Southport (Metro-North station)

Southport
Westbound station building, 2016
Location	96 Station Street (eastbound) 100 Center Street (westbound) Southport, Conn. 06890
Coordinates	41°08′09″N 73°17′20″W / 41.13589°N 73.28898°W / 41.13589; -73.28898
Owned by	Connecticut DOT; leased to Town of Fairfield
Line(s)	New Haven Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority: Coastal Link
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	179 spaces
Other information
Fare zone	18
History
Opened	1884
Rebuilt	Westbound station building rebuilt after fire, January 2008–February 2009
Electrified	12,500V (AC) overhead catenary
Traffic
Passengers (2006)	72,020  0%
Services
Preceding station   Metro-North Railroad   Following station Green's Farms toward Grand Central New Haven Line Fairfield toward New Haven State Street
Southport Railroad Stations
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Show map of Connecticut Show map of the US
Location	96 Station Street (eastbound) 100 Center Street (westbound) Southport, Conn. 06890
Coordinates	41°8′11″N 73°17′10″W / 41.13639°N 73.28611°W / 41.13639; -73.28611Coordinates: 41°8′11″N 73°17′10″W / 41.13639°N 73.28611°W / 41.13639; -73.28611
Area	1.8 acres (0.73 ha)
Built	1884
Architectural style	Stick/Eastlake
NRHP Reference #	89000927
Added to NRHP	July 28, 1989

Southport is a railroad station on the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad. It serves Southport, a former borough in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. It is one of three railroad stations in Fairfield, the others being Fairfield and Fairfield Metro. The station is nearly 49 miles (79 km) from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The average travel time between Grand Central and Southport is one hour and twelve minutes, though this varies depending on the time of day and level of service. It has 179 parking spaces, 99 owned by the state.

The station was opened in 1884, and the existing westbound and eastbound station buildings were constructed in the late 19th century by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The westbound building is wooden, built in the saltbox-style. The eastbound building is made of brick, and is no longer in railroad use. Instead, it houses a restaurant. In 1989, the station buildings were listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Southport Railroad Stations".

The westbound station house, one of the few remaining original station houses on the New Haven Line, was gutted by a fire on January 4, 2008. According to a fire marshal, human activity was most likely involved in causing the fire. Whether that activity was intentional or accidental is not known. The building housed both an art gallery and a passenger waiting area prior to fire. The majority of the artwork was saved. Most of the damage done to the building during the fire was caused by the water that was being used to extinguish the fire. It was predicted that the building would have to be entirely replaced, but it was decided instead to refurbish it after the damage was assessed to be less severe than originally thought. The refurbishment costed $3 million. A temporary waiting room was created for passengers at the station. The refurbishment was finished by the beginning of the next year, and was officially re-opened by then Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell in late February 2009.