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North Wilmington station

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article North Wilmington station, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 202527 sources
North Wilmington station
Company typeMBTA Commuter Rail station
IndustryPublic transportation
PredecessorWilmington station (renamed North Wilmington in 1888)
Founded1849
Headquarters
Wilmington, Massachusetts
,
United States
Area served
North Wilmington neighborhood, Wilmington, Massachusetts
ProductsCommuter rail service on the Haverhill Line
OwnerMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

North Wilmington station serves as a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail network, situated within the North Wilmington neighborhood of Wilmington, Massachusetts. The station consists of a single accessible high-level side platform positioned just north of Middlesex Avenue (Route 62). It accommodates nearly all Boston–Haverhill trains operating on the Haverhill Line, except for a select few that divert via the Wildcat Branch.

The Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) established a rail line through Wilmington in 1845, with service commencing approximately in 1849 and a station building erected in 1851. The station was renamed North Wilmington in 1888. After being destroyed by fire in 1914, it was reconstructed. The ticket office ceased operations in 1949, and passenger service was discontinued in 1959. From 1955, a local newspaper leased the building and later acquired it in 1960; following fire damage in 1988, the structure was ultimately demolished in 1991.

Under the auspices of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), service on the Haverhill Line resumed at North Wilmington in 1979, initially with stops at the Middlesex Avenue grade crossing. To prevent trains from obstructing emergency vehicles, a small platform was built nearby in 1992. Planning for a fully accessible platform located farther from the crossing began in 2018, with construction starting in 2024; this new platform opened to the public in June 2025.

Station design

North Wilmington station is positioned along the single-track Western Route, which runs northwest to southeast through this area. It features one accessible high-level side platform on the east side of the track, measuring .[1] The platform includes a canopy for shelter.[2] A ramp and walkway provide access from the platform southeastward to Middlesex Avenue (Route 62), where the road crosses the tracks at grade.[1] Adjacent to Middlesex Avenue is a parking lot with space for 20 vehicles.[2] As of 2025, all Boston–Haverhill trains stop here except for certain services routed via the Wildcat Branch; outside peak hours, the station functions as a flag stop except during weekday peak-direction peak-hour trains.[3]

Boston and Maine

In 1835, the Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) inaugurated service between Boston and Lowell, passing through Wilmington. The following year, the Andover and Wilmington Railroad commenced operations between Wilmington and , utilizing B&L tracks to reach Boston. After several expansions northward, this line became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) by 1842. As B&M expanded its network, its dependence on B&L routes became insufficient; consequently, on July 1, 1845, B&M opened its own route to Boston branching off at Wilmington Junction. The original line running from Wilmington to Wilmington Junction continued as shuttle service until about 1848, was abandoned around 1850, then later reconstructed by B&L in 1874 as what is now known as the Wildcat Branch.

By approximately 1849, B&M began making stops at Wilmington station on this new route.[4] The station building was completed in 1851.[5][6] Positioned roughly northeast of Wilmington’s town center—where the B&L station stood—the facility supported commuter traffic by the mid-19th century.[7] The surrounding community evolved into what is now known as North Wilmington.[8]

Following B&M’s lease of B&L in 1887, to eliminate confusion caused by duplicate station names, B&M renamed its station North Wilmington in November 1888 while B&L’s station retained its original designation.[9][10] The primary B&M line became known as the Western Route; meanwhile, B&L’s route was designated as the Southern Division.[7]

By the early twentieth century, a two-and-a-half-story wooden station stood on the east side of the tracks just north of Middlesex Avenue.[11] On July 26, 1907, a collision occurred near this station when a Portland–Boston train rear-ended a Haverhill–Boston train; several passengers sustained injuries.[12][13] Between 1908 and 1909, burglars targeted the station twice; one incident involved blowing open the safe with explosives.[14] On October 26, 1914, a fire caused by a faulty chimney destroyed the structure entirely with estimated damages totaling $2,000.[15] It was subsequently replaced with a single-story building erected on the same location.[16][11]

Closure

The ticket office at the station ceased operations in 1949. Subsequently, a taxi company leased the premises from the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M), maintaining access to the waiting area for passengers. By late 1954, B&M proposed demolishing the existing structure to create a parking lot, planning to replace it with a modest 12 by 24-foot cinder block shelter located on the west side of the tracks. When the Wilmington Town Crier was established in November 1955, it rented the building for its headquarters and later subleased parts of it to various other enterprises.

In 1957, weekday service at North Wilmington included 11 trains heading southbound and 15 northbound. In December 1958, B&M announced significant service reductions, which involved closing North Wilmington station. Trains traveling to Andover and destinations further north were redirected via the Wildcat Branch and Southern Division, while the Western Route segment between Reading and Wilmington Junction was designated for freight traffic only.

Despite protests from Wilmington and neighboring communities, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) approved these service reductions in May 1959, effective June 14. In compliance with DPU requirements, B&M established a new stop at Salem Street on the Wildcat Branch as a substitute for North Wilmington. The town initiated legal action to prevent the station's closure but was unsuccessful when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled against them in January 1961.

In 1960, ownership of the building transferred to the Town Crier proprietor, who expanded it by adding a rear room in 1965.

