Fairfield station (Metro-North)

The Fairfield station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, located in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is one of three stations in the town, the others being Southport and Fairfield Metro. The station is the transfer point for the Fairfield University Shuttle.

Fairfield
Location165 Unquowa Road (westbound)
Fairfield, Connecticut
Coordinates41.144132°N 73.257737°W / 41.144132; -73.257737
Owned byConnDOT
Line(s)Northeast Corridor
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks4
Connections Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: Coastal Link, 7
Fairfield University Shuttle
Construction
Parking1,216 spaces
Other information
Fare zone18
History
OpenedDecember 25, 1848[1][2]
Electrified12.5 kV AC overhead catenary
Traffic
Passengers (2018)2,311
Rank27 of 124[3]
Services
Preceding station Metro-North Following station
Southport
towards Grand Central
 New Haven Line Fairfield Metro
towards New Haven or New Haven State Street
Former services
Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station
Southport
toward New York
 Main Line Bridgeport
toward New Haven
Fairfield Railroad Stations
The westbound station of the New York, New Haven and Hartford at Fairfield.
LocationFairfield, Connecticut
Coordinates41°8′34″N 73°15′29″W
Area0.7 acres (0.3 ha)
Built1882
Architectural styleStick/Eastlake
NRHP reference No.89000926[4]
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 1989

Both the eastbound and westbound station buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fairfield Railroad Stations.

Station buildings

The east-bound station, is brick and was built in 1882. It replaced a station burned by a fire, and "is typical of the substantial brick stations built at small-town stops throughout the state in the period. Whereas earlier stations had been small wood-frame buildings, often in a picturesque Gothic or Italianate style, the stations of the 1880s were brick" to be fire-resistant and were larger to accommodate larger waiting areas and other amenities. They were "well-built but utilitarian" structures.[5]:5

The west-bound station, on the other hand, "stands as an excellent example of the New Haven Railroad's 1890s passenger facilities" reflecting changed priorities. It is a wooden structure.[5]:5

The stations as a pair were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[4]

According to the 1988 NRHP application:

The Fairfield railway stations are significant as reminders of the important role of railroad passenger service in the historical development of Fairfield, as artifacts of the New Haven Railroad, a company that virtually monopolized the state's public transportation at the end of the 19th century, and as well-preserved examples of small-town station architecture.[5]:5

The 0.7-acre (0.28 ha) listed area was defined to include the two stations and their immediate surroundings, but to exclude a passenger cross-over and stairway, and to exclude associated parking areas.[5]

Station layout

The main station house is wooden and on the northern platform. It contained a ticket window that was closed July 7, 2010. All tickets must now be purchased from vending machines adjacent to the platforms.[6] Westbound trains stop on this side of the station. The station house on the south side is made of brick and entirely filled with businesses, including the Nauti Dolphin Pizza restaurant and the Fairfield Cab Company. Eastbound trains stop at this side of the station.[7]

The busy Unquowa Road overpass crosses the eastern end of the station. In order to cross from one platform to another, passengers must climb a staircase to this overpass and walk on the road's sidewalk across the tracks. Then, they must descend another staircase on the other side.

This station has two high-level side platforms, each six cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound trains. The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains except when track 3 or 4 is closed for maintenance.[8]:22

The station has 1,216 parking spaces, 376 owned by the state and operated by the town.[9] Almost all of the parking is located on the north side of the station.


P
Platform level		 Side platform, doors will open on the right
Track 3 ←      New Haven Line toward Grand Central (Southport)
Track 1 ←      New Haven Line express trains do not stop here
←      Amtrak services do not stop here
Track 2 ←      Amtrak services do not stop here →
←      New Haven Line express trains do not stop here →
Track 4 ←      New Haven Line toward New Haven or New Haven State Street (Fairfield Metro) →
Side platform, doors will open on the right
G Street level Exit/entrance and parking
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See also

Bibliography
  • Jenkins, Stephen (1912). The Story of the Bronx from the Purchase Made by the Dutch from the Indians in 1639 to the Present Day. New York, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Retrieved December 12, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

References
  1. Jenkins 1912, p. 235.
  2. "Special Express Notice". The Evening Post. New York, New York. February 12, 1849. p. 3. Retrieved December 9, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. METRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. Brian Clouette (August 29, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Fairfield Railroad Stations". (includes sketch map). National Park Service. and Accompanying eight photos, from 1988
  6. "mta.info - Metro-North Railroad: Selected Ticket Offices Close On July 7th". Metro North Railroad. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  7. world.nycsubway.org/Around New York/Metro-North Railroad/New Haven Line
  8. "Metro-North Railroad Track & Structures Department Track Charts Maintenance Program Interlocking Diagrams & Yard Diagrams 2015" (PDF). Metro-North Railroad. 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  9. "Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" submitted by Urbitran Associates Inc. to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, "Table 1: New haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization", page 6, July 2003 Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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