South Norwalk station

South Norwalk station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line and CTrail's Shore Line East located in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is owned and managed by the Norwalk Transit District. The station is the point where the New Haven Line's Danbury Branch connects to the Northeast Corridor, as well as a peak-hour terminal for some express trains. It is the last stop for New Haven super-express trains before they run non-stop to Grand Central Terminal in New York. Just east of the station is the South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, and next to that is the SoNo Switch Tower Museum, a preserved switch tower which is open on summer weekend afternoons. Amtrak uses the inner tracks as it does not stop at South Norwalk.

South Norwalk
West entrance, State Street, near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
General information
Location29 Monroe Street at 1 Chestnut Street
Norwalk, Connecticut
Coordinates41.09570°N 73.42185°W / 41.09570; -73.42185 (South Norwalk Station)
Owned byCity of Norwalk
Line(s)ConnDOT New Haven Line (Northeast Corridor)
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks6
ConnectionsLocal Transit Norwalk Transit District: 10, 11, 12, Evening Shuttle, Sunday Shuttle, Norwalk Commuter Connection - Hospital-Virgin Atlantic, Merrit 7, Westport Road
Construction
Parking800 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone17
History
Electrified12.5 kV AC overhead catenary
Passengers
20183,589
Rank12 of 124[1] (MTA)
Services
Preceding station Metro-North Railroad Following station
Rowayton
toward Grand Central
 New Haven Line East Norwalk
toward New Haven State Street
Terminus Danbury Branch Merritt 7
toward Danbury
Rowayton
peak service
toward Grand Central
Stamford
peak service
Terminus
Preceding station CT Rail Following station
Stamford
Terminus
 Shore Line East
peak service
 Bridgeport
toward New London
Former services
Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station
Rowayton
toward New York
 Main Line East Norwalk
toward New Haven

The predecessor station in the same location was named Norwalk & South Norwalk in timetables of the New York, New Haven and Hartford and successor Penn Central.

History
Older building, across the tracks.

The newer, main station building, on the westbound (New York City-bound) side of the tracks, was built in 1994. It has a cafe serving coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries during the morning. The New York side's station building consists of a small waiting area with a gigantic glass arch, overlooking the tracks. To reach either side, passengers go through a pedestrian underpass. The New York side consists of a six-level parking garage with taxi and bus stands. The Norwalk Parking Authority owns the garage along with the New Haven side's parking lot.

The station was the first to receive Wi-Fi service on the New Haven Line in March 2006. The service was provided for one year from a federal grant received from the "One Coast, One Future" initiative designed to help economic development in Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport. The grant provides for Wi-Fi service for one year with the expectation that local governments will provide it in the future if they find it valuable enough to do so. Similar service was planned for Stamford and Bridgeport stations in the spring of 2006 but no others. Westport also started providing the service in the spring of 2006.[2]

The City of Norwalk and the Norwalk Transit District let a contract for $238,000 in February 2008 to study possible improvements to the South Norwalk Station with a goal to make it a better "intermodal" facility with improved access for cars, buses, shuttles, pedestrians, and taxis.[3] In late 2008, a renovation project began at the station, involving the installation of power-assist doors, better smoke detectors, emergency lights and energy-efficient lights. Other work included cleaning brickwork, painting, improving signs and moving the automated pay station. improved landscaping and traffic flow. A Norwalk city government official said the changes were meant to make the station more inviting and give visitors a better impression of Norwalk.[4]

In 2010, the rail bridges over Monroe Street adjacent to the station were replaced. As part of the replacement the stairways that used to provide pedestrian access to either platform from Monroe Street were removed along with concealment of the original red sandstone abutments behind steel reinforced concrete facings. In 2012, permanent art was installed in the New Haven lobby and through the connecting tunnel as part of the Norwalk Parking Authority's 'Art in Parking Places' program through a collaboration with the Norwalk Arts Commission and the Norwalk Transit funded by the Federal Transit Administration Public Art Grant.

Station layout

The station has two high-level island platforms. Each is 10 cars long on the Northeast Corridor main tracks, but only 2 cars long for the outer tracks. The northern platform, adjacent to Tracks 3 and 5, is generally used by westbound New Haven Line trains on Track 3 and Danbury Branch trains on Track 5. The southern platform, adjacent to Tracks 4 and 6, is generally used by eastbound New Haven Line trains on Track 4 and Danbury Branch trains on Track 6. The New Haven Line has six tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains. Tracks 5 and 6 terminate at the station and only continue northward.[5]: 21 

The station has approximately 800 parking spaces, none owned by the state.[6]

The older station building at the eastbound side of the tracks contains a small restaurant. This side features a bus station and taxi stands. The 900-square-foot (84 m2) space is subleased from the New England Fashion Design Association.[4]

Track 5 ←      Danbury Branch toward Danbury (Merritt 7) →
←      Danbury Branch termination track
Side/island platform, doors will open on the left or right Disabled access
Track 3 ←      New Haven Line, Danbury Branch toward Grand Central or Stamford (Rowayton, Stamford)
←      Shore Line East AM rush hours toward Stamford (Terminus)
Track 1 ←      New Haven Line express trains do not stop here
←      Amtrak services do not stop here
Track 2 ←      Amtrak services do not stop here →
←      New Haven Line express trains do not stop here →
Track 4 ←      Shore Line East PM rush hours toward New London (Bridgeport) →
←      New Haven Line toward New Haven or New Haven State Street (East Norwalk) →
←      Danbury Branch PM rush hours toward Danbury (Merritt 7) →
Side/island platform, doors will open on the left or right Disabled access
Track 6 ←      Danbury Branch toward Danbury (Merritt 7) →
←      Danbury Branch termination track

References
  1. METRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6. Station total include[s] passengers transferring to/from connecting trains
  2. Ginocchio, Mark (March 18, 2007). "Area train stations ready to ask Wi-Fi". The Advocate. Stamford. pp. A3, A8.
  3. Newman, Jared (February 28, 2008). "$238K contract awarded to study rail station". The Hour. Norwalk. p. A1.
  4. Lee, Richard (September 24, 2008). "Eat and run: Train station adds eatery". The Advocate. Stamford. p. A11.
  5. "Metro-North Railroad Track & Structures Department Track Charts Maintenance Program Interlocking Diagrams & Yard Diagrams 2015" (PDF). Metro-North Railroad. 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  6. Urbitran Associates Inc. (July 2003). "Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Table 1: New haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization, Page 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
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