Norwood Depot

Norwood Depot station

Company type	MBTA Commuter Rail station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1849
Headquarters	Norwood , United States
Products	Commuter rail services

Norwood Depot is a station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin/Foxboro Line situated in downtown Norwood, Massachusetts. It consists of two side platforms equipped with mini-high sections that serve the Franklin Branch's dual tracks. The station originally opened in 1849 under the name South Dedham by the Norfolk County Railroad, and it was renamed Norwood in 1872. In 1895, control of the line passed to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began providing financial support for service in 1966, later acquiring the line in 1973 and undertaking station renovations around 1977 and again in 1992.

Station design

Positioned roughly northeast of Norwood Common, Norwood Depot operates along the Franklin/Foxboro Line on a north–south aligned double-track corridor. The station features two low-level side platforms, each with accessible mini-high platforms located at their southern ends adjacent to the Railroad Avenue grade crossing. Two parking areas on the west side of the tracks offer a combined total of 219 spaces. In 2018, the station recorded an average weekday boarding figure of 285 passengers, which is lower than that of nearby Norwood Central station.

19th century

The Norfolk County Railroad inaugurated service between and on April 23, 1849. The station then known as South Dedham (also referred to as Nahatan), located at Railroad Avenue, was initially the sole stop within what is today Norwood, which was part of Dedham at that time. Around 1852, Dedham Middle station—now called Norwood Central—was added. Upon Norwood's separation from Dedham in 1872, the station was renamed Norwood. After several mergers, the railroad became part of the New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) in 1875. Between 1873 and 1881, double tracking was extended through Norwood from to . The original station building was a single-story wooden structure situated on the east side of the tracks.

Norwood Central and Norwood Depot stations are located merely apart. In March 1891, the NY&NE requested approval from the Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners to merge these two stations and remove nearby grade crossings. This proposal had been rejected by a town vote just two months earlier. The board granted permission for this plan on June 25, 1891. By November 1892, plans included eliminating the Railroad Avenue grade crossing along with three others within Norwood. However, the railroad disputed its responsibility to cover 65% of these expenses as stipulated by an 1890 state statute.

On February 15, 1892, the Old Colony Railroad extended its Wrentham Branch to reach Norwood. This branch connected with the NYN&NE mainline at Norwood Junction just south of Norwood Central and operated using trackage rights through Norwood. From there, trains continued via Old Colony-controlled routes to Boston. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased both Old Colony and its subsidiaries starting March 1, 1893.

By June 1894, reconsideration was given to merging stations; commissioners approved replacing both with a single facility located between Day and Vernon Streets. The New Haven gained control over NY&NE through its subsidiary New England Railroad on September 1, 1895, subsequently leasing it as its Midland Division beginning July 1, 1898. With both lines under New Haven’s ownership, some grade crossings at Guild Street and Washington Street were removed during 1896–97. Although plans were made by 1898 to add quadruple tracks and separate grades between Norwood Central and Boston, these improvements were never realized.

In December 1897, a local business group petitioned the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to enforce the earlier order from 1891 mandating a combined station. A legislative bill followed in March of the next year. While consolidation never occurred, Norwood Central received a new station building in 1899.

20th century

By 1930, plans were underway to replace the Railroad Avenue grade crossing with a new underpass located approximately south at Nahatan Street. Although the underpass was completed and opened in 1935, the original grade crossing continued to operate. Throughout the 20th century, service on the line diminished significantly. On July 17, 1938, the sole daily round trip on the Wrentham Branch was terminated amid a wave of station closures. The initial station structure was eventually torn down later in the century. Norwood station catered exclusively to local train services, while intercity trains stopped at Norwood Central.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), established in the mid-1960s, began providing financial support for suburban commuter rail operations on the Franklin Branch starting April 24, 1966. In 1969, the New Haven Railroad merged with Penn Central. Subsequently, on January 27, 1973, the MBTA acquired most Penn Central commuter rail lines, including the Franklin Branch and Norwood Central station. Service levels on the Franklin Line were incrementally enhanced by the MBTA. In 1977, an $11 million track and station renovation initiative was launched—partially financed by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—which encompassed upgrades to platforms at Norwood Central. Around this period, Norwood station was renamed Norwood Depot to avoid confusion with Norwood Central. Accessibility improvements, such as mini-high platforms, were installed around 1992.

External links

• MBTA – Norwood Depot
• Station on Google Maps Street View