Wallingford station (Connecticut)

Wallingford

Wallingford station in November 2013
Location 37 Hall Avenue
Wallingford, CT 06492
Line(s) New Haven–Springfield Line
Platforms 1 side platform
Tracks 1
Connections Connecticut Transit
Other information
Station code WFD
History
Opened 1871
Rebuilt 2016 ( planned )
Traffic
Passengers (2013) 17,061[1] Decrease 6%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
Northeast Regional
Terminus
New Haven – Springfield Shuttle
Vermonter
toward St. Albans
  Starting in early 2018  
ConnDOT
Hartford Line
toward Springfield
Wallingford Railroad Station
Location Wallingford, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°27′25″N 72°49′29.5″W / 41.45694°N 72.824861°W / 41.45694; -72.824861Coordinates: 41°27′25″N 72°49′29.5″W / 41.45694°N 72.824861°W / 41.45694; -72.824861
Architect W.P. Dickerman
Architectural style Second Empire
NRHP Reference # 93001245[2]
Added to NRHP November 19, 1993

Wallingford is a train station in the town of Wallingford, Connecticut served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional, New Haven – Springfield Shuttle, and the Vermonter. The station is located adjacent to the town green, between Hall Avenue and Quinnipiac Avenue, near where both intersect with Colony Street (U.S. Route 5).

Additionally, the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to add a new commuter service called the Hartford Line in collaboration with Amtrak and the federal government that will run between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts. As of late 2015, funding had been secured and the service is scheduled to begin operation in early 2018.[3]

History

A northbound Vermonter at Wallingford in 2012

The depot at Wallingford was built in 1871 by the Hartford & New Haven Railroad on the Springfield Line, and was built in a French Second Empire style similar to that of Windsor Station. The Wallingford depot is a symmetrical two story brick building divided into three components to originally include a central waiting room flanked by projecting pavilions at the north and south ends. The pavilions' corners are emphasized by large, dark colored stone quoins; for continuity of color and material palette, the stone is also used in the lintels and sills. A canopy supported by metal brackets runs around the entire structure, thereby protecting passengers from inclement weather while they wait for the arrival of the train. Curvilinear dormers punctuate the mansard roof at regular intervals. Visually, their weight is borne by pairs of fancy scrolled brackets positioned under the roof’s overhang.[4]

The interior of the building closed as a station in 1994 and is now used for adult education and the New Haven Model Railroad Club but trains still stop there today. The line through Wallingford was double tracked until 1990 when the second track was removed. Today there are 15 passenger trains a day in addition to daily round-trip freight on the Springfield Line during the daytime. Wallingford Station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1993. There are currently plans by Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation to add a new service called the Hartford Line. ConnDOT has stated that a new station will be built half a mile north on Parker Street to accommodate the increased number of passengers.

A temporary platform replaced the former platform on May 1, 2016. The temporary platform will be used until the new station is completed.[5]

Mansard roof

Wallingford's train station has a distinctive mansard roof and is a prominent local landmark. The building is also the site of the city's annual "Celebrate Wallingford" block party.

Connections

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2013, State of Connecticut" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "State Listings - Connecticut - New Haven County". National Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012.
  3. ↑ Stacom, Dan (4 December 2015). "Springfield-To-New CommHavenuter Rail Cost Increases, Service Begins In 2018". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Wallingford, CT (WFD)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Construction Update: Town of Wallingford - April 29- May 1, 2016". Connecticut Department of Transportation. 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016.

External links

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