Southport (Metro-North station)
| Southport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Southport station as seen from onboard Northeast Regional train. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Address | 400 Center Street (Westbound), Fairfield, CT 06490 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°08′09″N 73°17′20″W / 41.13589°N 73.28898°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: Coastal Link | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure | At-grade | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 179 spaces | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1884 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | Gutted by fire on January 4, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | Reopened late February 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | 12,500V (AC) overhead catenary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Connecticut DOT; leased to Town of Fairfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2006) | 72,020  0% |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Southport Metro-North Railroad station is one of three New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Fairfield, Connecticut.
Southport is 48.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time from Grand Central is one hour, 12 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of day.
The station has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state.[2] In 1989, the station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as Southport Railroad Stations.[3]
Contents |
[edit] January 2008 Fire
On January 4, 2008, the saltbox-style westbound station house, one of the few remaining original station houses on the New Haven Line, was gutted by fire. According to a fire marshal, human activity was most likely involved in causing the fire. Whether that activity was intentional or accidental is not known and may never be known. Most of the damage caused by the fire turned out to be water damage so the station was renovated rather than replaced as earlier reports predicted.[4] The building which burned housed an art gallery, as well as a passenger waiting area. However, most of the artwork was saved.
According to the Fairfield Parking Authority, the original structure was not damaged as seriously as originally thought, and reconstruction commenced. While the building was undergoing this $3 million restoration, a temporary waiting room was available to passengers. The station house was formally re-opened by Governor Rell in late February 2009. ArtPlace is interested in moving back into the building.[5][6]
[edit] Platform and track configuration
.jpg)
The station has two offset high-level side platforms, each four cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound (Manhattan-bound) trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound (New Haven-bound) trains.
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.
There is a wooden station house next to the Manhattan-bound platform and a brick one next to the New Haven-bound platform. Both date back to the late 19th century and were constructed by the New Haven Railroad. The Manhattan-bound station house contained a waiting room and an art gallery until it burned (see above). The New Haven-bound station house, built 1884,[7] is no longer in railroad use and instead contains a restaurant.
[edit] Within walking distance
The village or hamlet of Southport, which serves as the downtown area for the Southport section of the Town of Fairfield, is a short walk from the station. From the eastbound platform, it begins at the foot of Station Street. There, one finds Pequot Avenue lined with two rows of quaint shops within one- and two-story commercial buildings. Nearby there are condominium complexes, the Wakeman Boys & Girls athletic club with a gymnasium, tennis courts, and playing field, the Pequot Library, two churches, and the Pequot Yacht Club at Southport Harbor. Most of the streets in this area are lined with sidewalks and single-family detached houses.
[edit] See also
- Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for train commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.
- Fairfield (Metro-North station), another Fairfield train station.
- Fairfield Metro (Metro-North station), another Fairfield train station.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ [1]"Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" submitted by Urbitran Associates Inc. to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Table 1: New haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization", page 6, July 2003
- ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cemeteryrodeo/sets/72157603641026566/
- ^ "Connecticut Post news article (2/20/08)". http://www.connpost.com/breakingnews/ci_8315672.
- ^ http://www.connpost.com/ci_11801298
- ^ http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1653&dept_id=12717&newsid=20274392&PAG=461&rfi=9
- ^ U.S. Naitonal Park Service, Historic American Buildings Survey (1979). "New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Station, Railroad Place, Southport, Fairfield, CT." Survey No. HABS CT-293. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
[edit] External links
- Metro-North Railroad - Southport
- List of upcoming train departure times and track assignments from MTA
- Bureau of Public Transportation of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Condition Inspection for the Southport Station" report dated September 2002
- Center Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
|
||||||||||||||||||||
- Buildings and structures in Fairfield, Connecticut
- Metro-North Railroad stations in Connecticut
- Stations along New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad lines
- Railroad stations in Fairfield County, Connecticut
- Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
- Queen Anne architecture in Connecticut
- Houses completed in 1884
