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Wilmington (MBTA station)
Encyclopedia
Wilmington station is located at 405 Main Street (Rtes. 38/129) at its intersection with Church Street (Rte. 62) Wilmington, Massachusetts
, a suburb of Boston. The station serves trains on the MBTA's Lowell Line
, and some trains from the Haverhill Line
via the Wildcat Branch
. Additionally, the tracks are used by the Amtrak
Downeaster
service from Boston to Portland, Maine
.
, aka Woburn Amtrak Station, as well as the former Boston & Maine Railroad tracks (now the Haverhill/Reading Line), and avoid the single track portions of the Haverhill/Reading Line south of Wilmington. Amtrak trains do not stop at Wilmington, they just use the tracks, but five Haverhill/Reading trains per day divert along the Wildcat Branch and do stop at Wilmington.
Due to the location of the switch to the Wildcat Branch, the station platforms are staggered almost to the point where they don't overlap. The Wildcat Branch is a single track that splits from the outbound track directly after the north end of the outbound platform. Inbound trains approaching the station from the Wildcat Branch actually run the wrong way through the station and then switch over to the inbound track at a switch just south of the station. Due to the unexpectedness of this, there is an audio/visual warning system that alerts passengers when a train is approaching. In this instance, the inbound train will stop for passengers at the outbound platform; it is therefore important for riders to know at which platform their train will stop.
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
, a suburb of Boston. The station serves trains on the MBTA's Lowell Line
Lowell Line
The Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division, the line was one of the first railroads in...
, and some trains from the Haverhill Line
Haverhill/Reading Line
The Haverhill Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns ofMalden,Melrose,Wakefield,Reading,Wilmington,Andover,...
via the Wildcat Branch
Wildcat Branch
The Wildcat Branch is a single track railroad branch line which connects the MBTA Lowell Line in Wilmington, Massachusetts to the MBTA Haverhill/Reading Line at Wilmington Junction...
. Additionally, the tracks are used by the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Downeaster
Downeaster
The Downeaster is a 116-mile regional passenger train service managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine...
service from Boston to Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
Wildcat Branch
There is a track that branches northeast from Wilmington Station and joins the Haverhill/Reading Line north of North Wilmington Station. Presumably the name derives from the Wilmington High School mascot, the Wildcat, as the spur runs entirely in the city of Wilmington. The primary use of the track is the Amtrak Downeaster train, allowing the trains to serve the Anderson Regional Transportation CenterAnderson Regional Transportation Center
Anderson Regional Transportation Center is a train and bus station located at 100 Atlantic Ave., off Commerce Way in Woburn, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. It can be accessed from Exit 37C off Interstate 93 or the Washington Street exit off Interstate 95/Route 128. It opened on April 28, 2001,...
, aka Woburn Amtrak Station, as well as the former Boston & Maine Railroad tracks (now the Haverhill/Reading Line), and avoid the single track portions of the Haverhill/Reading Line south of Wilmington. Amtrak trains do not stop at Wilmington, they just use the tracks, but five Haverhill/Reading trains per day divert along the Wildcat Branch and do stop at Wilmington.
Due to the location of the switch to the Wildcat Branch, the station platforms are staggered almost to the point where they don't overlap. The Wildcat Branch is a single track that splits from the outbound track directly after the north end of the outbound platform. Inbound trains approaching the station from the Wildcat Branch actually run the wrong way through the station and then switch over to the inbound track at a switch just south of the station. Due to the unexpectedness of this, there is an audio/visual warning system that alerts passengers when a train is approaching. In this instance, the inbound train will stop for passengers at the outbound platform; it is therefore important for riders to know at which platform their train will stop.
Accessibility
- The Wilmington MBTA Station is handicap accessible. Both inbound and outbound platforms have mini-high level handicap platforms at the end farthest from Boston, which until the last decade has been the MBTA's standard design for train boarding accessibility on the Commuter Rail's suburban stations.