Kingston station (Massachusetts)
| Company type | MBTA Commuter Rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Kingston, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Commuter rail service |
Kingston station (previously referred to as Kingston/Route 3) serves the MBTA Commuter Rail on the Plymouth/Kingston Line. It is situated just off Massachusetts Route 3, to the south of downtown Kingston, Massachusetts. Since its opening in 1997, the station has offered full accessibility and includes a single side platform adjacent to one track. Positioned immediately west of the station is the Kingston layover yard, accessible via Marion Drive, which also intersects the rail line at grade near the platform.
History
The original Old Colony Railroad Kingston station was located downtown near Summer Street (Route 3A) and was replaced in 1889. It functioned as the southern endpoint of the South Shore Line until 1938, with Boston–Plymouth train service ceasing in 1959. The former station building still exists and currently operates as a restaurant.
The present-day station was established as a park-and-ride to alleviate congestion in downtown Kingston, constructed along a newly created right of way adjacent to Route 3. This represented the first new mainline rail segment built in Massachusetts since 1906. The rail line travels beneath the Route 3/3A interchange through a tunnel. Supporting operations on the Plymouth/Kingston Line, a layover yard was included. Service during peak hours commenced on September 29, 1997, followed by off-peak and weekend services beginning November 29.
In October 2011, the MBTA launched a $2.5 million initiative to install a wind turbine at Kingston intended to provide power for both the station and layover yard. Completed by January 2012, the 120-foot turbine has generated only about 60% of its anticipated energy output.
The designation "Kingston/Route 3" appeared in MBTA publications until approximately 2016.
Operational difficulties emerged due to the line's bifurcation: a single train was unable to efficiently serve both Kingston and Plymouth terminals. Historically, three daily round trips sequentially connected both stations, causing inbound and outbound trains to conflict and doubling travel times from Kingston to Boston during much of the day. Although solutions were proposed in late 2015, they were never implemented. As of April 5, 2021, Plymouth station was closed indefinitely, with all trains now terminating exclusively at Kingston.