MBTA to open Wachusett station on Friday

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced the Fitchburg Line’s new Wachusett Commuter Rail Station is set for a partial opening on Friday, Sept. 30.

 

The line will see a limited number of trains operating initially while crews complete the remaining construction, representatives say. MBTA says the station should be prepared for full service beginning in November.

Located at 55 Authority Drive in Fitchburg, the station will have two inbound and two outbound trains operating to Wachusett. Officials say there have not been any additional changes to the Fitchburg Line schedule.

As part of the Wachusett Extension Project, the rail extension expands the Fitchburg Line’s commuter rail service by five miles going west to the Wachusett station in West Fitchburg. Representatives say the full project scope entails the renovation of bridges, signals and track on the Pan Am Southern rail line in addition to the newly constructed MBTA train layover facility in Westminster. The new station has been made fully accessible and includes parking with a 360-car capacity that will be operated by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, officials say.

The new MBTA station also touts enhanced safety features, which representatives say include benches, a passenger shelter, windscreens and improved lighting. The Wachusett station is also set to provide riders with closed circuit television video surveillance cameras, police emergency call boxes and public telephones.

MBTA says the Westminster Layover Facility is meant to replace the Fitchburg Line Layover Facility, and the new facility will be 1.5 miles west of the Wachusett Station. The new facility will include six train storage tracks, an employee parking area, a maintenance building, an electrical substation, new fencing and landscaping.

The current rail line between the Fitchburg Station and the Westminster Layover Facility is set to undergo improvements to allow for extended commuter rail service to the Wachusett Station. Officials say rail and tie replacements, bridge repairs, new crossovers, a new signal system and freight clearance improvements will be needed. 

The project design for the Wachusett Extension Project was completed in 2013, representatives say. Construction began in late 2012, and track, signal and bridge renovations started in spring 2015.

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