Bridgeport station (Connecticut)

Bridgeport station is a shared Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad train station along the Northeast Corridor serving Bridgeport, Connecticut and nearby towns. On Metro-North, the station is the transfer point between the Waterbury Branch and the main New Haven Line. Amtrak's inter-city Northeast Regional and Vermonter service also stop at the station. In addition the transfer point for Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority buses, the departure point for the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York, and both the Total Mortgage Arena and the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater are located adjacent to the station.

Bridgeport
Bridgeport station in November 2004
General information
Location	525 Water Street Bridgeport, Connecticut United States
Coordinates	41.1778°N 73.1871°W / 41.1778; -73.1871
Owned by	City of Bridgeport
Operated by	Connecticut Department of Transportation
Line(s)	ConnDOT New Haven Line (Northeast Corridor)
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19X, 22X, 23, Coastal Link Greyhound Peter Pan Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry Sacred Heart University Transit Shuttle University of Bridgeport Shuttle
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: BRP
Fare zone	19 (Metro-North)
History
Opened	1840 (Housatonic Railroad)[1] January 1849 (New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad[2][3]
Rebuilt	July 1903–August 20, 1905[4][5] June 7, 1973–October 27, 1975[6][7]
Key dates
March 20, 1979	1905 station depot burns down[8]
Passengers
FY 2024	144,127 annually[9] (Amtrak)
2018	4,490 daily boardings[10] (Metro-North)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Stamford toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional New Haven toward Boston South or Springfield Stamford toward Washington, D.C. Vermonter New Haven toward St. Albans      Acela does not stop here Preceding station CT Rail Following station Stamford Terminus Shore Line East limited weekday service Stratford toward New London Preceding station Metro-North Railroad Following station Fairfield–Black Rock toward Grand Central New Haven Line Stratford toward New Haven or New Haven State Street Terminus Waterbury Branch Stratford weekday service toward Waterbury Derby–Shelton toward Waterbury
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Stamford toward Washington, D.C. Montrealer New Haven toward Montreal Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Fairfield toward New York Main Line Stratford toward New Haven
Location

History

The 1905-built Bridgeport station in 1907

The current station was built under ConnDOT and Penn Central in 1975. It replaced a large, ornate structure built in 1905, located to the north of the current station at 41.181206°N 73.187535°W / 41.181206; -73.187535. A branch line, originally built by New Haven Railroad predecessor Housatonic Railroad to Trumbull, Monroe and Newtown, used to join the main tracks at the old Bridgeport station. The relocation was occasioned by the introduction of "Cosmopolitan" M-2 railcars which could only board at high-level platforms, the installation of which was impractical at the old station due to the curvature of the platforms. The old station was destroyed by fire on March 20, 1979.^[8]

On July 14, 1955, the northbound Federal Express overnight train from Washington, D.C. to Boston derailed due to excessive speed on a sharp curve approaching the station. One person was killed and 58 were injured.^[11]

The limited Shore Line East service west of New Haven was service suspended indefinitely on March 16, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.^[12][13] That service resumed on October 7, 2024.^[14]

Station layout

The station has two high-level side platforms, each eight cars long. The western platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound/southbound Metro-North and Amtrak trains. The eastern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound/northbound Metro-North and Amtrak trains. The New Haven Line uses four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains, including the Acela.^[15]: 22

The station has 1,453 parking spaces, with 950 owned by the state.^[16]