Windsor Locks station

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Windsor Locks
The station under construction in 2026
General information
Location229 Main Street
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
United States
Coordinates41°55′58″N 72°37′39″W / 41.9328°N 72.62746°W / 41.9328; -72.62746
LineNew Haven–Springfield Line
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
ConnectionsBus transport CTtransit Hartford: 24, 96, 905
Construction
Parking160 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: WNL
History
Openedc. 1844
Rebuilt1859, 1875, 1981, 2026
Passengers
FY 202532,655[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Windsor
toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke
 Northeast Regional Springfield
Terminus
Windsor
toward New Haven
 Hartford Line
Valley Flyer Springfield
toward Greenfield
Hartford
toward Washington, D.C.
 Vermonter Springfield
toward St. Albans
Preceding station CT Rail Following station
Windsor
toward New Haven Union Station
 Hartford Line Springfield
Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Windsor
toward Atlantic City
 Atlantic City Express
1991–1995
 Springfield
Terminus
Windsor Locks Passenger Station
Location225 Main Street
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Coordinates41°55′55″N 72°37′39″W / 41.93187°N 72.62748°W / 41.93187; -72.62748
NRHP reference No.75001937
Location

Windsor Locks station is an Amtrak and CT Rail train station in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, on the New Haven–Springfield Line. It is served by four Amtrak intercity services – the Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter – as well as CT Rail Hartford Line commuter rail trains.

The first station in Windsor Locks opened in the mid-1840s on the Hartford and New Haven Railroad. It was rebuilt in 1859 and again in 1875. The latter building was listed on the listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Windsor Locks Passenger Station in 1975. Amtrak opened a new station south of the downtown area in 1981. A new station, adjacent to the historic station in the center of Windsor Locks, opened on October 18, 2026.

History

Previous stations

An Amtrak train at the 1875-built station in 1979

The Hartford and New Haven Railroad opened the Hartford and Springfield Railroad – an extension north from Hartford, Connecticut, to Springfield, Massachusetts – in December 1844.[2]: 85  A station in the manufacturing village of Windsor Locks was open by 1846.[a][3][4] The combination depot, which handled both passengers and freight, was located on the east side of Main Street north of Oak Street.[5][6] The two railroads merged in 1845 as the New Haven, Hartford and Springfield Railroad; the name reverted to Hartford and New Haven Railroad in 1847.[7]

In 1859, the railroad constructed a new station about 100 feet (30 m) north at Grove Street.[8][9] The Windsor Locks and Suffield Railroad was formed in 1868 to build a branch line between Windsor Locks and Suffield. The 5-mile (8.0 km) line opened on December 12, 1870. It was operated by the Hartford and New Haven, and was formally merged into that company in 1871.[10][11][2]: 83  The branch separated from the main line north of downtown Windsor Locks.[12] The Hartford and New Haven merged with the New York and New Haven Railroad in 1872 to become the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (New Haven).[11] The New Haven built a new station in the town center in 1875. The station building was closed by Penn Central in 1971; Penn Central and later Amtrak passengers continued to use the platform, but Penn Central used the interior as a signal workshop.[6] Penn Central later attempted to demolish the station, but a local group succeeded in having it listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Amtrak bought the Springfield Line infrastructure, including the "remarkably intact" station, in 1976.[6] Service moved to a new site – a new park and ride stop just south of Interstate 91 – in 1981.[13][14]

Planning

The 1981-built station in 2015

The 2004 Recommended Action of the New Haven Hartford Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Study included the construction of a new Windsor Locks station on the existing south-of-downtown site. A single high-level platform was to be constructed, with a pedestrian bridge leading to an added parking area on the west side of South Main Street.[15] A second platform serving a restored second track would have been added later.[16]

However, local preference was to move the station stop back to the original downtown site. Spurred by a 2000 arson that damaged the structure, the Windsor Locks Preservation Association (WLPA) was formed in 2004 to support repair and reuse of the building.[6] By 2007, the WLPA and the town had secured $274,000 of the estimated $700,000 to purchase and repair the station, and serious consideration was being given to moving the Amtrak stop there as well. However, after years of unsuccessful negotiations about the sale and future use, the WLPA disbanded in 2011. The town took over negotiations and purchased the station from Amtrak in December 2014.[6] In 2015, the town began planning renovations of the station building for future use as a "shared workspace".[17]

Hartford Line plans from 2012 included two possible station sites: one at the existing station with an enlargement of the current parking lot, and one at the former location with a new parking lot. Either location would have 500-foot (150 m)-long high level platforms serving the current track plus a restored second track, with a pedestrian bridge connecting the two platforms.[18] Funding for the new station and second track were not included in initial Hartford Line funding. Service started on June 16, 2018, using the existing station.[19] In February 2017, the state announced an additional $50 million in funds, including money to complete design of the relocated Windsor Locks station.[20] Design work was to be completed by 2020.[21]

By September 2019, the state planned for the station replacement to be a $65 million project. A 510-foot (160 m)-long high-level platform, brick shelter, and parking lot would be built at the downtown site, just north of the former station building. A 5,000-foot (1,500 m)-long passing siding would be built, and the connection to the Suffield Branch reconfigured. A new maintenance-of-way yard would be built at the existing station site. The project also included the reconstruction of Route 159 between Bridge Street and the station, including a multi-use path to connect with the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail at Bridge Street. Construction was anticipated to start in late 2020 and be completed in late 2023.[22][23]

