Southport (Metro-North station)

Southport

Eastbound station building, built 1884, in a 1966 photo. It is no longer used as a station.
Location 96 Station Street (eastbound)
100 Center Street (westbound)
Southport, Conn. 06890
Coordinates 41°08′09″N 73°17′20″W / 41.13589°N 73.28898°W / 41.13589; -73.28898
Owned by Connecticut DOT; leased to Town of Fairfield
Line(s)
  New Haven Line
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 4
Connections Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: Coastal Link
Construction
Structure type At-grade
Parking 179 spaces
Other information
Fare zone 18
History
Opened 1884
Rebuilt Westbound station building rebuilt after fire, January 2008–February 2009
Electrified 12,500V (AC) overhead catenary
Traffic
Passengers (2006) 72,020 Steady 0%
Services
Preceding station   Metro-North Railroad   Following station
New Haven Line
Southport Railroad Stations
Location 96 Station Street (eastbound)
100 Center Street (westbound)
Southport, Conn. 06890
Coordinates 41°8′11″N 73°17′10″W / 41.13639°N 73.28611°W / 41.13639; -73.28611Coordinates: 41°8′11″N 73°17′10″W / 41.13639°N 73.28611°W / 41.13639; -73.28611
Area 1.8 acres (0.73 ha)
Built 1884
Architectural style Stick/Eastlake
NRHP Reference # 89000927[1]
Added to NRHP July 28, 1989

Southport is a railroad station on the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad. It serves Southport, a former borough in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. It is one of three railroad stations in Fairfield, the others being Fairfield and Fairfield Metro. The station is nearly 49 miles (79 km) from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The average travel time between Grand Central and Southport is one hour and twelve minutes, though this varies depending on the time of day and level of service. It has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state.[2]

History

The station was opened in 1884, and the existing westbound and eastbound station buildings were constructed in the late 19th century by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.[3] The westbound building is wooden, built in the saltbox-style. The eastbound building is made of brick, and is no longer in railroad use. Instead, it houses a restaurant. In 1989, the station buildings were listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Southport Railroad Stations".[4]

The westbound station house, one of the few remaining original station houses on the New Haven Line, was gutted by a fire on January 4, 2008. According to a fire marshal, human activity was most likely involved in causing the fire. Whether that activity was intentional or accidental is not known. The building housed both an art gallery and a passenger waiting area prior to fire. The majority of the artwork was saved. Most of the damage done to the building during the fire was caused by the water that was being used to extinguish the fire. It was predicted that the building would have to be entirely replaced, but it was decided instead to refurbish it after the damage was assessed to be less severe than originally thought.[5] The refurbishment costed $3 million. A temporary waiting room was created for passengers at the station. The refurbishment was finished by the beginning of the next year, and was officially re-opened by then Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell in late February 2009.[6][7]

Platform and track configuration

Four tracks run through the station. There are two offset high-level side platforms, each four cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound trains. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.

3 ■ New Haven Line for Grand Central
1 ■ New Haven Line no stop
■ Northeast Corridor no stop
2 ■ New Haven Line no stop
■ Northeast Corridor no stop
4 ■ New Haven Line for New Haven – State Street

Within walking distance

The center of Southport is a short walk from the station. From the eastbound platform, it begins at the foot of Station Street. There, one will find Pequot Avenue, lined with two rows of small shops within one- and two-story commercial buildings. Nearby there are condominium complexes, the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, the Pequot Library, two churches, and the Pequot Yacht Club at Southport Harbor. Most of the streets in this area are lined with sidewalks and historic single-family detached houses, as part of the Southport Historic District.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" submitted by Urbitran Associates Inc. to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Table 1: New haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization", page 6, July 2003
  3. ↑ U.S. National Park Service, Historic American Buildings Survey (1979). "New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Station, Railroad Place, Southport, Fairfield, CT." Survey No. HABS CT-293. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
  4. ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cemeteryrodeo/sets/72157603641026566/
  5. ↑ "Connecticut Post news article (2/20/08)".
  6. ↑ http://www.connpost.com/ci_11801298
  7. ↑ http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1653&dept_id=12717&newsid=20274392&PAG=461&rfi=9

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