Raynham Place station

Raynham Place station (called Raynham Park in some documents) is a proposed MBTA Commuter Rail station in Raynham, Massachusetts. Under current plans, it would be constructed behind the Raynham Park racing center north of downtown Raynham and open in 2030 as part of the second phase of the South Coast Rail project.^[1]

Raynham Place
Site of the proposed station photographed in 2017
General information
Location	Broadway (Route 138) Raynham, Massachusetts
Coordinates	41°58′48.04″N 71°4′31.53″W
Line(s)	Dighton and Somerset Railroad
Platforms	1 island platform (proposed)
Tracks	2 (proposed)
Construction
Parking	432 spaces
Accessible	Yes
History
Opening	2030 (proposed)
Former services at Raynham station Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station Whittenton toward New Bedford Boston–New Bedford Easton toward Boston Whittenton toward Fall River Boston–Fall River
Proposed services Preceding station MBTA Following station Taunton toward Battleship Cove or New Bedford South Coast Rail Phase 2 Easton Village toward South Station
Location

History

Raynham station, seen here in 1923, was located two miles south of the new proposed station

The Dighton and Somerset Railroad opened through Raynham in 1866.^[2] Raynham station was located in the village of North Raynham where the line crossed Broadway.^[3] In 1882, the Old Colony Railroad opened the Whittenton Branch Branch from the station to Whittenton Junction, allowing trains to use Taunton Central station instead of Dean Street station. Service was gradually rerouted onto the new branch; Raynham ceased to be a junction in 1932 when rails were removed between the station and Dean Street.^[2] The station itself closed between 1930 and 1935.^[4][5] New Haven Railroad passenger service through Raynham ended in 1938 as part of the 88 stations case, then resumed from 1950 to 1958.^[6]

A new MBTA Commuter Rail station, Raynham Place, is proposed to be built by 2030 as part of the second phase of the South Coast Rail project.^[1] An 800-foot-long high-level island platform serving two tracks would be constructed next to an access road behind the Raynham Park racing center, two miles north of the former station site.^[7] Current plans have a pedestrian bridge crossing the tracks from the middle of the platform; a previous design placed the bridge at the north end of the platform.^[8]