Northup Avenue Yard
| Company type | Rail yard |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Headquarters | Providence and Pawtucket , United States |
Area served | Rhode Island |
| Owner | Providence and Worcester Railroad |
Northup Avenue Yard—sometimes referred to as Northrup Avenue Yard—is a rail yard situated in both Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States. Its operations date back to at least 1899. Between 1918 and 1921, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad expanded the facility into a hump yard. Following the acquisition of the New Haven by the Penn Central Transportation Company in 1969, the hump feature was removed around 1970 as Penn Central reduced the yard’s scale. In 1976, Conrail took over Penn Central’s assets and subsequently sold the yard to the Providence and Worcester Railroad in 1982.
During the early 1980s, Amtrak established maintenance facilities at Northup Avenue Yard to support maintenance of way activities along the Northeast Corridor. Additionally, a layover facility for MBTA Commuter Rail was introduced in 2006.
Initial Northup Avenue Yard
The original construction of Northup Avenue Yard was a joint effort by the Boston and Providence Railroad and the Providence and Worcester Railroad. Records indicate that the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad operated a yard at this location from at least 1899. In May 1904, a yard expansion program increased its size to , thereby improving its freight handling capabilities.
Yard Design
Announced in 1918, the New Haven undertook the design and construction of an enlarged Northup Avenue Yard as a classification yard intended for sorting freight trains serving the Providence region. This facility’s design paralleled that of the Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven, Connecticut, incorporating contemporary best practices from leading U.S. classification yards. The yard’s configuration was influenced by a long, narrow land parcel under New Haven’s ownership extending approximately wide and long across Providence and Pawtucket. Conceived as a hump yard, it featured two adjacent humps: a taller 'winter' hump engineered to counteract slower freight car bearings during colder months and increased wind conditions, alongside a 'summer' hump. Both humps could be operated concurrently to enhance classification throughput and efficiency.
Construction Process
The construction phase necessitated rerouting the existing Providence-Boston main line, which originally bisected the center of the yard site. The eastbound tracks were first shifted southward. Meanwhile, westbound tracks initially followed a temporary northern alignment through the yard before being relocated southward alongside the eastbound tracks.
The establishment of Northup Avenue Yard significantly eased congestion issues within Providence’s rail infrastructure. Without this development, New Haven would have been compelled to expand six separate yards scattered throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Freight Handling Operations
Upon commencement of operations, Northup Avenue Yard managed up to 44 freight trains each day, reaching peak volumes of five trains per hour. The dual hump system processed around 2,000 railroad cars daily for classification purposes, supported by two dedicated switcher locomotives.
In 1929, New Haven upgraded Northup Avenue Yard by installing 19 sets of retarders and two control towers after successful implementation of similar technology at Hartford Yard in 1926. This modernization involved remotely controlling 34 switches from the towers. Construction began in April and was completed by August of that year. These enhancements cut car classification time by approximately 35% and eliminated manual brake setting for cars rolling down the hump. Following these improvements, the yard was regarded as "the finest in the New Haven system."
Following New Haven's integration into Penn Central in 1968, ownership of Northup Avenue Yard transferred accordingly. Around this period, the hump was dismantled, converting the facility into a flat yard where switcher locomotives handled train assembly. In 1973, Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) separated from Penn Central to operate most rail services in Providence while shifting some operations to Framingham, Massachusetts. P&W obtained overhead rights for yard access and interchange with the Moshassuck Valley Railroad.
When Penn Central merged into Conrail in 1976, Conrail assumed control. On May 1, 1982, P&W purchased ownership of Northup Avenue Yard’s freight section, which at that time served as Conrail's principal yard within Rhode Island.
Passenger utilization
In 1977, Amtrak initiated plans for a maintenance of way facility at Northup Avenue Yard. This maintenance center was finalized by 1982 as part of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project. Later, in 2006, Amtrak introduced a spray wash building designed to clean maintenance and service vehicles.
That same year, a six-track layover yard was developed at Northup Avenue Yard to accommodate MBTA Commuter Rail trains. This project involved an $18.5 million investment aimed at enhancing support for regional commuter rail services.