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Green's Farms (Metro-North station)
Encyclopedia
Green's Farms Metro-North Railroad
station is one of two New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Westport, Connecticut
. The station is located in the Greens Farms area of Westport in the southeastern part of town, and the technically-incorrect apostrophe in the station name dates to New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
ownership of the line. No other entity spells "Greens Farms" with an apostrophe.
Green's Farms is 47.2 miles (76 km) from Grand Central Terminal
and the average travel time from Grand Central is one hour, 11 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of day.
The station has 466 parking spaces, all owned by the state. Interstate 95
borders the parking lots to the north of the station on either side of New Creek Road.
Like other station houses on the New Haven Line, the one at Green's Farms is on the north side of the tracks, just east of New Creek Road, which runs beneath a railroad bridge. Access to the south side of the tracks is down a wooden staircase, under the railroad bridge at New Creek Road, and up another wooden staircase. Part of the platform near the station house is covered, and on the east end of the north platform another, rusty metal canopy covers a small area. A ticket machine is on the north platform near the station house. Bicycle stands are located to the east of the station house. On the south side of the tracks, a standard see-through shelter seats eight.
On December 8, 2007, a 59-year-old Greens Farms woman committed suicide at the station by jumping from behind an aluminum bridgeplate (used to allow riders to enter trains stopped at a track not adjacent to a platform) and moving onto a track in front of a passing train. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Trains were delayed by about two hours.
s, each six cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
-bound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.
Within walking distance of the station there is little but expensive homes and, to the south, a nice view of Long Island Sound
. Greens Farms Academy
is about a 10 minute walk from the station, south, just past the salt marsh on the station's south side.
Past the school, Beachside Avenue provides a pleasant walk past many large estates (some of the most expensive residential property in Westport). Marlo Thomas
and her husband, Phil Donohue, live in the area. The street has no sidewalks, but there is little traffic. High walls block some views, but not all: A giant Claes Oldenburg
artwork — a typewriter eraser — stands perhaps eight feet high on the lawn of one estate on the south side of the road. (Radio personality Don Imus
is a present or former resident, as well, and Martha Stewart
previously lived in the neighborhood, producing a television program out of her home on Turkey Hill Road.)
About 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from the railroad station, where Beachside Avenue crosses a small bridge leads to Pequot Road and Burial Hill Beach, and past that into the Southport
section of Fairfield, Connecticut
. Another mile up Pequot Road, on Center Street, is the next station up the line, the Southport Railroad Station
.
About 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in the opposite direction from the station (north and west), is the Nyala Farms Corporate Center office complex, the headquarters of Bridgewater Associates
, one of the world's largest hedge funds. The office buildings are barely visible from the road and a guardhouse blocks the entrance. Just past that office complex is Exit 18 of Interstate 95
and the entrance to Sherwood Island State Park
. The east edge of the park actually extends quite close to the station, but public access to it is roundabout.
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
station is one of two New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
. The station is located in the Greens Farms area of Westport in the southeastern part of town, and the technically-incorrect apostrophe in the station name dates to New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
ownership of the line. No other entity spells "Greens Farms" with an apostrophe.
Green's Farms is 47.2 miles (76 km) from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
and the average travel time from Grand Central is one hour, 11 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of day.
The station has 466 parking spaces, all owned by the state. Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
borders the parking lots to the north of the station on either side of New Creek Road.
Like other station houses on the New Haven Line, the one at Green's Farms is on the north side of the tracks, just east of New Creek Road, which runs beneath a railroad bridge. Access to the south side of the tracks is down a wooden staircase, under the railroad bridge at New Creek Road, and up another wooden staircase. Part of the platform near the station house is covered, and on the east end of the north platform another, rusty metal canopy covers a small area. A ticket machine is on the north platform near the station house. Bicycle stands are located to the east of the station house. On the south side of the tracks, a standard see-through shelter seats eight.
On December 8, 2007, a 59-year-old Greens Farms woman committed suicide at the station by jumping from behind an aluminum bridgeplate (used to allow riders to enter trains stopped at a track not adjacent to a platform) and moving onto a track in front of a passing train. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Trains were delayed by about two hours.
Platform and track configuration
This station has two high-level side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, each six cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-bound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.
Within walking distance
The Greens Farms Post Office is north and east of the station, on Post Office Lane about 200 feet from the station house. A large bell, cast in 1887 by the Henry McShane Company in Baltimore, sits in a small, round traffic island just past the USPS office. No plaque identifies the bell's original function.Within walking distance of the station there is little but expensive homes and, to the south, a nice view of Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Greens Farms Academy
Greens Farms Academy
Greens Farms Academy is a K-12 independent preparatory co-educational day school in the Greens Farms section of Westport, Connecticut, drawing 650 students from numerous towns of central southern Fairfield County. Greens Farms Academy is located on a campus near Long Island Sound, a salt marsh and...
is about a 10 minute walk from the station, south, just past the salt marsh on the station's south side.
Past the school, Beachside Avenue provides a pleasant walk past many large estates (some of the most expensive residential property in Westport). Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas is an American actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series That Girl . She also serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
and her husband, Phil Donohue, live in the area. The street has no sidewalks, but there is little traffic. High walls block some views, but not all: A giant Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg is a Swedish sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring very large replicas of everyday objects...
artwork — a typewriter eraser — stands perhaps eight feet high on the lawn of one estate on the south side of the road. (Radio personality Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
is a present or former resident, as well, and Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
previously lived in the neighborhood, producing a television program out of her home on Turkey Hill Road.)
About 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from the railroad station, where Beachside Avenue crosses a small bridge leads to Pequot Road and Burial Hill Beach, and past that into the Southport
Southport, Connecticut
Southport is a section and census-designated place of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, located along Long Island Sound between the Mill River and Sasco Brook . As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,585...
section of Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. Another mile up Pequot Road, on Center Street, is the next station up the line, the Southport Railroad Station
Southport (Metro-North station)
The Southport Metro-North Railroad station is one of two New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Fairfield, Connecticut.Southport is 48.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time from Grand Central is one hour, 12 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of...
.
About 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in the opposite direction from the station (north and west), is the Nyala Farms Corporate Center office complex, the headquarters of Bridgewater Associates
Bridgewater Associates
Bridgewater Associates is an American investment management firm founded by Ray Dalio in 1975 and is reported to be the world's largest hedge fund company with $122 billion in assets under management. The company has 270 clients including pension funds, endowments, foundations, foreign governments...
, one of the world's largest hedge funds. The office buildings are barely visible from the road and a guardhouse blocks the entrance. Just past that office complex is Exit 18 of Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
and the entrance to Sherwood Island State Park
Sherwood Island State Park
Sherwood Island State Park is a park on the shore of Long Island Sound, in the Greens Farms section of Westport, Connecticut.It covers of beach, wetlands and woodlands...
. The east edge of the park actually extends quite close to the station, but public access to it is roundabout.
See also
- Connecticut Rail Commuter CouncilConnecticut Rail Commuter CouncilThe Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is an independent state board that acts as an advocate for commuters on the Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads....
is the official state advocate for train commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.
External links
- Metro-North Railroad - Green's Farms
- List of upcoming train departure times and track assignments from MTA
- http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dpt/Greens_Farms_Individual_Station_Report.pdf Visual Inspection Report for the station (January 2007), from the state Department of Transportation
- http://www.ct.gov/dotinfo/lib/dotinfo/ctgov/Greens_Farms.pdf Bureau of Public Transportation of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Condition Inspection for the Westport Station" report dated October 2006
- Station from I-95 from Google Maps Street View