Cohasset station

Cohasset station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Cohasset, Massachusetts. It serves the Greenbush Line. It is located off Chief Justice Cushing Highway (Route 3A) west of downtown Cohasset. The station was opened with the line on October 31, 2007, providing the first rail service to Cohasset since 1959. Cohasset station is fully accessible.

Cohasset
A train at Cohasset station shortly after opening in 2007
General information
Location115 Chief Justice Cushing Highway
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°14′32.64″N 70°50′13.20″W
Line(s)Greenbush Branch
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Construction
Parking410 spaces ($2.00 fee)
10 accessible spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone4
History
OpenedOctober 31, 2007[1]
Passengers
2018351 (weekday average boardings)[2]
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station
Nantasket Junction
toward South Station
 Greenbush Line North Scituate
toward Greenbush

History
A postcard view of the former station in downtown Cohasset

The South Shore Railroad opened as far to Cohasset on January 1, 1849.[3] By 1878, the Old Colony Railroad controlled the entire line.[3]

The Old Colony and successor New Haven Railroad operated four stations in Cohasset: North Cohasset (Nantasket) at Hull Street, King Street (Black Rock) at King Street, Cohasset at Pleasant Street and Beechwood at Beechwood Street. No station was located at the modern site, which is between populated areas. However, it was the site of the junction with the Whitney Spur, which led to the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex (open from 1941-1962). A new station building at Cohasset was constructed in 1884–85.[4][5] The New Haven ended passenger services on Old Colony Division on July 30, 1959.[6] The former station was moved about 300 feet (91 m) and converted to a paint store by 1962.[7]

After the closure of the Annex in 1962, it was acquired by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and converted to Wompatuck State Park beginning in 1969. In 2003, the DCR sold the land for the station and parking lot to the MBTA in exchange for the construction of a rail trail on the former rail spur.[8] The station opened with the rest of the Greenbush Line on October 31, 2007.[1] It was intended as a park-and-ride station, with a large parking lot but few pedestrian connections to neighborhoods. The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Whitney Spur Rail Trail opened from the station to the park around the same time.

However, a gate blocked access from the trail to the northwest section of the park, which still had several dangerous abandoned buildings. After years of requests, demolition of the buildings began in April 2014.[9] The northwest section opened in November 2014 and the gate was removed.[10] With the trail now serving as usable access to the park, 20 spaces in the station lot were dedicated for park users.[11][12]

References
  1. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  3. Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 316–320. ISBN 0942147022.
  4. Twenty-First Annual Report of the Old Colony Railroad Co. to the Stockholders. Old Colony Railroad Company. November 1884. p. 7.
  5. Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Old Colony Railroad Co. to the Stockholders. Old Colony Railroad Company. November 1885. p. 7.
  6. Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1985). Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 96. ISBN 9780685412947.
  7. "Few Trains, But Stations Still Busy". Boston Globe. February 16, 1962. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. McIntyre, Eileen (October 10, 2016). "Walk in newest section of Wompatuck". Wicked Local Norwell. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  9. Trufant, Jessica (April 26, 2014). "Demolition work will open up trails at Wompatuck State Park". Wicked Local Hingham. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  10. "Bike trail to come to Wompatuck State Park". Patriot Ledger. November 24, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  11. Holt, William (November 9, 2014). "Openings and closings south of Boston". Boston Globe. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  12. Bradley, Garrett (October 29, 2014). "Rep. Bradley Secures Free Parking for Cohasset Trail". Hingham Patch. Retrieved January 16, 2017.

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