Middlebury station

File:Middlebury station 2.jpg sits across the track from the platform]]

Middlebury's historic train station closed in 1953 when the Rutland Railroad discontinued passenger service to the town. The building is now private property and houses retail space.

Since 2014, Vermont Translines has run intercity motorcoach service from Albany to Burlington up the U.S. Route 7 corridor through Middlebury. The company later joined the Amtrak Thruway network, adding train connections at Albany–Rensselaer station. The Middlebury bus stop is located close to Davis Family Library at Middlebury College.{{Cite web |title=Bus Schedules |url=https://www.vttranslines.com/bus-schedules/ |access-date=October 24, 2021 |publisher=Vermont Translines}}

In plans to build a new station, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) assumed responsibility for constructing a 300-foot-long-by-12-foot-wide platform, 200-foot canopy, wheelchair lift, and lighting, while the town covered land acquisition, parking, access roads, landscaping, and amenities.{{Cite web |title=Middlebury Passenger Rail Platform |url=http://www.townofmiddlebury.org/living_and_working_in_middlebury/major_projects/middlebury_passenger_rail_platform.php |access-date=October 20, 2021 |website=www.townofmiddlebury.org |publisher=Town of Middlebury}}{{Cite news |last=Varricchio |first=Lou |date=October 1, 2021 |title=Build it and they will come: Amtrak depot stands ready for 2022 service |language=en |work=suncommunitynews.com |url=https://suncommunitynews.com/news/92268/build-it-and-they-will-come-amtrak-depot-stands-ready-for-2022-service/ |access-date=October 19, 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=September 30, 2018 |title=Middlebury narrows down rail platform sites |language=en |work=Addison County Independent |url=https://addisonindependent.com/middlebury-narrows-down-rail-platform-sites |access-date=October 20, 2021}} A station house has not been planned.{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=C.B. |date=September 18, 2020 |title=Middlebury celebrates rail tunnel opening |work=Vermont Business Magazine |url=https://vermontbiz.com/news/2020/september/18/middlebury-celebrates-rail-tunnel-opening |access-date=October 19, 2021}}

In April 2018, the Town of Middlebury hired the engineering firm VHB to study potential sites for a new train platform.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=April 30, 2018 |title=Middlebury begins search for passenger rail platform |work=Addison County Independent |url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/201804middlebury-begins-search-passenger-rail-platform |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707155805/https://www.addisonindependent.com/201804middlebury-begins-search-passenger-rail-platform |archive-date=July 7, 2019}} By September 2018, VHB had presented four sites for public consideration. Middlebury eventually selected the cheapest and most popular option: a site across the tracks from the historic train station that required no additional property acquisition.

In February 2021, VTrans announced that Kubricky Construction Corporation of Waterbury had been hired to build the platform and canopy, and that work would begin in the summer once the downtown bridge project was complete.{{Cite news |last=Varricchio |first=Lou |date=February 10, 2021 |title=Middlebury's passenger rail platform "on track" |language=en |work=The Sun |url=https://suncommunitynews.com/news/86589/middleburys-passenger-rail-platform-on-track/ |access-date=November 19, 2021}} Construction was well underway by July 2021, and was expected to be finished by August 31. The on-site inspector said the structure was built to last for 100 years. Workers discovered and removed old water and sewer pipes during the excavation.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Middlebury rail platform nearing completion |work=Addison Independent |url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/2021/07/08/middlebury-rail-platform-nearing-completion/ |access-date=November 19, 2021}}

Once the platform was in place, the town hired Munson Earth Moving to construct parking facilities. The plan called for 17 parking spaces, though Middlebury's planning director said overflow parking might be needed if train ridership is high. The town also invested in new sidewalks, crosswalks, and curbing to better connect the station to Riverfront Park, Middlebury College, and downtown businesses.

