North Billerica (MBTA station)

NORTH BILLERICA
North Billerica MBTA Station
Station statistics
Address	Ruggles Street & Station Street North Billerica, MA
Coordinates	42°35′37″N 71°16′53″W / 42.5935°N 71.2813°W / 42.5935; -71.2813Coordinates: 42°35′37″N 71°16′53″W / 42.5935°N 71.2813°W / 42.5935; -71.2813
Lines	Lowell Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Parking	541 spaces, $4.00 each
Bicycle facilities	14 spaces
Other information
Accessible
Fare zone	5
Traffic
Passengers (2008)	1,043 weekday avg.[1]
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Wilmington toward North Station Lowell Line Lowell Terminus

North Billerica is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line,^[2] located in North Billerica, Massachusetts and serves close to 300,000 commuters.

History

The Depot that stands at the station site is on the National Register of Historic Places and was completely renovated in 1998. It served as a flag stop on the Boston and Lowell Railroad's main line and was the starting point for the old narrow gauge Billerica and Bedford Railroad (B&B).

According to the Billerica town historian, Margaret Ingraham, in 1829 the Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) surveyed a route for its main line through Billerica and one year later the Massachusetts Legislature granted a charter to the B&L railroad.

In June, 1835 the line between Boston and Lowell was completed, ranking the B&L among the earliest steam railways in the United States. By 1840 a second track was added. Initially the enterprise served passengers, but soon after freight cars were included.

The B&L concentrated on erecting stations at each terminus of the line and provisions for passengers to flag the train enroute were allowed.

Very quickly scheduled stops between Boston and Lowell were established including North Billerica, originally called Billerica Mills, where there were a number of factories adjacent to the millpond and dam on the Concord River about 200 yards from the tracks.

The first depot was erected at this site around 1840. In "North Billerica Recollections" this station (located south of the present depot) was described as a small box-like structure.

During ensuing years continued commercial and industrial development in the vicinity created greater demand for passenger service which resulted in the little station's becoming inadequate to accommodate the passenger load. On December 28, 1866 the B&L purchased from the "C. P. Talbot Company" the lot upon which today's depot is set.

The original depot was moved across the tracks and later burned down. The present depot was built in 1867 with the larger addition completed in 1877 when the B&B began operation.

The decision of the Boston and Maine Railroad, which took over the B&L in 1887, to locate its repair shops in North Billerica in 1904 was in large part the reason for the creation of Garden City, the neighborhood behind the Faulkner Mills.^[3]

MBTA service

In 1998, the North Billerica Depot underwent extensive renovations as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's efforts to restore and expand its Billerica commuter rail stop. The new depot and train station were rededicated on October 30, 1998.

References

1. ^ "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF). MBTA. 2009. http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/documents/Bluebook%202009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-2-1. 
2. ^ "North Billerica". MBTA. http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/stations/default.asp?stopId=143&lat=42.592881&lng=-71.280869. Retrieved 2008-03-07. 
3. ^ http://www.billericahistorical.com/

External links

• North Billerica station official website
• Schedule
• Videos on history of North Billerica Depot [1] [2]
• Existing Railroad Stations in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
• Station from Google Maps Street View