Branford station

Branford is a station along the Shore Line East commuter railroad between Stamford and New London, Connecticut. Branford is also a station on the northern section Northeast Corridor. Amtrak does not stop at this station but Amtrak trains pass through it.

Branford
Branford station in December 2015, with the second platform and pedestrian bridge near completion
Location	39 Maple Street Branford, Connecticut
Coordinates	41.2746°N 72.8173°W
Owned by	ConnDOT
Line(s)	Northeast Corridor
Platforms	2 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	May 29, 1990
Rebuilt	August 8, 2005 November 5, 2016
Services
Preceding station ConnDOT Following station New Haven State Street toward Stamford Shore Line East Guilford toward Old Saybrook or New London
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station New Haven Terminus Beacon Hill Madison toward Boston South Clamdigger Stony Creek toward New London Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station New Haven Terminus Shore Line Pine Orchard toward Boston

History

Branford station around 1910

The 2005-built single platform at Branford in 2013, prior to the addition of the pedestrian bridge and second platform

Prior to the establishment of the Shore Line East system on May 29, 1990, Branford was a stop for Amtrak's Beacon Hill trains.[1] The current station, with an ADA-compliant high-level side platform, opened on August 8, 2005, replacing a nearby earlier station with low-level platforms.[2]

Ridership increases rendered the 199-spot parking lot at Branford insufficient. As a result, a 272-spot expansion was opened in June 2011, bringing total available parking at the station to 471 spots.[3] However, the expanded lot has consistently failed to be fully used, leading to calls for it to be replaced by transit oriented development and a smaller parking deck.[4]

A second platform on the north side of the tracks was originally to be constructed beginning in November 2012.[5] Construction on the $16.5M project–which includes the new platform, a pedestrian overpass with elevators, a drop-off lot on the north side of the tracks, and restoration of an existing parking lot–began in September 2013.[6] Major construction took place in 2014 with the intention to open the new platform by August 2015.[7] However, delays were suffered from Amtrak taking 70 days to allow ConnDOT crews to enter the property, and for 300 days for the redesign of retaining walls and the completion of maintenance closets.[8]

By September 2015, the new platform and pedestrian bridge were scheduled to open on December 18, 2015, but this was delayed into 2016 due to the previous harsh winter and components for a train warning system being unavailable.[9] By late May 2016, the station was expected to open in mid to late June.[10] The north-side drop-off area and pedestrian bridge were opened on September 30, 2016, although trains did not immediately use the north platform.[11] Service using the north platform–including stops on some trains that formerly bypassed Branford–began on November 5, 2016.[12]

Other train stations in Branford

Downtown Branford was not the only part of Branford with a train station. Stations were located at Pine Orchard (off Totoket Road) and Stony Creek (off Thimble Island Road) in Stony Creek. Both stops served the Clamdigger until it was discontinued on January 28, 1972.[13] Stony Creek was also a stop on a later reincarnation of the Clamdigger, which ran for three months in 1978 before it was replaced by the Beacon Hill.[14][1]

Station layout

Branford has two high-level side platforms, each two cars long. Before 10:00am, westbound trains use Track 2 and eastbound trains use Track 1. After 10:00am, westbound trains use Track 1 and eastbound use Track 2. On weekends, this swap occurs around 1:00pm.[15]

M	Mezzanine	Crossover between platforms
P Platform level	Side platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Track 1	←      Shore Line East toward New Haven Union Station or Stamford (New Haven State Street) ←      Shore Line East toward Old Saybrook or New London (Guilford) → ←      Amtrak services do not stop here →
	Track 2	←      Amtrak services do not stop here → ←      Shore Line East toward New Haven Union Station or Stamford (New Haven State Street) ←      Shore Line East toward Old Saybrook or New London (Guilford) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the left or right
G	Street level	Exit/entrance and parking

References

1. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) (April 30, 1978). "National Train Timetables". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 18. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
2. "What's New". Connecticut Department of Transportation. August 8, 2005. Archived from the original on August 17, 2005.
3. Hunter, Felicia. "Commuters See a Lot to Like at Branford Train Station". Branford Patch. Patch. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
4. Kramer, Jack (October 24, 2017). "Unique Solution Discussed To Address Future Development Near Branford Train Station". Branford Patch. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
5. Mazzacane, Steven M. (July 31, 2012). "New North Side Platform and Overpass for Branford Train Station". The Branford Seven. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
6. Mazzacane, Stephen M. (September 9, 2013). "Work Begins on Branford Train Station Improvements". Branford Seven. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
7. Quaye, Mercy A. (September 30, 2014). "Branford train station makeover on Maple Street right on schedule". New Haven Register. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
8. Norton, Sam (September 17, 2016). "Branford commuters won't pay to park at train station, officials say no active plans to charge". New Haven Register. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
9. Ortiz, Juliemar (September 10, 2015). "DOT confirms delayed finish of Branford train station, aims for December". New Haven Register. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
10. Bahner, Sally E. (May 25, 2016). "Train Station Grand Opening: Getting Closer". New Haven Independent. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
11. Bahner, Sally E. (September 30, 2016). "Soft Opening Today for Two-Way Branford Train Station". New Haven Independent. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
12. "Gov. Malloy Announces New Platform Opening at Branford Station on Shore Line East" (Press release). Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy. October 28, 2016.
13. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) (May 1, 1971). "Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 6. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
14. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) (January 8, 1978). "National Train Timetables". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 9. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
15. http://www.shorelineeast.com/images/docs/SLE-Timetable.pdf#view=FitH

External links

• Shore Line East - Branford