Bradford station is an

MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...

station in the

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

neighborhood of

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

, served by the

Haverhill Line The Haverhill Line (formerly named the Haverhill/Reading Line) is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns of Malden, Melrose, Wakefield, Reading, Wilmington, An ...

. The Haverhill Line's layover yard is located adjacent to the station.

History

The Boston and Portland Railroad opened to Bradford, across the Merrimack River from Haverhill, on October 26, 1837. It was the terminus of the line until the January 1, 1840 extension across the river and into New Hampshire. The Boston and Portland became the

Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B ...

(B&M) in 1843. The

Newburyport Railroad The Newburyport Railroad (later known as the Newburyport Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad) was a railroad that came about from the merger of three small rail companies into one rail line to compete with the Eastern Railroad for service be ...

opened its Haverhill Branch between Georgetown and Bradford on September 22, 1851, with regular service beginning the next month. The B&M obtained control of the Newburyport in 1855 and leased it in 1860. The B&M built a new depot building in the 1870s, likely as part of a double-tracking project. It was raised in 1904–05 as part of a grade crossing elimination project. Passenger service on the Haverhill Branch ended in 1933, though a short segment to a paper mill remained in freight use until 1982. The B&M sold the depot for commercial reuse in the 1960s, though service to Bradford continued until the last remaining Haverhill round trip was canceled in April 1976.

service resumed on December 17, 1979. Prior to 1987, when the system was operated by B&M successor

Guilford Transportation Industries Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford. Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to: Places Australia * Guildfo ...

, trains were stored overnight on Guilford-owned sidings north of Haverhill station in a largely industrial area. When the MBTA contracted with Amtrak in 1987 to operate the system, a new layover yard for the line was needed. The MBTA constructed a two-track layover yard adjacent to a rebuilt Bradford station at a cost of $2.2 million. It was built without an environmental evaluation process in violation of state law; not until 1992 did complaints from residents prompt the MBTA to belatedly start the process. Because of its proximity to the Bradford residential neighborhood, the noise and diesel fumes from the layover have prompted continued complaint from residents. Mini-high platforms for

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

were added to the station around 1992. , the MBTA plans to relocate and expand the layover facility in the mid-to-late 2020s.

References

External links

{{Commons category inline
MBTA – Bradford
Former Boston and Maine Railroad stations MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Essex County, Massachusetts Railway stations in the United States opened in 1979 1979 establishments in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Haverhill, Massachusetts