Wickford Junction station

Wickford Junction station
Company type	Commuter rail station
Industry	Transportation
Founded	1844
Headquarters	North Kingstown, United States
Products	MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line service
Website	www.mbta.com/stops/place-wrfd

Wickford Junction station serves as a commuter rail stop located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, acting as the southern endpoint for the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line. It operates as a vital park and ride hub facilitating travel for commuters heading toward Providence and Boston. The station is equipped with one elevated side platform positioned on a stub siding beside the mainline of the Northeast Corridor.

The initial station began operations in 1844. In 1870, the Newport and Wickford Railroad and Steamboat Company initiated service from this location to Wickford Landing, providing connections to steamship routes bound for Newport, Rhode Island. The facility saw reconstruction in 1871, further enlargement in 1887, and was rebuilt again circa 1890 following a fire. Although branch line service ended in 1925, the station remained active until 1981. A new station with an attached parking garage was inaugurated on April 23, 2012, as part of the South County Commuter Rail initiative alongside the launch of the new T. F. Green Airport station.

Former station

The original station at Wickford was established in 1844, seven years after the Rhode Island segment of the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad commenced operation. The Newport and Wickford Railroad and Steamboat Company began branch service in 1870 connecting the mainline to Wickford Landing, catering primarily to affluent travelers transferring to steamships destined for Newport resorts. In 1871, a new station named Wickford Junction was constructed for $8,000; an expansion costing $3,500 was added sixteen years later. Around 1890, following a fire, the building was replaced by a smaller structure. Passenger operations on this branch concluded in 1925, although some mainline stops continued to function.

Due to declining rail usage, the station building was razed in 1969, leaving only its stone foundation which was later filled with gravel. The pedestrian overpass was moved in 1971 to Route 128 station until that facility’s reconstruction in 2000. By this time, only basic platforms remained at Wickford Junction. Service consisted of a single New London–Providence round trip that was shortened by Penn Central to Westerly–Providence in November 1971. This commuter train ceased operations on June 3, 1977. Later, Amtrak’s New Haven-Boston Beacon Hill began stopping here on April 30, 1978; however, it was discontinued on October 1, 1981.

The former right-of-way for the Wickford Landing branch remains preserved along with traces of a turntable located approximately north of Ten Rod Road. Plans are under consideration by the state to develop a bikeway along this corridor linking Wickford town center with the Wickford Junction area and station.

Modern station

After Beacon Hill service ended in 1981, local developer Bob Coie—who had been acquiring land along the railroad since 1959—championed establishing a new rail stop combined with commercial development. In 1985, he convinced municipal authorities to rezone the vicinity for commercial purposes with the goal of creating a "pre-planned business district" anchored by a commuter rail facility. A state rail corridor study conducted in 1994 identified the Northeast Corridor as a priority for commuter service expansion toward Providence and forecasted daily ridership at Wickford reaching 2,869 passengers by 2000 and growing to 3,386 by 2020. Subsequent environmental reviews and planning efforts were completed by 2003.

By 2006, project costs were estimated at $43.7 million with $24.99 million allocated from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts funding. Ultimately, $59 million in federal grants were secured for the station’s construction—including $4.35 million from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds. In late 2009, Rhode Island invested $3.2 million to purchase approximately 350,000 square feet of land intended for the station site and parking structure development targeting an opening date in 2011.

Construction officially commenced on August 18, 2010. Both platform and parking garage were completed ahead of schedule and under budget by December 2011; testing trains ran through March 2012. The station formally opened on April 23, 2012. A notable feature is its four-story parking garage designed with architectural elements inspired by nearby Lafayette Mill; it includes an indoor waiting area—rare among MBTA stations—and amenities such as a coffee and snack shop. In October 2015, an eight-foot bronze sculpture honoring Wickford Junction’s railroad heritage was installed onsite.

Ridership

Wickford Junction's passenger numbers have consistently fallen below initial forecasts, which were based on expectations of transit-oriented development near the station. Early projections from 1995 estimated daily boardings at 3,544 by 2025. This figure was later revised down to 1,669 for 2020 in a 2003 report, then increased once more to 3,386 by 2020 according to a 2005 study.

At the commencement of service in May 2012, inbound ridership stood at 130 daily passengers, with approximately 80% commuting to Providence and the remaining 20% traveling to Boston. Ridership saw a slight increase to 150 daily riders by June 2012 and further rose to 175 by February 2014. By early 2017, average weekday boardings had climbed to 292.

In an effort to encourage greater use, the state introduced a six-month period of complimentary intrastate travel in late 2017 at both Wickford Junction and T.F. Green Airport stations. This initiative cost around $102,000 and led to a 50% surge in ridership during its first month; however, counts taken in 2018 indicated daily boardings had decreased to just 235.

As of 2017, train service operates exclusively on weekdays, although plans exist to extend operations into weekends. Conversations about weekend service for Wickford Junction and T.F. Green Airport have been ongoing since 2014.

Bus operations and consolidation

The drop-off area at Wickford Junction doubles as a busway and was briefly served by RIPTA route 66 URI/Galilee before that route was redirected to a park-and-ride facility near Route 2. In January 2013, RIDOT proposed selling the park-and-ride and rerouting routes 66 and the newly introduced 65X Wakefield Express so all trips would stop at Wickford Junction. However, public opposition arose due to concerns over replacing free parking with paid garage options, delaying these plans. RIDOT revisited the proposal in July 2015 with intentions to sell the lot for approximately $1.9 million and reroute bus services again, but similar community objections emerged. In July 2017, a judge halted the sale because of potential repurchase rights held by the original owners’ descendants stemming from eminent domain actions in the 1930s.

In August 2015, RIDOT assumed control of operations and maintenance at Wickford Junction from a private contractor, anticipating annual savings of $340,000 that could be reinvested to increase frequency on the 65X route. At the same time, RIDOT initiated a two-week project costing $372,500 aimed at relocating bus operations directly to the station by building a new bus depot adjacent to the parking garage with access from Route 102.

By August 31, only preliminary construction had been completed when Coie’s company—owner of a nearby shopping center—filed suit against RIDOT citing decreased traffic flow and safety concerns. RIDOT countered by referencing a 2009 land agreement granting exclusive transit facility rights for the site. The dispute was resolved in November 2015 when RIDOT agreed to pay $750,000 by July 2016. Starting December 7, 2015, all trips on routes 65X and 66 were rerouted through Wickford Junction; the parking garage was opened on a 24/7 basis with full restroom and waiting room amenities available beginning January 2016.

Rail operations

Wickford Junction began service on April 23, 2012, offering ten trains each weekday in both directions. Of these, two off-peak trains terminated at Providence while eight—including five during rush hours—continued onward to Boston. Travel durations are approximately 35 minutes to Providence and around 100 minutes to Boston.

The station is situated on a siding that connects with the southbound mainline of the Northeast Corridor at Stony interlocking. This siding permits Amtrak trains to pass while allowing commuter trains to lay over without obstructing mainline traffic. Wickford Junction is located at milepost 165.8 along the corridor, positioned from Providence and from Boston.

The State Rail Plan issued in 2014 recommended establishing shuttle service linking Wickford Junction with Providence via T.F. Green Airport, operating every thirty minutes. This service would utilize multiple unit trains instead of traditional locomotive-hauled equipment and aimed to increase daily ridership at Wickford Junction up to approximately 3,400 passengers.

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