Union Station (Worcester, Massachusetts) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Worcester
Union Station in October 2011
Location	2 Washington Square Worcester, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°15′40″N 71°47′42″W / 42.26111°N 71.79500°W / 42.26111; -71.79500
Owned by	Worcester Redevelopment Authority
Line(s)	Worcester Main Line Worcester Branch Providence and Worcester Railroad Norwich and Worcester Railroad
Platforms	1 side platform (Worcester Main) 2 unused island platforms (Worcester Branch )
Tracks	4 (Worcester Main) 2 (Worcester Branch)
Connections	WRTA: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 42 Peter Pan Bus Lines Greyhound Lines
Construction
Parking	300 short-term spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	WOR
Fare zone	8 (MBTA)
History
Opened	1911
Rebuilt	2000
Traffic
Passengers (2019)	6,157  5.39% (Amtrak)
Passengers (2018)	1,298 (weekday average boardings) (MBTA)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Springfield toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Framingham toward Boston South Preceding station MBTA Following station Terminus Framingham/​Worcester Line Grafton toward South Station
Former services Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Jamesville toward Albany Boston and Albany Railroad Main Line North Grafton toward Boston
Worcester Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location	Worcester, Massachusetts
Built by	Woodbury and Leighton Company, Boston
Architect	Watson & Huckel
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
Part of	Blackstone Canal Historic District (ID71000030)
NRHP reference No.	80000617
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	1980
Designated CP	August 15, 1995

Union Station is a busy transportation hub in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. It's a key stop for trains and buses, connecting people to many places. This station is the last stop for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Framingham/Worcester commuter rail, which takes passengers to Boston. It's also a stop for Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited train. Besides trains, Union Station serves as a hub for Peter Pan and Greyhound buses, as well as local Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) buses.

Discovering Union Station's Past

The 1875-built Union Station in 1906

The beautiful building you see today was built in 1911. It replaced an older station from 1875. This was a time when trains were super popular in the United States!

It's called a "union station" because many different railroad companies used to share it. Imagine all the trains coming and going from different directions! Companies like the Providence and Worcester Railroad and the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad all used this station.

For many years, Union Station was a very busy place. Long-distance trains connected Worcester to big cities like Chicago and New York. But by the 1970s, fewer people were taking trains. The station became quiet and started to fall apart.

Union Station, circa 1920

Luckily, the city of Worcester decided to save this important building. The Worcester Redevelopment Authority bought the station. They spent $32 million to bring it back to life!

The station officially reopened in July 2000. It was carefully restored by Finegold Alexader Architects. They made sure to keep its original beauty.

In 2006, a new bus terminal was added next to the station. This cost $5.2 million and made it even easier for people to connect between trains and buses.

Today, Union Station is a grand place again. Its Grand Hall has amazing stained-glass ceilings and marble columns. There's even a restaurant inside! The station also has a parking garage with 500 spaces.

There are even ideas to add more train services from Worcester to Springfield in the future.

Planning for More Trains

Union Station currently has one main platform where trains stop. This means only one train can be at the station at a time. This can cause delays, especially when many trains want to use the station.

To fix this, there are plans to build a second platform. This new platform will be an "island platform," meaning trains can stop on both sides of it. It will be about 820-foot (250 m) long.

The new platform will have a bridge for people to cross safely. It will also have stairs and an elevator for easy access from the station building. This will make it much easier for more trains to come and go from Worcester.

The design for this project started in 2018. The construction is expected to cost between $40 and $48 million. In October 2020, the project received $29.3 million in federal funding. This will help make the second platform a reality!

Bus Connections at Union Station

Union Station is a major hub for buses too!

Intercity Bus Services

You can catch long-distance buses from here. Greyhound Bus Lines and Peter Pan Bus Lines offer trips to many cities. Another bus service called OurBus also stops nearby, on Franklin Street, for trips to New York City.

WRTA Bus Hub

In 2012, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) started building a new bus hub right next to Union Station. This new facility opened in May 2013.

The WRTA hub is a modern place for local buses. It has a waiting area, restrooms, and ticket machines. There are eight bus slips where buses can pick up and drop off passengers. This hub cost $14 million to build, with most of the money coming from the government.

Many local WRTA bus routes serve the hub, including routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, and 42.

Images for kids

• 

  Union Station in October 2011

• 

  The 1875-built Union Station in 1906

• 

  Union Station, circa 1920

• Amtrak – Stations – Worcester, MA
• Amtrak - Great American Stations: Worcester, MA (WOR)
• TrainWeb — USA RailGuide: Worcester, MA (WOR)
• Google Maps Street View: Front Street, Harding Street, I-290