Forge Park/495 station

File:Station building at Forge Park 495, May 2017.JPG

Franklin/Forge Park station is located off Massachusetts Route 140 in the Forge Park industrial park, about {{convert|2|miles}} west of downtown Franklin, Massachusetts. Its name also reflects nearby Interstate 495, which has an interchange with Route 140 about {{convert|1/2|mile}} to the east. The station has two side platforms serving a single track — a layout unique on the MBTA system – to provide access from parking lots on both sides of the track. A mini-high platform on the south platform makes the station accessible.{{cite web |url=http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/movies/MBCR+Maps+(2010).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008000656/http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/movies/MBCR+Maps+%282010%29.pdf |archive-date=October 8, 2013 |title=Massachusetts Bay Colony Railroad Track Charts |date=2010 |author=Held, Patrick R. |publisher=Johns Hopkins Association for Computing Machinery |url-status=dead }}

A brick station building with a canopy is located on the south side of the track. Forge Park/495 serves as a park and ride station for the Blackstone Valley area, including portions of northeast Rhode Island, with around 700 parking spaces in the two lots.{{cite web |url=https://www.ctps.org/data/html/programs/cmp/Park_and_Ride_Inventory/Park_and_Ride_Inventory.html |title=Inventory of Park-and-Ride Lots at MBTA Facilities |date=April 27, 2011 |publisher=Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization |first=Ariel |last=Godwin}}{{MBTA Bluebook 2014}}

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The Milford, Franklin and Providence Railroad, under control of the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W), was charted in 1882.{{cite book |title=The Rail Lines of Southern New England |edition=2 |last=Karr |first=Ronald Dale |publisher=Branch Line Press |year=2017 |isbn=9780942147124 |pages=370–372}} It opened in August 1883, connecting Bellingham Junction (where the Milford and Woonsocket Railroad met the Charles River Branch Railroad) to Franklin Junction on the New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE).{{cite book |title=Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years |last1=Humphrey |first1=Thomas J.|last2=Clark |first2=Norton D. |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |year=1985 |pages=43–46}} Unionville station was built soon afterwards at Central Street in the Unionville village in Franklin, near where the modern station is located.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108194718/the-boston-globe/ |title=Franklin |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=November 21, 1883 |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite book |url=https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:q811p8271 |title=Atlas of Norfolk County, Massachusetts |year=1888 |publisher=E. Robinson |chapter=Plate 40}} The small station building was located on the north side of the tracks.{{cite web |title=Railroad Station, Unionville, Massachusetts |first=Lewis H. |last=Benton |via=Nashua City Station |date=1920s |url=http://www.nashuacitystation.org/resource/9304045030/}}

The newly independent Milford and Woonsocket obtained control of the Milford, Franklin and Providence Railroad in 1884. The Milford and Woonsocket was leased by the NY&NE in September 1887. The NY&NE entered bankruptcy in 1893; its 1895 successor New England Railroad was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1898 as its Midland Division. Service between Milford and Franklin was reduced to a mixed train and ended in 1920.

Service between Bellingham Junction and Franklin resumed on June 13, 1926, as some Charles River Branch trains were rerouted to Franklin.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108072647/the-boston-globe/ |title=New Summer Trains for Cape Cod Service |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 12, 1926 |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} Unionville station was no longer served by the time the 88 stations case ended that service on July 18, 1938, nor was it served when the service was briefly revived from March to May 1940.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63041896/the-boston-globe/ |title=Would Close 93 Stations |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 28, 1938 |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63128742/the-boston-globe/ |title=New Haven Must Open 32 Stations |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=February 22, 1940 |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63128773/the-boston-globe/ 6] |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}} The line continued in use by freight, eventually becoming the CSX Milford Secondary. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was created in 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service; the Midland Division was cut back to Franklin station in 1966 and became the Franklin Line. The former Unionville station building is no longer extant.{{cite book |title=A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses |last=Roy |first=John H. Jr. |publisher=Branch Line Press |year=2007 |isbn=9780942147087 |pages=117, 157}}

