Southport (Metro-North station)
Encyclopedia
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 day.
The station has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state. In 1989, the station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Southport Railroad Stations.
-style westbound station house, one of the few remaining original station houses on the New Haven Line, was gutted by fire. 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 and may never be known. Most of the damage caused by the fire turned out to be water damage so the station was renovated rather than replaced as earlier reports predicted. The building which burned housed an art gallery, as well as a passenger waiting area. However, most of the artwork was saved.
According to the Fairfield Parking Authority, the original structure was not damaged as seriously as originally thought, and reconstruction commenced. While the building was undergoing this $3 million restoration, a temporary waiting room was available to passengers. The station house was formally re-opened by Governor Rell
in late February 2009. ArtPlace is interested in moving back into the building.
s, each four cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound (Manhattan
-bound) trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound (New Haven-bound) 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.
There is a wooden station house next to the Manhattan-bound platform and a brick one next to the New Haven-bound platform. Both date back to the late 19th century and were constructed by the New Haven Railroad. The Manhattan-bound station house contained a waiting room and an art gallery until it burned (see above). The New Haven-bound station house, built 1884, is no longer in railroad use and instead contains a restaurant.
, which serves as the downtown area for the Southport section of the Town of Fairfield, is a short walk from the station. From the eastbound platform, it begins at the foot of Station Street. There, one finds Pequot Avenue lined with two rows of quaint shops within one- and two-story commercial buildings. Nearby there are condominium complexes, the Wakeman Boys & Girls athletic club with a gymnasium, tennis courts, and playing field, 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 single-family detached houses.
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 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...
.
Southport is 48.9 miles 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, 12 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of day.
The station has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state. In 1989, the station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Southport Railroad Stations.
January 2008 Fire
On January 4, 2008, the saltboxSaltbox
A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front...
-style westbound station house, one of the few remaining original station houses on the New Haven Line, was gutted by fire. According to a fire marshal
Fire Marshal
A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include fire code enforcement and/or investigating fires for origin and cause...
, human activity was most likely involved in causing the fire. Whether that activity was intentional or accidental is not known and may never be known. Most of the damage caused by the fire turned out to be water damage so the station was renovated rather than replaced as earlier reports predicted. The building which burned housed an art gallery, as well as a passenger waiting area. However, most of the artwork was saved.
According to the Fairfield Parking Authority, the original structure was not damaged as seriously as originally thought, and reconstruction commenced. While the building was undergoing this $3 million restoration, a temporary waiting room was available to passengers. The station house was formally re-opened by Governor Rell
Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
in late February 2009. ArtPlace is interested in moving back into the building.
Platform and track configuration
The station has two offset 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 four cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound (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 (New Haven-bound) 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.
There is a wooden station house next to the Manhattan-bound platform and a brick one next to the New Haven-bound platform. Both date back to the late 19th century and were constructed by the New Haven Railroad. The Manhattan-bound station house contained a waiting room and an art gallery until it burned (see above). The New Haven-bound station house, built 1884, is no longer in railroad use and instead contains a restaurant.
Within walking distance
The village or hamlet of SouthportSouthport, 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...
, which serves as the downtown area for the Southport section of the Town of Fairfield, is a short walk from the station. From the eastbound platform, it begins at the foot of Station Street. There, one finds Pequot Avenue lined with two rows of quaint shops within one- and two-story commercial buildings. Nearby there are condominium complexes, the Wakeman Boys & Girls athletic club with a gymnasium, tennis courts, and playing field, 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 single-family detached houses.
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. - Fairfield (Metro-North station)Fairfield (Metro-North station)The Fairfield Metro-North station is the main train station in Fairfield, Connecticut, serving commuters, students of Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep, and casual travelers via the New Haven Line. It is one of three stations in the town; the others being Southport and the yet-to-be-opened...
, another Fairfield train station. - Fairfield Metro (Metro-North station), another Fairfield train station.
External links
- Metro-North Railroad - Southport
- List of upcoming train departure times and track assignments from MTA
- Bureau of Public Transportation of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Condition Inspection for the Southport Station" report dated September 2002
- Center Street entrance from Google Maps Street View