Providence (Amtrak station)

Providence
Providence station in September 2015
Location	100 Gaspee Street Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates	41°49′45″N 71°24′48″W / 41.829087°N 71.41325°W / 41.829087; -71.41325Coordinates: 41°49′45″N 71°24′48″W / 41.829087°N 71.41325°W / 41.829087; -71.41325
Owned by	Amtrak
Line(s)	Northeast Corridor
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	5 (4 passenger; 1 freight)
Connections	RIPTA: 50, 55, 56, 57, R-Line
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	PVD
History
Opened	1986
Traffic
Passengers (2016)	717,537 per year  3.9% (Amtrak)
Passengers (2013)	2,325 daily boardings (Commuter Rail)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station New London toward Washington, DC Acela Express Route 128 toward Boston South Station Kingston toward Norfolk, Newport News, or Lynchburg Northeast Regional MBTA T. F. Green Airport toward Wickford Junction Providence/Stoughton Line South Attleboro toward South Station Foxboro Special events Terminus   Proposed services   Boston Surface Railroad Woonsocket toward Worcester Main line Opening 2017 Terminus

Providence is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island, served by Amtrak and MBTA Commuter Rail. The station has four tracks and two island platforms for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains. It is now the 11th busiest Amtrak station in the country, and the busiest on the MBTA Commuter Rail system outside of the downtown Boston terminals.

The station was built in 1986 during a project to remove elevated tracks from downtown Providence. It is fully handicapped accessible for all trains.

Two of Amtrak's passenger rail routes serve the station: the Acela Express and the Northeast Regional. The Acela Express is the United States' only high-speed rail service; the Regional is a slower local service. Both connect Providence with the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington D.C.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) also serves Providence. The Providence/Stoughton commuter rail line's southern terminus is located at Wickford Junction, two stops south of Providence. The Providence/Stoughton Line provides commuter service to towns between the airport, Providence and Boston, sharing track with Amtrak trains. In a 2013 count, Providence averaged 2,325 inbound MBTA passengers on weekdays, making it the busiest station on the system outside of the downtown Boston terminals.

Providence's first railroad station was built in 1835 by the Boston and Providence Rail Road at India Point. The Providence and Stonington built a depot at Crary Street in South Providence in 1838, and the two were soon connected by a ferry service.

The first through service stopped at Union Station, a brick edifice built in 1847 by the Providence & Worcester, Providence & Stonington, and Boston & Providence Railroads. It was designed by 21-year-old architect Thomas Alexander Tefft. This building was lost to fire in 1896 and was replaced by a larger Union Station, completed in 1898 by the New Haven Railroad. It consisted of five large brick structures, which still form the northern side of Kennedy Plaza in the center of Downtown Providence.