Bridgeport (Metro-North station)

For other places with the same name, see Bridgeport station (disambiguation).

Bridgeport Amtrak inter-city rail station Metro-North New Haven Line commuter rail station Shore Line East commuter rail station
The southbound platform
Station statistics
Address	525 Water Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Coordinates	41.1778°N 73.1871°W / 41.1778; -73.1871
Lines	Amtrak:   Northeast Regional   Vermonter ConnDOT:   Shore Line East Metro-North:   New Haven Line   Waterbury Branch
Connections	Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19X, 22X, 23, Coastal Link Greyhound Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Rebuilt	1975
Electrified	12,500V (AC) overhead catenary
Accessible
Code	BRP (Amtrak)
Traffic
Passengers (2011)	76,653  5.3% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Stamford toward Newport News or Lynchburg Northeast Regional New Haven toward Boston South Station or Springfield Stamford toward Washington, D.C. Vermonter New Haven toward St. Albans CDOT Stamford Terminus Shore Line East Stratford toward New London Metro-North Railroad Fairfield Metro toward Grand Central New Haven Line Stratford toward New Haven – State Street Terminus Waterbury Branch Stratford toward Waterbury

The Bridgeport Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Bridgeport, Connecticut and its surrounding towns that do not have a Metro-North stop like Trumbull, via the New Haven Line. The station is the transfer point between the Waterbury Branch and the Northeast Corridor mainline. Beside Metro-North service, Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Vermonter stop at the station as do Shore Line East trains. 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 Arena at Harbor Yard and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard are located adjacent to the station.

It is 55.4 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time is one hour, 21 minutes.

Platform and track configuration

This station has two high-level side platforms, each eight cars long. The western platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan-bound Metro-North trains or southbound Amtrak trains. The eastern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound or outbound Metro-North trains or northbound Amtrak trains. Waterbury Branch trains use either platform.

The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.

History

A branch line owned by the Housatonic Railroad to Trumbull, Monroe and Newtown used to join the main tracks at Bridgeport station (see tracks at far left on pictures below). All evidence of this junction is now gone but the related bridges of this line existed near Bridgeport station until the 1990s. Evidence of this line is still visible further north, including a rail bridge crossing the Merritt Parkway near the Route 25 exits, and a rail trail that extends from Trumbull to the Newtown - Monroe town line.

Bridgeport Station was also close to the scene of one of Connecticut's worst train accidents. It occurred in July 1911 just south of the station, near what is today Harbor Yards ballpark and the razed Father Panik Village housing projects.

Ridership

As of August 2006, average weekday commuter ridership was 3,120 passengers. Bridgeport is the busiest Metro-North station between Stamford and New Haven's Union Station. The station has 1,453 parking spaces, 950 owned by the state.

See also

• Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for train commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.

Gallery

• 

  1907 postcard depicting the station

• 

  View of station and Water Street, 1919 postcard

• 

  Metro-North F10 locomotive 413 pulling Train #1926, one of the last surviving former F3 locomotives, built in 1946.

• 

  1912 postcard depicting the station

• 

  Station sign on the southbound platform

• 

  Platforms near I-95 bridge

External links

Media related to Bridgeport (Metro-North station) at Wikimedia Commons

• Metro-North Railroad - Bridgeport
• Amtrak – Stations – Bridgeport, CT
• List of upcoming Metro-North train arrival and departure times and track assignments from MTA
• Bridgeport Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Water Street entrance from Google Maps Street View