Canton Junction station

Canton Junction station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Canton, Massachusetts. It serves the Providence/Stoughton Line, and is planned for future service on the South Coast Rail line. It is located slightly north of the Canton Viaduct and west of downtown Canton.

Canton Junction
Canton Junction station in April 2016
General information
Location	Beaumont Street at Sherman Street Canton, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42.1628°N 71.1537°W / 42.1628; -71.1537
Line(s)	Attleboro Line (Northeast Corridor) Stoughton Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms 1 island platform
Tracks	2 (Northeast Corridor) 2 (Stoughton Branch)
Construction
Parking	764 spaces ($4.00 fee)
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	3
History
Opened	1835
Rebuilt	1892
Previous names	Canton
Passengers
2018	1,115 (weekday average boardings)[1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Sharon toward Wickford Junction Providence/​Stoughton Line Route 128 toward South Station Canton Center toward Stoughton
Former services Preceding station MBTA Following station Sharon toward Foxboro Foxboro event service 1989–1994 Route 128 toward South Station Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Sharon toward New Haven Shore Line Route 128 toward Boston Canton toward Taunton Stoughton Branch Terminus
Proposed services Preceding station MBTA Following station Canton Center toward Battleship Cove or New Bedford South Coast Rail Phase 2 (2030) Route 128 toward South Station
Location

At Canton Junction, the Stoughton Branch of the Providence/Stoughton Line splits from the Northeast Corridor and runs southeast to Stoughton, Massachusetts. The Providence section of the line follows the Northeast Corridor south to Providence, Rhode Island and beyond.

History

The 1893-built station building

Canton station opened with the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1835; the Stoughton Branch Railroad opened in early 1845. Around 1879, South Canton station was renamed Canton to reflect its position nearer the village center, while Canton station was renamed Canton Junction.^[2]

The current station building was designed by Bradford Lee Gilbert in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Construction was begun by the Old Colony Railroad in 1892. It became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in March 1893; the new station opened on April 19.^[3]

From 1989 to 1994, Boston–Foxboro trains for events at Foxboro Stadium operated over the Northeast Corridor, with intermediate stops including Canton Junction.^[4][5] Boston–Foxboro service was rerouted over the Franklin Line in 1995.^[6]

The massive footbridge, built around 2000, showed significant rust and damage to concrete by 2015.^[7] Keolis (the commuter rail contract operator) begin major repairs on the footbridge in 2016; however, the company failed to obtain the proper building permits. Construction was suspended in March 2017 with the western ramp and stairs still closed; passengers had to detour on foot over the Spaulding Street bridge to access the Providence-bound platform and the Jackson Street parking lot.^[8][9] Construction resumed in July 2017 and was completed in August.^[10]

References

1. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
2. Report of the Board of Directors of the Boston and Providence Railroad Corporation for the Year Ending September 30, 1879. Boston and Providence Railroad. 1879. p. 8.
3. Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. p. 137. ISBN 9780942147087.
4. Ackerman, Jerry (September 18, 1989). "The latest words from the streets". Boston Globe. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "How to get to the game". Boston Globe. December 4, 1994. p. 63 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "How to get to the game". Boston Globe. September 10, 1995. p. 93 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Turner, Jay (August 7, 2015). "Frustrations mount over conditions at Canton Junction". Canton Citizen. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
8. "Commuter Rail Service Alerts: Providence/Stoughton Line". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 18, 2017. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017.
9. "Canton Junction Ramp". Town of Canton. June 10, 2017. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
10. "Commuter Rail Service Alerts: Providence/Stoughton Line". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. July 20, 2017. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017.

Further reading

• Galvin, Edward D. (1987). A History of Canton Junction. Brunswick, Maine: Distributed by Sculpin Publications. OCLC 17939563.

External links

Media related to Canton Junction station at Wikimedia Commons

• MBTA - Canton Junction
• Station from Google Maps Street View