Pawtucket-Central Falls MBTA Commuter Rail Station | Pine and Barton Streets | Pawtucket

New England Born & Raised said:
Update on former station

www.valleybreeze.com

Grant sought to pay for old train station’s demolition

PAWTUCKET/CENTRAL FALLS – Plans for the derelict structure known as the old Pawtucket-Central Falls Train Station off Broad Street still center on demolition as the best and only feasible option,
www.valleybreeze.com www.valleybreeze.com
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Wish something could have been done to save it, but it's probably time for it to go. It looks like it could collapse on the tracks at any moment.
 
RIPTA riders have gone without an indoor waiting area since the old space in Downtown Pawtucket was closed and the bus hub was moved to the station. Glad to know this new facility will benefit both rail and bus riders. One thing is for sure: it'll be much more modern than RIPTA's old digs.
 
The new Pawtucket Transit Center passenger facility will feature public restrooms, driver restrooms and break room, a waiting area with seating and real-time passenger information screens, and a Pawtucket Police sub-station and security office. RIPTA will also have a staffed customer service window to assist riders as needed. This new building will improve the passenger experience for both bus and rail passengers.
The expected open date is late 2025/early 2026.

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Fantastic! I haven't seen numbers recently, but it seems like there are more and more people boarding the trains here in the AM. It'll be a godsend to have this during nasty weather. It's especially beneficial for people who will live in some of the new/converted buildings nearby and don't have the luxury of waiting in their car.
 
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Here's another render I found of the proposed building that's more photorealistic; it also appears they couldn't find the space for a retail vendor.

Only 2 minor pet peeves - not to take away from it being amazingly useful, and I realize they were budget constrained, but the building has a rectangular footprint on a site that isn't - that means if they build it aligned to the busway, the side and rear will be "on the wonk" to the paths and platform. Secondly, the faces of the building that do face the platform / train station entrance are less inviting cinder block facings. They're already screaming I'm a perfect canvas for a mural.
 

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Lrfox said:
Fantastic! I haven't seen numbers recently, but it seems like there are more and more people boarding the trains here in the AM. It'll be a godsend to have this during nasty weather. It's especially beneficial for people who will live in some of the new/converted buildings nearby and don't have the luxury of waiting in their car.
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Keep in mind this is not just for the train passengers. It will be used by RIPTA riders and its employees as well as the Pawtucket bus transfer hub is located there.
 
New England Born & Raised said:
Keep in mind this is not just for the train passengers. It will be used by RIPTA riders and its employees as well as the Pawtucket bus transfer hub is located there.
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You're right. I'm definitely coming at it from a rail-rider perspective, but it will benefit a range of users.
 
Lrfox said:
Wish something could have been done to save it, but it's probably time for it to go. It looks like it could collapse on the tracks at any moment.
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This year’s update of the Northeast Corridor Commission’s 5-year Capital Investment Plan includes an item for demolishing the old Pawtucket-Central Falls Station. Shows a $500,000 FY25 expenditure out of a total project cost of $15 million.

I share your sentiments. It was a station befitting the prosperity of Pawtucket and Central Falls when it was built, and its decline mirrored the fortunes of its host communities. Much has changed since it was built more than a hundred years ago, and maybe the most important change was just that accessibility standards went into effect, which ultimately made it impossible to build ADA-compliant high platforms along that curve.

Shame they couldn’t at least use some of the bricks from the old station in the construction of the amenity building at the new station, but at this point, it is what it is.
 
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