Lowell station, officially the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal, is an intermodal transit station in Lowell, Massachusetts. The transit complex includes 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 as well as the Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center, which serves local and intercity buses. It is located off Thorndike Street ( MA 3A) near the end of the

Lowell Connector The Lowell Connector, officially the American Legion Connector Highway, is a short freeway serving as a connector in the Massachusetts State Highway System that links nearby U.S. Highway 3 (US 3) and Interstate 495 (I-495) to downtown Lowe ...

south of downtown Lowell. The commuter rail station is the northern terminus of the Lowell Line, and is a major park-and-ride station for the system, serving commuters from Lowell, northern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. The Kennedy Bus Transfer Center is the transfer point for all

Lowell Regional Transit Authority The Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Greater Lowell area. This primarily includes the city of Lowell and the towns of Billerica, B ...

local bus routes and several intercity bus routes by other operators.

Terminal and services

The Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal is an intermodal transit center at 101 Thorndike Street ( MA 3A) near to Downtown Lowell. The station is the northern terminus of the

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

Lowell Line, which provides train service to and from Boston. The

(LRTA) operates bus service from the Kennedy Bus Transfer Center to 14 communities. The Route 18 downtown shuttle links the terminal to downtown, with buses departing every 15 minutes during the week and every 30 minutes on Saturdays. Other services include the

MVRTA Merrimack Valley Transit, formerly known as Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, United States, charged with providing public transportation to an area consisting of the cities and town ...

Route 41 to Lawrence, OurBus service to New York City, and the Coach Company Foxwoods Line Run bus to Foxwoods Resort Casino. The lobby at Gallagher Terminal includes a waiting area, a

Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...

, and rest rooms. Passengers access the train platform from the lobby via a bridge over the tracks. The platform is accessible with elevators in the lobby and at the train platform.

History

The Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal opened in 1983. Previously, this area had held a depot for the Boston and Lowell Railroad. To the east, Lowell had also been the location of a former

Lowell and Andover Railroad The Lowell and Andover Railroad was a branch line of the Boston and Maine Railroad and was organized in 1873, after the Boston and Lowell Railroad's monopoly on Boston to Lowell service ended in 1865. The line opened in 1874 from the B&M's mai ...

, built by 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 ...

, station on Central and Green Streets known as Central Street Station, which is no longer in use. In 2005, the Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center opened at the Gallagher Terminal as a new hub for all LRTA bus routes.

Historical services

Into the early 1960s Lowell Union Station was a junction point for Boston and Maine Railroad trains to Montreal and pooled New Haven Railroad and Boston and Maine pooled trains to Portland, Maine:''Official Guide of the Railways,'' August 1949, Boston and Maine section, Tables 1, 2, & 'Through Service to Maine' * Boston North Station to Montreal via Essex Falls, Vermont: ''

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

'' and overnight counterpart: ''New Englander'' *Boston to Montreal via Plymouth, New Hampshire and Newport, Vermont: ''

Alouette Alouette or alouettes may refer to: Music and literature * "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song * Alouette, a character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'' Aerospace * SNCASE Alouette, a utility helicopter developed in France in ...

'' and overnight counterpart: ''Red Wing's *New York (

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

) - Portland Union Station, via Worcester, bypassing Boston: ''

State of Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

,'' year-round, overnight train *New York ( Pennsylvania Station) - Portland Union Station via Worcester, also bypassing Boston: '' East Wind,'' summers only

References

External links

MBTA - LowellLowell Regional Transit AuthorityGallagher Terminal on Google Maps Street View
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell (Mbta Station) 1983 establishments in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Lowell, Massachusetts Bus stations in Middlesex County, Massachusetts MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Railway stations in the United States opened in 1983 Stations along Boston and Maine Railroad lines Transportation in Lowell, Massachusetts