West Gloucester station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Gloucester
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West Gloucester station in 2008
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| Location | 290 Essex Avenue (Route 133) Gloucester, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 42°36′43″N 70°42′20″W / 42.61195°N 70.70550°W | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Gloucester Branch | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Connections |  CATA: West Gloucester |
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| Construction | |||||||||||
| Parking | 43 spaces ($2 per day) | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||
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| Fare zone | 7 | ||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||
| Passengers (2018) | 37 (weekday average boardings) | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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West Gloucester station is a train stop in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It's part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. This station is on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. You can find it off Massachusetts Route 133, also known as Essex Road. It helps people travel by train in the western part of Gloucester.
Contents
History of West Gloucester Station
When the Gloucester Branch Railroad first opened in 1847, it only had two stops. These were the [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]] and [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]] stations. Over time, more train stops were added along the line.
Early Days of the Station
West Gloucester station was one of these new stops. It was open for use by 1872. By 1884, a small building for passengers was built. This building was located on the south side of the train tracks. However, this original building was no longer there by 1977.
Closures and Reopenings
The station faced a temporary closure on January 30, 1981. This happened because of big budget cuts. Another station, Harbor station, which opened in 1977, stayed open instead.
The entire train line had to close on January 7, 1985. This was because a fire in November 1984 damaged a bridge. The bridge was between Salem and Beverly. When the train line reopened on December 1, 1985, West Gloucester station also reopened. Harbor station, however, remained closed.
Recent Bridge Issues
On April 29, 2020, trains stopped running between West Gloucester and Rockport. Buses took over this part of the route. This was due to a problem with the old Gloucester Drawbridge. In June of that year, the MBTA said the bus service would continue. It would last until the bridge was fixed. Regular train service over the bridge started again on May 23, 2022.
