne contributed $41,707 to MBTA and $88,429 toward bus services provided by the CCRTA. MassDOT had planned a pilot commuter rail route starting FY 2017; however, this proposal was rejected by the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board in April 2016. In 2019, certain town leaders contemplated withdrawing from MBTA membership due to absence of service commitments but local voters declined this option in June 2020.
In autumn 2020, MBTA initiated a study evaluating commuter rail extension feasibility alongside ongoing work on the South Coast Rail project. The study concluded in spring 2021 presenting two options: one terminating at Buzzards Bay and another continuing onward to Bourne station.
Further reading
External links
- Articles with short description
- Bourne, Massachusetts
- Cape Cod Central Railroad stations
- Former Amtrak stations in Massachusetts
- Railway stations in the United States opened in 1872
- MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
- 1872 establishments in Massachusetts
- Former Old Colony Railroad stations