Wilmington station (MBTA)
| Company type | MBTA Commuter Rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1836 |
| Headquarters | Wilmington, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Commuter rail services |
Wilmington station serves as a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line located in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Positioned close to the intersection of Main Street (Routes 38 and 129) and Church Street (62), it lies within the heart of Wilmington. This station is fully accessible, equipped with mini-high level platforms on each track.
Station layout and history
When the Boston and Lowell Railroad first commenced operations, it did not include any stops between endpoints; however, Wilmington petitioned for a station as early as 1836.[1] The initial station was constructed either during 1835–36 for the Andover and Wilmington Railroad or roughly ten years later for the B&L and B&M railroads.[2][1] Around 1887, this was succeeded by a modest wooden building.[1] Both original structures remain intact: the earliest station was relocated eastward along Church Street in the 1890s and converted into a private home,[2][1] while the later building stayed adjacent to the tracks and had been transformed into a pizza restaurant by 1977.[3][1]
The platforms at Wilmington are arranged in a staggered fashion: the southbound platform is situated entirely north of the Route 62 overpass, whereas more than half of the northbound platform extends beyond the southern side of the bridge. A pedestrian crossing located just north of the overpass links these platforms; until 2015, this crossing represented the sole means to access the southbound platform before a nearby apartment complex pathway was introduced.
Historically, Wilmington featured only a single small side platform without any MBTA parking facilities. In 1998, plans were announced for a $5.2 million enhancement project that included lengthened accessible platforms and a parking lot accommodating 227 vehicles.[4] This upgrade was finalized in 2003 at a total cost of $13 million,[1] significantly increasing commuter capacity and improving accessibility.
Just north of Wilmington station, the Wildcat Branch—utilized by Amtrak Downeaster services as well as certain express trains on the Haverhill Line—connects to the Lowell Line. This branch diverges from the northbound track near Wilmington’s platform. Until December 2020, some northbound Haverhill Line trains running via this route stopped at Wilmington; however, southbound trains did not call there due to limitations in platform access.[5][6] Service on this routing resumed in April 2021 without any intermediate stops.[7]
External links
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