MBTA era

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), created in August 1964 to support suburban commuter rail financially, began subsidizing extended service to Wilmington—the northern boundary of its district—starting January 18, 1965. Service to Haverhill from Boston was discontinued; meanwhile, Wildcat Branch operations were curtailed to a single round trip between Boston and .[17][7] This single round trip was further shortened on June 30, 1967, leading to the closure of Salem Street station.[18][19] The last Haverhill round trip operated until June 30, 1976.[20] On December 27, 1976, the MBTA acquired most of B&M’s commuter rail assets, including ownership of the Western Route.[18][7]

Planning efforts commenced in 1978 to reinstate service to Haverhill through funding facilitated by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority. Service resumed on December 17, 1979, featuring five weekday round trips—two of which bypassed North Wilmington.[7][21] The Haverhill Line reverted to its pre-1959 routing via Reading after track reconstruction between Reading and Wilmington Junction.[7][22] At North Wilmington, trains stopped at Middlesex Street's grade crossing without any platforms or parking facilities. A potential stop at Concord Street was also under consideration.[5]

Weekend service was introduced in April 1980. Starting May 1981, some Haverhill Line trains were rerouted via the Wildcat Branch, bypassing North Wilmington.[7] On February 24, 1988, a fire caused severe damage to the former station building.[23][6] That same year, the MBTA proposed acquiring the damaged structure along with adjacent properties through eminent domain for constructing a park-and-ride lot with a capacity of approximately 400 vehicles and built a platform.[24][25] However, this initiative experienced delays as of December.[26] Ultimately, the abandoned station building was demolished in July of 1991.[27]

Reconstructions

Frequent train stoppages at the Middlesex Avenue grade crossing often caused the roadway to be blocked, resulting in delays for emergency responders. In response, the town requested in June 1992 that the MBTA construct a nearby platform to alleviate this issue. By August 1992, a temporary asphalt platform was installed just north of the crossing, accompanied by a bus shelter. Although crossing gates continued to lower during train stops, emergency vehicles were able to navigate around them. This platform lacked accessibility features and was intended as a provisional measure pending the future addition of a second track and a permanent platform.

Despite these efforts, trains sporadically obstructed the crossing throughout the following decades. In July 2018, the MBTA agreed to explore short-term modifications and plan for a future station rebuild to resolve these challenges. In April 2019, the town declined proposals aimed at removing less frequently used midday flag stops. Subsequently, in June of that year, a temporary platform situated further from the crossing was proposed as an interim solution. By early 2020, $180,000 had been designated for the design of this temporary facility.

In February 2020, the MBTA committed to financing both the design and construction of a new accessible platform, incorporating components salvaged from a dismantled bridge similar in style to Bourne station. The following January, the MBTA received a $1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support this project. Construction was anticipated to conclude by late 2021. However, on January 21, 2022, a fatal accident occurred at the grade crossing due to malfunctioning gates caused by an error made by signal technicians during maintenance work.

By December 2022, environmental documentation was submitted by the MBTA for a new approximately 200-foot-long platform designed to accommodate two train cars; original plans calling for a five-car platform were reduced to minimize impact on nearby wetlands. Service on the Inner Haverhill Line was suspended between September and November 2023 for signal upgrades; notably, no substitute bus service was provided at North Wilmington during this interval. A construction contract was advertised in late 2023 with work scheduled to commence in spring 2024 and reach completion by October 2024. The existing platform was demolished in spring 2025, and the new accessible platform officially opened on June 30, 2025.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named noi
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2025opening
  3. ↑ "Haverhill Line Spring/Summer Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. June 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ Kennedy, Charles J. (Summer 1962). "Commuter Services in the Boston Area, 1835-1860". The Business History Review. 36 (2): 153–170. doi:10.2307/3111453.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Train service to begin December 17". Wilmington Town Crier. November 28, 1979. pp. 1, 7.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Neilson, Larz (March 2, 1988). "Fire devastates Town Crier office". Wilmington Town Crier. p. 15.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years.
  8. ↑ Town of Wilmington Master Plan 2001. Town of Wilmington. p. 54.
  9. ↑ "Boston & Maine". Boston Evening Transcript. November 12, 1888.
  10. ↑ "Boston & Maine". Boston Evening Transcript. November 15, 1888.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 250th Anniversary Wilmington, Massachusetts 1730 – 1980.
  12. ↑ "Two People Injured". Fall River Daily Evening News. July 27, 1907.
  13. ↑ "Trains Crashed Together". Boston Evening Transcript. July 27, 1907.
  14. ↑ "Thieves again at station". The Boston Daily Globe. March 18, 1909.
  15. ↑ Wilmington, Mass. Annual Report...1914.
  16. ↑ Template:Cite map
  17. ↑ Hanron, Robert B. (January 16, 1965). "B&M Switches Monday". The Boston Globe. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Template:NETransit
  19. ↑ "Last B&M Train to New Hampshire". Transcript-Telegram. UPI. June 30, 1967. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "B&M Lawrence, Haverhill runs closed". The Berkshire Eagle. UPI. July 2, 1976. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Welcome Aboard!, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, December 17, 1979 – via Wikimedia Commons
  22. ↑ "North Wilmington trains to run Dec. 17". Wilmington Town Crier. November 7, 1979. p. 5.
  23. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named midnight
  24. ↑ "Rezoning article sparks fireworks". Wilmington Town Crier. March 30, 1988. p. 6.
  25. ↑ Surprenant, Arlene (September 28, 1988). "MBTA wants North Wilmington for commuter parking lots". Wilmington Town Crier. p. 1.
  26. ↑ "Sticker parking set for July 1st". Wilmington Town Crier. December 14, 1988. p. 1.
  27. ↑ "Demise of the depot". Wilmington Town Crier. July 10, 1991. p. 2.

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