Windsor Locks station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Windsor Locks, CT
Windsor Locks station in January 2015
Location	South Main Street at Stanton Road Windsor Locks, Connecticut United States
Coordinates	41°54′50″N 72°37′34″W / 41.91389°N 72.62611°W / 41.91389; -72.62611
Owned by	Amtrak (platform and track) ConnDOT (parking lot)
Line(s)	New Haven–Springfield Line
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Train operators	Amtrak and CTrail
Connections	Connecticut Transit Hartford: 905, 905W, 915
Construction
Parking	30 spaces (free)
Bicycle facilities	No
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	WNL (Amtrak)
History
Opened	1839 (original location) 1875 (2nd location) 1981 (current location)
Closed	ca. 1875 (original location) 1971 (2nd location)
Traffic
Passengers (2019)	25,408  38.6% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Windsor toward New Haven Hartford Line Springfield Terminus Windsor toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional Windsor toward New Haven Valley Flyer Springfield toward Greenfield Hartford toward Washington, D.C. Vermonter Springfield toward St. Albans Preceding station ConnDOT Following station Windsor toward New Haven Union Station Hartford Line Springfield Terminus Enfield Future station toward Springfield
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Windsor toward Atlantic City Atlantic City Express 1991-1995 Springfield Terminus
Windsor Locks Passenger Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
NRHP reference No.	75001937

The Windsor Locks train station is in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It is used by both Amtrak and ConnDOT trains. This station is part of the New Haven–Springfield Line, which connects cities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Several train services stop here:

• The Amtrak Hartford Line shuttles
• The Northeast Regional
• The Valley Flyer
• The Vermonter
• The Hartford Line trains run by ConnDOT

Right now, the station has a small platform and a simple shelter. But there are plans to build a new, modern station in downtown Windsor Locks. This is where the old station used to be until 1981. The old station building is very important and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History of Windsor Locks Station

An Amtrak train at the 1875-built station in 1979

The old station building in 2015, before it was bought by the town

Early Train Lines

The first train line, the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, started running through Windsor Locks in 1839. This was a big step for travel in the area.

Later, a new company called the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad took over. They built a new station in the town center in 1875. This building was used for many years.

Station Changes Over Time

In 1971, the station building was closed by a company called Penn Central. Even though the building was closed, people could still use the train platform. Penn Central used the inside of the building as a workshop for train signals.

Penn Central later wanted to tear down the old station. But a group of local people worked hard to save it. They succeeded in getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This protected it from being destroyed.

In 1976, Amtrak bought the train line, including the old station building. In 1981, the train service moved to its current spot. This new spot was a "park and ride" stop, meaning people could park their cars and then take the train. It was built just south of Interstate 91.

Plans for a New Station

For many years, there have been talks about building a new station. In 2004, a study suggested building a new station at the current location. It would have a better platform and more parking.

However, many people in Windsor Locks wanted the station to move back to the old downtown spot. The old station building was damaged by a fire in 2000. Because of this, a group called the Windsor Locks Preservation Association (WLPA) was formed in 2004. They wanted to fix the old building and use it again.

By 2007, the WLPA and the town had raised money to buy and fix the station. They also hoped to move the Amtrak stop back there. But after many years of trying to agree on a plan, the WLPA stopped its efforts in 2011.

The town then took over the talks and bought the old station from Amtrak in December 2014. In 2015, the town started planning to fix up the building. They thought about using it as a shared workspace for people.

Future of the Station

Plans for the Hartford Line in 2012 included two possible places for the new station. One was at the current location, with a bigger parking lot. The other was back at the old downtown spot, with a new parking lot. Both plans included modern, long platforms for easier boarding.

The Hartford Line service started on June 16, 2018, using the existing station. In 2017, the state announced more money to finish the design for the new Windsor Locks station. The design work was expected to be done by 2020.

As of September 2019, the state planned for the new station to be a big project. A long, modern platform, a brick shelter, and a parking lot will be built at the downtown site. This will be just north of the old station building. The project also includes improving the nearby road and adding a path for walking and biking.

Construction was expected to start in late 2020 and finish in late 2023. In February 2020, the state received a large federal grant for the project. The town also plans to build new apartments and a public market near the new station. In December 2020, the town received money to help restore the historic station building.

Images for kids

• 

  Windsor Locks station in January 2015

• 

  An Amtrak train at the 1875-built station in 1979

• 

  The old station building in 2015