Construction

The new station under construction in 2025

In February 2020, the state received a $17.4 million federal grant for the project.[24] Demolition of a nearby structure began in March 2020.[25] The state approved $45 million in bonds for the project in April 2020.[26] The town plans for transit-oriented development adjacent to the station, including a public market and apartment buildings.[27] The town was awarded $130,000 in December 2020 for restoration of the station building.[28] In March 2021, the town reached an agreement with a developer to restore the building for use as a welcome center, cafe, and brewery.[29]

Bidding for the project began in November 2021.[30] Construction began in September 2022 and is expected to be complete in mid-2025, with a total project cost of $87 million.[31] In September 2023, the state awarded the town $4.8 million to restore the station building and add bathrooms, as well as to acquire an adjacent strip mall property for eventual construction of transit-oriented housing.[32] Some weekday service between Hartford and Springfield was replaced with buses from April 22 to October 31, 2025, to accommodate construction of the new station.[33] Partial service replacement resumed on April 21, 2026, to support track improvement around the station, and is expected to last through October 2026.[34] The new station opened on October 18, 2026.[35]

References

  1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal year 2025: State of Connecticut" (PDF). Amtrak. January 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  2. Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN 9780942147124.
  3. Palmer, Martin (June 29, 1846). "Found [advertisement]". Hartford Courant. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Allen, Jerusha M. (December 28, 1846). "A Valuable Farm for Sale [advertisement]". Hartford Courant. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Woodward, E.M. (1855). Smith's map of Hartford County, Connecticut (Map). H. & C. T. Smith. hdl:loc.gmd/g3783h.la000060.
  6. "Windsor Locks (WNL)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  7. Attorney General v. New York, N.H. and H.R. Co., 84 N.E. 737, 739 (Mass. May 8, 1908).
  8. "State Items". Hartford Courant. April 25, 1859. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Windsor Locks" (Map). Atlas of Hartford and Tolland counties : with a map of Connecticut, from actual surveys. 1:3,960. Baker & Tilden. 1869. p. 18.
  10. "The Suffield Branch Railroad". Hartford Weekly Times. December 17, 1870.
  11. "The Hartford and New Haven Railroad Company". Hartford Weekly Times. April 4, 1878.
  12. "North Part of Hartford Co., Connecticut" (Map). Town and city atlas of the state of Connecticut. 1:72,000. 1893. pp. 30–31.
  13. National Train Timetables Effective February 1, 1981 through April 25, 1981. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). February 1, 1981. p. 57 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  14. National Train Timetables Effective April 26, 1981 through October 24, 1981. Includes Northeast Corridor Schedules Effective April 26, 1981 through August 1, 1981. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). April 26, 1981. p. 57 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  15. URS. "Windsor Locks Start-up Conceptual Site Plan" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  16. URS. "Windsor Locks Full-Build Conceptual Site Plan" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  17. Walsh, Michael (October 2, 2015). "Historic Train Station To Be Given Second Life". Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  18. CDM Smith (February 24, 2012). "Station and Layover Site Concept Plans" (PDF). New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Environmental Assessment. Connecticut Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  19. "Hartford Line Official Inaugural Schedule" (PDF). Hartford Line. June 16, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  20. "CTDOT ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR NHHS RAIL PROGRAM" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. February 20, 2017. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017.
  21. "Design Continues for New Hartford Line Stations" (PDF). New Haven-Hartford Springfield Rail Program Newsletter. Connecticut Department of Transportation. Summer 2017. p. 3.
  22. "Fact Sheet: Windsor Locks" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. August 2019.
  23. "Hartford Line Windsor Locks Station Public Information Meeting" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. September 19, 2019.
  24. "Governor Lamont Announces State Receives $17.4 Million Federal Grant to Build a New Train Station in Windsor Locks" (Press release). Office of Governor Ned Lamont. February 29, 2020. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020.
  25. Chaisson, Joe (March 13, 2020). "Windsor Locks set to start demolition for new train station". Journal Inquirer.
  26. Bedner, Eric (April 17, 2020). "Windsor Locks train station funding approved, towns finally get state bond money". Journal Inquirer.
  27. Bordonaro, Greg (May 4, 2020). "Windsor Locks eyes $45M mixed-use development around planned train station". Hartford Business Journal.
  28. Knox, Matthew P. (December 4, 2020). "Windsor Locks celebrate $130,000 train station grant". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  29. Chaisson, Joe (March 4, 2021). "Windsor Locks working with developer to restore historic train station". Hartford Business Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  30. Frazer, Skyler (October 8, 2021). "WIndsor Locks to get new railroad station; goal is to spur development". Journal Inquirer.
  31. "Governor Lamont Breaks Ground on New Train Station in Windsor Locks" (Press release). Office of Governor Ned Lamont. September 14, 2022. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
  32. DiSalvo, Emily (September 27, 2023). "CT OKs $101M for projects such as Bloomfield's center, a Windsor park and public housing in Enfield". CT Insider. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  33. "Temporary Train Service Adjustments on the Hartford Line" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. April 10, 2025.
  34. "Temporary Train Service Adjustments on the Hartford Line" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. April 9, 2026.
  35. "Recorded Minutes of the Board of Selectmen" (PDF). Town of Windsor Locks, CT. September 15, 2026. p. 2. Retrieved September 24, 2026.

Notes

  1. Windsor Locks was part of Windsor until being incorporated in 1854.