Fairfield station (Metro-North)

Fairfield station is a commuter rail station on the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line, located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The former station buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fairfield Railroad Stations.

Fairfield
The westbound platform at Fairfield station in July 2019
Location165 Unquowa Road (westbound)
Fairfield, Connecticut
Coordinates41.144132°N 73.257737°W / 41.144132; -73.257737
Owned byConnDOT
Line(s)Northeast Corridor
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks4
Connections Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: Coastal Link, 7
Fairfield University Shuttle
Construction
Parking1,216 spaces
Disabled accessPartial
Other information
Fare zone18
History
OpenedDecember 25, 1848[1][2]
Passengers
20182,311
Rank27 of 124[3]
Services
Preceding station Metro-North Following station
Southport
towards Grand Central
 New Haven Line Fairfield Metro
towards New Haven or New Haven State Street
Former services
Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station
Southport
toward New York
 Main Line Bridgeport
toward New Haven
Fairfield Railroad Stations
LocationFairfield, Connecticut
Coordinates41°8′34″N 73°15′29″W
Area0.7 acres (0.3 ha)
Built1882, 1890s
Architectural styleStick/Eastlake
NRHP reference No.89000926[4]
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 1989

Station layout

The station has two side platforms, each six cars (510 feet) long, serving the outer tracks of the four-track Northeast Corridor.[5]:22 Stairs connect the platforms to the Unquowa Road overpass at the east end of the station. Fairfield station is only partially accessible - while the platforms are fully accessible, there is no accessible route between the platforms.[6]

The station has 1,216 parking spaces, 376 of which are owned by the state and operated by the town; the main lot is on the north side of the station.[7]

History
The 1882-built eastbound station

Old station buildings, now reused for other purposes, are adjacent to both platforms. The brick eastbound (south) station was built in 1882. It replaced a station burned by a fire, and "is typical of the substantial brick stations built at small-town stops throughout the state in the period. Whereas earlier stations had been small wood-frame buildings, often in a picturesque Gothic or Italianate style, the stations of the 1880s were brick" to be fire-resistant and were larger to accommodate larger waiting areas and other amenities. They were "well-built but utilitarian" structures.[8]:5 The wooden westbound station "stands as an excellent example of the New Haven Railroad's 1890s passenger facilities" reflecting changed priorities.[8]:5

The stations as a pair were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[4] According to the 1988 NRHP application:

The Fairfield railway stations are significant as reminders of the important role of railroad passenger service in the historical development of Fairfield, as artifacts of the New Haven Railroad, a company that virtually monopolized the state's public transportation at the end of the 19th century, and as well-preserved examples of small-town station architecture.[8]:5

The 0.7-acre (0.28 ha) listed area was defined to include the two stations and their immediate surroundings, but to exclude a passenger cross-over and stairway, and to exclude associated parking areas.[8]

The ticket window in the westbound station building was closed July 7, 2010; vending machines next to the platforms remained available.[9]

The Budd M2 cars necessitated high level platforms, and the low level platforms were replaced in 1972.

See also

References
  1. Jenkins, Stephen (1912). The Story of the Bronx from the Purchase Made by the Dutch from the Indians in 1639 to the Present Day. New York, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. 235.
  2. "Special Express Notice". The Evening Post. New York, New York. February 12, 1849. p. 3. Retrieved December 9, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. METRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  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. "Fairfield". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  7. "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 Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Brian Clouette (August 29, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Fairfield Railroad Stations". (includes sketch map). National Park Service. and Accompanying eight photos, from 1988
  9. "mta.info - Metro-North Railroad: Selected Ticket Offices Close On July 7th". Metro North Railroad. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
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