File:Forge Park 495 station from embankment, May 2017.JPG

In September 1985, the National Development investment firm purchased {{convert|382|acres}} of land to build an industrial park called Forge Park near I-495 in Franklin – one of many such developments on the state's circumferential highways that decade. By March 1986, the MBTA had agreed to build a new station with a 1,000-car garage on the Milford Secondary to serve the development, and the state had committed $8 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|8|1986|r=0}} million in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}) for the project.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108685611/the-boston-globe/ |title=Two Developers Discover Franklin |newspaper=Boston Globe Real Estate |date=March 2, 1986 |first=Anthony J. |last=Yudis |page=A29 |via=Newspapers.com}} The developer donated {{convert|8|acres}} of land to build parking lots for the station. It was intended to serve as a park and ride location to reduce crowding at other lots elsewhere in the MBTA system.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108686118/the-boston-globe/ |title=MBTA's advisory board focuses on parking shortage |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=January 29, 1988 |page=16 |first=Peter J. |last=Howe |via=Newspapers.com}} The MBTA leased the Milford Secondary from Conrail for the extension, with the possibility of future purchase.

The station opened on June 2, 1988, as a {{convert|2.8|mile|adj=on}} extension of the Franklin Line. Built at a total cost of $10 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|10|1988|r=0}} million in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}), it had a 381-space surface parking lot rather than the originally planned garage.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44836047/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA opens new station |publisher=Boston Globe |date=June 2, 1988 | first=Peter J. | last=Howe |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}} Later that month, the MBTA board approved construction of an additional 365-space parking lot at a cost of $2.3 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|2.3|1988|r=1}} million in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}).{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108686212/the-boston-globe/ |title=T approves commuter boat line expansion |first=Peter J.|last=Howe |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 30, 1988 |page=59 |via=Newspapers.com}} The station was not accessible upon opening; the mini-high platform was added in 1989 along with the additional parking and the brick station building.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44834961/the_boston_globe/ |title=T pressured to open all routes to disabled |newspaper=Boston Globe |first=Jerry |last=Ackerman |date=March 8, 1989 |pages=1, 16 ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44835027/the_boston_globe/ left], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44835490/the_boston_globe/ right])|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}

The MBTA initially leased the ticket booth and concession stand to the town for $1 annually; Franklin Youth Services operated the franchise and retained the profits to support its programs.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107946138/the-boston-globe/ |title=Political Notebook |first=Mitchell |last=Zuckoff |newspaper=Boston Globe West Weekly |date=June 24, 1990 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} Another new station on the Franklin Line, {{bts|Dedham Corporate Center}}, was constructed by National Development to support a different development; it was opened in January 1990.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60838719/the-boston-globe/ |title=Dedham aims to limit hours of T's new commuter rail station |first=Jerry |last=Ackerman |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=September 11, 1989 |page=18 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}} A further extension of the Franklin Line from Forge Park/495 to Milford was approved by the MBTA board in March 1989.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107946147/the-boston-globe/ |title=MBTA board OK's rebuilding of 9 stations on Blue Line |first=Jerry |last=Ackerman |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=March 16, 1989 |page=33 |via=Newspapers.com}} This extension was studied in 1997 and 2011, and a potential extension to Woonsocket, Rhode Island, via the Milford Secondary and Charles River Branch was studied in 2007, but Forge Park/495 has remained the terminal.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/milford-commuter-rail-extension-feasibility-study-1998 |title=Milford Commuter Rail Extension Feasibility Study – Draft |date=July 1997 |first=Thomas J. |last=Humphrey |publisher=Central Transportation Planning Staff}}{{cite news |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/archive/2011/07/24/franklin-rail-line-could-expand/39304511007/ |title=Franklin rail line could expand to Milford and Hopedale |newspaper=Wicked Local |date=July 24, 2011 |first=Brian |last=Benson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831195459/https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/archive/2011/07/24/franklin-rail-line-could-expand/39304511007/ |archive-date=August 31, 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gcpvd.org/images/other/woonsocket_commuterrail_report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402183147/http://www.gcpvd.org/images/other/woonsocket_commuterrail_report.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |title=Commuter Rail Feasibility Study |year=2007 |publisher=City of Woonsocket |author=Jacobs Edwards and Kelcey }}

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{{Reflist}}

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• [https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-FB-0303 MBTA – Forge Park/495]
• [https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0911904,-71.4382744,3a,44.5y,191.97h,90.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSFChC-_t24pCz1JoAN5PBw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Station from Google Maps Street View]

Category:MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Norfolk County, Massachusetts

Category:Franklin, Massachusetts

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1988