Fairfield Metro station is a
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...
station on the
Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line
The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...
, located in the town of
Fairfield, Connecticut. It opened as an
infill station
An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is
a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train serv ...
on December 5, 2011.
The station has two 12-car-long
side platforms
A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...
serving the outer tracks of the four-track
Northeast Corridor. It is fully
accessible
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. ...
.
History
A three party agreement was approved in 2001 between the Town of Fairfield, the State of Connecticut and developer Blackrock Realty securing state, local and private funding to build the train station and adjoining open space and clean up work. In December 2009, the state announced a bond authorization for $20 million wherein the state would assume the developer's obligation for infrastructure work and continue the project.
In April 2010, the developer's obligation for infrastructure improvements was reduced to $5.2 million with the balance being financed through the state bonds. Responsibility for construction of the 1,500-car parking lot and access road at the town's third train station on lower Black Rock Turnpike was transferred to the town as the developer's financial obligation was reduced.
In July 2011, an audit of the contract and the cost overruns was approved by the Fairfield Board of Finance and members of the
Representative Town Meeting
A representative town meeting, also called "limited town meeting", is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and permitted in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Representative town meetings function ...
. The project includes creation of a open space and public park along
Ash Creek between Kings Highway in Fairfield and the
Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport.
Blackrock Realty and the state originally used "Fairfield Metro", but Fairfield residents found the name bland. The town held an online survey in December 2010 to propose an alternate name.
Popular suggestions included Black Rock, Black Rock Turnpike, Ash Creek, and Grasmere, among others. The state had the final word in naming the station and chose to follow or disregard the town's recommendations. To meet the opening deadline of November 2011, a name had to be chosen by February 2011. The final name of Fairfield Metro was announced on March 18, 2011.
The station opened on December 5, 2011.
References
External links
{{MNRR stations navbox
Metro-North Railroad stations in Connecticut
Stations on the Northeast Corridor
Buildings and structures in Fairfield, Connecticut
Railroad stations in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Railway stations in the United States opened in 2011
2011 establishments in Connecticut