Whitman station
| Company type | MBTA Commuter Rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | September 26, 1997 |
| Headquarters | Whitman, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Whitman, Massachusetts |
| Products | Commuter rail services |
| Website | www |
Whitman station serves as a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail network in Whitman, Massachusetts, specifically on the Plymouth/Kingston Line. Positioned off South Avenue (designated as MA 27), the station provides parking facilities on both sides of the railway tracks. It resumed operations on September 26, 1997, coinciding with the reopening of the entire line.
History
The Old Colony Railroad extended its route through Abington in November 1845, soon after establishing a station known as South Abington. In 1847, the Old Colony inaugurated the Bridgewater Branch, connecting South Abington to Bridgewater. After undergoing several consolidations, the railroad reclaimed the name "Old Colony Railroad" in 1872.
During 1881–82, Old Colony built a brick passenger depot and an engine house at South Abington, alongside a freight yard and a newly constructed wye linking to the Bridgewater Branch. On May 10, 1886, the station was renamed Whitman to align with the town’s recent renaming. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad acquired Old Colony in 1893.
Passenger trains ceased operating on the Bridgewater Branch in 1925; subsequently, the section between Whitman and East Bridgewater was abandoned by 1937. The engine house was lost during the 1938 New England hurricane. Passenger services across the Old Colony Division ended on June 30, 1959, although freight traffic persisted. The original station building was destroyed by fire in 1972.
In 1973, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) took ownership of numerous former New Haven Railroad lines—including the Old Colony mainline running from Braintree to Plymouth—purchased from Penn Central. By 1985, MBTA had acquired the former platform site at Whitman. Prior to service restoration, an archaeological investigation in 1990 uncovered foundations of the old engine house; this area was subsequently transformed into Whitman Roundhouse Park with an investment of $100,000. The modern station commenced service with the revival of the Old Colony Lines on September 26, 1997, followed by the opening of Whitman Roundhouse Park in October 1999.