West Gloucester station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Gloucester
West Gloucester station in 2008
Location	290 Essex Avenue, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°36′43″N 70°42′20″W / 42.61195°N 70.70550°W / 42.61195; -70.70550
Owned by	MBTA
Line(s)	Gloucester Branch
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	CATA: Purple Line
Construction
Parking	43 spaces ($2 per day) 1 accessible space
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	7
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	37 (weekday average boardings)
Services
Preceding station MBTA Following station Manchester toward North Station Newburyport/​Rockport Line Gloucester toward Rockport

West Gloucester station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, located off Massachusetts Route 133 (Essex Road) in the west part of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

History

When the Gloucester Branch Railroad opened in 1847, there were no stops except [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]] and [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]]. A number of infill stations were later added; West Gloucester station was open by 1872, and by 1884 had a small depot building on the south side of the track.

West Gloucester station was closed on January 30, 1981, during severe budget cuts; 1977-opened Harbor station 1.1 miles (1.8 km) east remained open. The line was temporarily closed on January 7, 1985, after a November 1984 fire destroyed the drawbridge between Salem and Beverly. When the line reopened on December 1, 1985, West Gloucester was reopened but Harbor remained closed.

On April 29, 2020, service between West Gloucester and Rockport was indefinitely replaced by buses due to a failure of the old Gloucester Drawbridge. That June, the MBTA indicated the closure would continue until the completion of the bridge replacement. As of December 2021^[update], rail service to Rockport is expected to resume in May 2022.