New London Union Station

New London Union Station
New London Station in November 2007
Station statistics
Address	27 Water Street New London, Connecticut 06320
Lines	Acela Express   Northeast Regional   Shore Line East
Connections	Southeast Area Transit Cross Sound Ferry[1] Greyhound[2]
Platforms	1 island platform 1 side platform
Tracks	3
Other information
Opened	1889
Electrified	25,000V (AC) overhead catenary
Accessible
Code	NLC
Traffic
Passengers (2010)	162,396[3]  1.9% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station New Haven toward Washington, D.C. Acela Express Providence Station toward Boston South Station Old Saybrook toward Newport News or Lynchburg Northeast Regional Mystic toward Boston South Station CDOT Old Saybrook toward Stamford Shore Line East Terminus
Union Station U.S. National Register of Historic Places Coordinates: 41°21′15″N 72°05′35″W / 41.35417°N 72.09306°W / 41.35417; -72.09306Coordinates: 41°21′15″N 72°05′35″W / 41.35417°N 72.09306°W / 41.35417; -72.09306 Architect: Henry Hobson Richardson[4] NRHP Reference#: 71000913[4] Added to NRHP: 1971[4]

New London Union Station is an historic regional rail station located in New London, Connecticut, United States. It is served by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's Shore Line East. Located on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest railway in the United States, Union Station is the primary station in southeastern Connecticut and sees more rail service than Old Saybrook and Mystic to its west and east, respectively. Most Northeast Regional Amtrak trains stop, as do select Acela Express trains. Along with this long-distance service, Shore Line East operates limited local service to New London;^[5] it thus serves as the eastern terminus of commuter rail service in Connecticut.^[6] Greyhound bus services are also available at the station.

Of the twelve Connecticut stations served by Amtrak, New London was the fourth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of nearly 450 passengers daily.^[3]

Design

Union Station was designed in 1885 by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. This was the last of many railroad stations design by Richardson before his death in 1887, though numerous others (including Boston's South Station) were designed by his students. Union Station is particularly large for a Richardson train station and stands out as the only station not built in the style of Trinity Church in Boston. The station building features many of Richardson's characteristic motifs, including its multi-faceted roof, prominent arched entrance, and elegant brickwork.

As depicted on a postcard mailed in 1905

New London has a similar track layout to the nearest station to the west, Old Saybrook. There is one island platform and one side platform,^[7] both of which are high level for handicapped accessibility and to accommodate the Acela Express, which requires high platforms in order to serve a station. The station, built in 1889, was originally built for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and Central Vermont Railroad; the two railroads met at the station, hence the title of 'Union Station'. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971.^[4]

Longest (Almost) Continuous Trip on Commuter Rail

New London Union Station is the northern terminus of the longest nearly-continuous trip by commuter rail in the Northeast Corridor. By using a combination of the Shore Line East, Metro-North, New Jersey Transit, and SEPTA Regional Rail, it is possible to travel all the way to Newark, Delaware, a distance of 258.31 miles (415.71 km). It is necessary, however, to use the NYC Subway, take a cab, or walk to NJ Transit service at New York City's Penn Station from Metro-North service at Grand Central Terminal.

This is necessitated by the fact that the Metro-North deviates from the Northeast Corridor, providing service to Grand Central and eastern Midtown Manhattan. The Northeast Corridor leaves Penn Station through the East River Tunnels used (though not owned) by the Long Island Railroad, then finds its way through Long Island City and Astoria in Queens, over Wards and Randall's Islands and through the South Bronx. The Metro-North's New Haven Line rejoins the Northeast Corridor between its Pelham and New Rochelle stations in Westchester County.

Game-day service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex links Metro-North to Penn Station (bypassing Grand Central via the Northeast Corridor). It began in September 2009, allowing the full trip, albeit with a great deal of planning ahead of time. Service is currently provided on game days only.

After the East Side Access project opens in 2016, a commuter-rail only connection through New York City will be made possible by detouring on the Long Island Rail Road from Grand Central east onto Long Island, then returning on a different train to Penn Station.

On a related note, the Maryland Transit Administration has made steps to extend its Penn Line from Perryville, Maryland to Newark, Delaware, which would allow a continuous journey from Fredericksburg, Virginia to New London. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has also begun extending service beyond Providence, Rhode Island to Wickford Junction in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, though no serious talks have begun on linking the MBTA and Shore Line East. Such a venture, coupled with other planned service, would provide a very slow journey all the way from Virginia to New Hampshire, traveling through ten states and the District of Columbia.

Waiting room at New London Station

See also

• Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is the official state advocate for commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.
• National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut

Notes

1. ^ "Cross Sound Ferry Services: Connections". https://www.longislandferry.com/Common/Help.aspx?page=connect. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
2. ^ "Greyhound info". http://www.greyhound.com/home/TicketCenter/terminal.asp?city=060126. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2010, State of Connecticut" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2010. http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/CONNECTICUT10.pdf. Retrieved 2011-1-6. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} New London County Listings at the National Register of Historic Places
5. ^ Directions to New London station Shore Line East Retrieved 2007-07-23
6. ^ Westbound timetable Shore Line East Retrieved 2007-07-23
7. ^ New London TrainWeb Retrieved 2007-07-23

External links

• Amtrak – Stations – New London, CT
• Shore Line East - New London, CT
• New London Amtrak-Shore Line East Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Greyhound info
• Station Building from Google Maps Street View