Lowell (MBTA station)

LOWELL
Gallagher Transit Terminal from the garage roof in 2012
Location	101 Thorndike Street Lowell, MA 01852
Coordinates	42°38′12″N 71°18′53″W / 42.6366°N 71.3148°WCoordinates: 42°38′12″N 71°18′53″W / 42.6366°N 71.3148°W
Owned by	Lowell Regional Transit Authority
Line(s)	Lowell Line
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	5
Connections	LRTA: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 MVRTA: 41 Peter Pan Sunshine Bus
Construction
Parking	695 spaces ($5.00 fee) 7 accessible spaces
Bicycle facilities	18 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	6 (MBTA)
History
Opened	1983[1]
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	1,770 (weekday average boardings)[2]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station North Billerica toward North Station Lowell Line Terminus

Lowell is a regional rail station and northern terminus of the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line, located off Thorndike Street (MA-3A) near the end of the Lowell Connector south of downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The station forms part of the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal, which also incorporates the Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center, named for local politician Robert B. Kennedy. It is a major park-and-ride station for the commuter rail system, serving commuters from Lowell, northern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. The Kennedy Bus Transfer Center is the transfer point for all Lowell Regional Transit Authority local bus routes and several intercity bus routes by other operators.

Terminal and services

LRTA buses at the Kennedy Bus Transfer Center

Lowell station is located at the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal (aka Gallagher Transit Terminal, or simply Gallagher Station to many locals), an intermodal transit center, at 101 Thorndike Street (MA 3A) at the edge of Downtown Lowell. The station is the northern terminus of the MBTA Lowell Line providing train service to and from Boston. The Kennedy Bus Transfer Center is also located at the terminal for local and long bus service.

The Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) operates local bus service based at the Kennedy Center.^[3] Peter Pan Bus Lines provides intercity bus service, with one round trip per day on its Concord, New Hampshire - Foxwoods Casino line, with connections in Worcester to other routes.^[4][5]

Other service includes MVRTA Route 41 to Lawrence, and the Sunshine Travel bus to Mohegan Sun.

The lobby at Gallagher Terminal includes a waiting area, a ticket counter for trains and intercity buses,^[6] a Dunkin' Donuts, and rest rooms.

Passengers access the train platform from the lobby by way of a bridge over the tracks.

History

Union Station, Lowell's main railroad station from 1894 to the 1950s

The Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal opened in 1983.^[1] Previously, this area had held a depot for the Boston and Lowell Railroad. To the east, Lowell had also been the location of a former Lowell and Andover Railroad, built by the Boston and Maine Railroad, station on Central and Green Streets known as Central Street Station, which is no longer in use.^[7] In 2005, the Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center opened at the Gallagher Terminal as a new hub for all LRTA bus routes.^[3]

References

1. Urban Land Institute (2003-11-14). "Lowell Massachusetts Strategies for Redevelopment and Revitalization" (PDF). City of Lowell. p. 18. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
2. "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14 ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
3. "First Transit (LRTA contracted manager)". Archived from the original on 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
4. "Terminal Listings". Peter Pan Bus Lines. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
5. "Schedules Effective Sept 4th, 2007". Vermont Transit Lines. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
6. "Greater Lowell Ticket Sales". Retrieved 2007-11-11.
7. Existing Railroad Stations in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

External links

• MBTA - Lowell
• Lowell Regional Transit Authority
• MVRTA - Route 41
• Gallagher Terminal on Google Maps Street View