Winchester Center (MBTA station)

WINCHESTER CENTER
Winchester Center station in January 2013
Location	29 Waterfield Road Winchester, MA 01890
Coordinates	42°27′06″N 71°08′16″W / 42.4516°N 71.1378°W / 42.4516; -71.1378Coordinates: 42°27′06″N 71°08′16″W / 42.4516°N 71.1378°W / 42.4516; -71.1378
Line(s)	Lowell Line   Haverhill Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	237 spaces (town permit required) 2 accessible spaces
Bicycle facilities	27 spaces
Other information
Fare zone	1
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	789 (weekday inbound average)
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station Wedgemere toward North Station Lowell Line Mishawum toward Lowell Haverhill Line limited service Anderson/Woburn toward Haverhill   Former services   Wedgemere toward North Station Lowell Line Woburn Branch Closed 1981 Cross Street toward Woburn

Winchester Center is a passenger rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line, located on a viaduct in the downtown area of Winchester, Massachusetts. It is served by all Lowell Line trains, as well as a limited number of Haverhill Line trains which run via the Wildcat Branch.

Winchester Center station is not handicapped accessible, but the MBTA plans to renovate the station and add accessible high-level platforms beginning in 2017.

The Boston and Lowell Railroad opened between its namesake cities in 1835; local stops including Winchester were added soon after. By the 1840s, service on the line was suitable for commuting to Boston.

In 1955, the Boston and Maine Railroad began a project to raise the tracks of the New Hampshire Main and the southern end of the Woburn Branch for a mile through Winchester, eliminating troublesome grade crossings in the downtown area. Boxy two-story brick stations were opened at Wedgemere and Winchester Center in 1957.

Until 1981, the Woburn Branch diverged from the main line just north of the Winchester Center platforms. A short stub is still in place.

Winchester Center station has not been substantially renovated since the viaduct was completed in 1957. In September 2008, the MBTA approved $1.4 million in platform and ramps repairs, as well as electrical and lighting work, at the station. The work was completed in 2010; the MBTA intended to renovate the station before the 5-year life of the platform patches was reached.

On July 7, 2015, the Winchester Department of Public Works discovered a hole in the inbound platform, which prompted the closure of the northern 500 feet (150 m) of the platform and one ramp due to concrete deterioration. One ramp and the remaining section of the platform remained open for service. The MBTA planned to make temporary repairs before the end of the year.

As of 2016^[update], the MBTA is in the process of designing renovations to the station which will repair water damage and make it handicapped accessible. The station design was advanced to 15% in December 2011; Jacobs Engineering was then chosen as the contractor for final design in June 2012. The 15% design level was reached in early 2016, with 30% design under way. The rebuilt station will have 724-foot (221 m)-long high-level platforms; although shorter than the 800-foot (240 m) MBTA standard, they will still be able to platform 9 cars. A gauntlet track may be installed to allow Pan Am Railways freight trains to pass. A new interlocking may be built south of the station, which will allow greater flexibility during construction and allow the retirement of the former Woburn Branch interlocking north of the station after completion. Although early designs only had ramps for accessibility, the 15% design added a pair of elevators for easier access. Design of the station is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, with the $25.8 million construction beginning in 2017. As of October 2016^[update], bidding is expected to begin in December 2016.