By November 2021, the station as a whole was said to be nearing completion.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Summer debut eyed for passenger train |work=Addison Independent |url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/2021/11/18/summer-debut-eyed-for-passenger-train/ |access-date=November 19, 2021}} The total cost was estimated at $665,000, with VTrans paying $250,000 and Middlebury paying the rest.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Midd, Vergennes prepare for passenger rail |language=en |work=Addison County Independent |url=https://addisonindependent.com/news/midd-vergennes-prepare-passenger-rail |access-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020042107/https://addisonindependent.com/news/midd-vergennes-prepare-passenger-rail |archive-date=October 20, 2021}}

By April 2022, train service was announced to begin in July. The Vermont chapter of Operation Lifesaver worked to raise railroad safety awareness in Middlebury ahead of the station's opening.{{Cite news |last=Heikkinen |first=Maya |date=April 7, 2022 |title=New Amtrak passenger train coming to Middlebury this July, increasing need for rail safety awareness |work=The Middlebury Campus |url=https://www.middleburycampus.com/article/2022/04/new-amtrak-passenger-train-coming-to-middlebury-this-july-increasing-need-for-rail-safety-awareness |access-date=May 16, 2022}}

In conjunction with restoring passenger train service to Middlebury, the Main Street and Merchant's Row bridges over the rail line needed to be addressed. VTrans and Middlebury had replaced the 100-year-old bridges with temporary spans in 2017 following an emergency closure. In summer 2020, the roads were closed for ten weeks while a {{convert|360|ft|adj=on}} long rail tunnel was constructed. The new tunnel has an additional {{convert|4|ft}} of clearance, accommodating double-stack rail cars.{{Cite web |title=About the Project |url=https://vtrans.vermont.gov/projects/middlebury/about |access-date=November 21, 2021 |website=Middlebury Bridge & Rail Project |publisher=Vermont Agency of Transportation}} It also created new public space in Triangle Park next to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. The first train went through the tunnel on September 18, 2020, as part of a reopening celebration.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=September 24, 2020 |title=Middlebury's downtown reopens |work=Addison Independent |url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/2020/09/24/middleburys-downtown-reopens/ |access-date=November 21, 2021}}

Due to the bridge's proximity to Otter Creek, additional drainage had to be added. The project delayed construction on the Middlebury station, and with it the entire Burlington extension project, as the Middlebury station's platform ended where the grade to a new {{convert|19|ft|m|abbr=on}} tunnel began.{{cite web|url=https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/blog/riding-the-amtrak-ethan-allen-express/|title=Riding the Amtrak Ethan Allen Express|author=Carl Fowler|publisher=Rail Passengers Association|date=August 4, 2022}}

The project was completed within budget at a cost of $91.5 million: $72 million for construction, $14.8 million for right-of-way, $4.4 million for engineering, and $300,000 for utility relocation. All costs were shared by Vermont and the Federal Highway Administration. The COVID-19 pandemic was said to have caused delays, but not increased costs.{{Cite news |last=Flowers |first=John |date=December 23, 2021 |title=Middlebury rail project comes in on budget |work=Addison Independent |url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/2021/12/23/middlebury-rail-project-comes-in-on-budget/ |access-date=January 1, 2022}} The community liaison for the project, Jim Gish, posted weekly updates for over four years.{{Cite news |last=Amen |first=Becca |last2=Wu |first2=Florence |title=A walking tour of the Middlebury Bridge & Rail Project |work=The Middlebury Campus |url=https://www.middleburycampus.com/article/2021/10/a-walking-tour-of-the-middlebury-bridge-rail-project |access-date=November 21, 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Gish |first=Jim |title=Project Blog |url=https://www.middleburybridges.org/project-blog |access-date=November 21, 2021 |website=Middlebury, Vermont Downtown Bridge Replacement & Rail Line Improvement Project |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite web |last=Bruneau |first=Jonathan |date=January 29, 2020 |title=Middlebury Station |url=https://cms5.revize.com/revize/middlebury/document_center/Passenger%20Rail%20Platform/VTrans%20Middlebury%20Station%20Presentation%20(1.29.20).pdf |publisher=Vermont Agency of Transportation}}

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Category:Amtrak stations in Vermont

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 2022

Category:Former Rutland Railroad stations