River Works station (sometimes written Riverworks) 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 on the
Newburyport/Rockport Line
The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg, operating via the Eastern Rou ...
in
West Lynn, Massachusetts. The only
private station on the system, it is only open to
GE Aviation
GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of the ...
employees who work at the adjacent
River Works
River Works, formerly known as Air Force Plant 29, is a plant of General Electric's aviation division located in Lynn, Massachusetts. It is serviced by the River Works station on the MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It was purchased by General E ...
plant. The station has minimal facilities – two small sections of platform and several shelters – and is not
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.e ...
.
The
Eastern Railroad
The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between the two cities, until the Boston & Maine put an end to the compe ...
and successor
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) had a West Lynn station at Commercial Street from the mid-19th century to the 1950s; the
Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad
The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad was a narrow-gauge passenger-carrying shortline railroad between East Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts, from 1875 to 1940. Part of the railroad's right of way now forms the outer section of the Massachus ...
had its own West Lynn station nearby from 1875 to 1940. The
Thomson-Houston Electric Company
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing company which was one of the precursors of the General Electric company.
History
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was formed in 1882 in the United States when a group of Lynn, Massa ...
opened its factory in West Lynn in 1883; this River Works plant became part of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
in 1892. The B&M provided intermittent passenger service to the plant in the early and mid-20th century. The
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
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 ...
(MBTA) began funding Eastern Route service in January 1965, and stops at the plant resumed on September 9, 1965. It was not shown on maps until the 1970s and on public timetables until 1989.
River Works station is proposed to be opened to the public and made accessible as part of plans for a development on adjacent land. In May 2017, the developer reached an agreement with the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1, 2009, by the 186th Session of t ...
, although financing had not yet been secured. The location is also a potential station site for a proposed extension of the rapid transit
Blue Line to .
Station design
River Works station is located in the southwest part of
West Lynn, Massachusetts, near the
Saugus River
The Saugus River is a river in Massachusetts.
The river is long, drains a watershed of approximately , and passes through Wakefield, Lynnfield, Saugus, and Lynn as it meanders east and south from its source in Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield ...
. The
River Works
River Works, formerly known as Air Force Plant 29, is a plant of General Electric's aviation division located in Lynn, Massachusetts. It is serviced by the River Works station on the MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It was purchased by General E ...
complex surrounds the station on the north and west; an undeveloped site (formerly part of the plant) is located to the east.
The Eastern Route has two main tracks through the station site, with
freight sidings on both sides. Adjacent to a private
grade crossing
A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term also ...
, short paved segments bracketing the siding tracks serve as
side platform
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 ...
s.
The station has no high-level platforms and is thus not
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.e ...
. Small bus-stop-style shelters are located on each platform; a security gate next to the inbound platform leads to the River Works plant. The station is only open to General Electric employees – the only such
private station on the MBTA system.
History
West Lynn stations
![Staircase to former West Lynn station, May 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Staircase_to_former_West_Lynn_station%2C_May_2017.JPG)
The
Eastern Railroad
The Eastern Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. Throughout its history, it competed with the Boston and Maine Railroad for service between the two cities, until the Boston & Maine put an end to the compe ...
was built through Lynn in 1837. The railroad added a West Lynn station at Commercial Street by 1852 to supplement the
Central Square station. The 1853-opened
Saugus Branch Railroad
The Saugus Branch Railroad (often called the Saugus Branch) was an American rail line that operated passenger service from 1853 to 1958. It serviced the Massachusetts communities of Saugus, Malden, Everett, Revere, and Lynn.
Beginnings
The fi ...
was acquired by the Eastern Railroad in 1855 and extended from Lynn Common to the Eastern mainline, joining it just south of West Lynn.
The Eastern Railroad was acquired by the rival
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 1883, becoming its Eastern Route.
The
Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad
The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad was a narrow-gauge passenger-carrying shortline railroad between East Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts, from 1875 to 1940. Part of the railroad's right of way now forms the outer section of the Massachus ...
(BRB&L) opened on July 28, 1875, running roughly parallel to the Eastern through West Lynn. The BRB&L had its own West Lynn station at Commercial Street, about southeast of the Eastern's station.
Within days, high passenger volumes led the railroad to authorize construction of larger stations at West Lynn,
Revere
Revere may refer to:
Brands and companies
*Revere Ware, a U.S. cookware brand owned by World Kitchen
* Revere Camera Company, American designer of cameras and tape recorders
*Revere Copper Company
* ReVere, a car company recognised by the Classic ...
, and
Winthrop.
Construction of the expanded West Lynn station began in September 1875 and was completed later that year. The station was a boxy two-story wooden structure adjacent to the grade crossing.
The B&M station and several nearby factories were destroyed by a fire on December 6, 1906. A small waiting room was soon constructed on the site. On March 29, 1910, a Boston-bound express train from Portland derailed at the freight yards just west of the station; despite the damage to the locomotive, there were no serious injuries. A 1909–1914 project
eliminated grade crossings on the Eastern Route in Lynn. The B&M tracks were raised above Commercial Street, with a new station building constructed slightly to the east.
In 1928, the BRB&L was electrified with pre-pay stations, making it more like a rapid transit line than a conventional railroad.
Due to the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, the BRB&L shut down on January 27, 1940.
Most of the closed stations, including West Lynn, were soon demolished.
By 1946, the B&M served West Lynn with just two daily round trips.
It was closed entirely prior to the 1958 cuts that eliminated Saugus Branch service and all local stops south of Lynn.
[ ]
River Works
![River Works aerial photo, July 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/River_Works_aerial_photo%2C_July_2016.JPG)
The
Thomson-Houston Electric Company
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing company which was one of the precursors of the General Electric company.
History
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was formed in 1882 in the United States when a group of Lynn, Massa ...
opened its factory in West Lynn in 1883. The River Works plant expanded to a sprawling complex by the time it became part of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
in 1892. By 1917, a small number of local trains stopped at River Works, about south of West Lynn; it was gone from timetables by 1929.
The plant was expanded during World War II; the stop appeared as a timetable note for two weekday inbound trips in 1946, and one in 1952.
It was gone from public timetables by the late 1950s, but appeared again as a timetable note by 1962.
The
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
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 ...
(MBTA) was founded in 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service. The agency began funding Eastern Route service in January 1965. Stops at the plant resumed on September 9, 1965.
It was not initially shown in public schedules or maps; it later appeared on maps as G.E. Works (1974), G. E. River Works (1976), and River Works (1978), but not in timetables. Not until January 1989 was the station – once again as River Works – regularly listed in public timetables.
Ridership has never been high; the station averaged just 7 daily inbound boardings in 1983, and 27 in 2018.
Reduced schedules based on existing Saturday service were in effect from March 16 to June 23, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. These schedules did not initially include River Works and five other limited-service stations not normally served on Saturdays. Service to River Works, but not the other stations resumed on March 23.
River Works and stations were changed from fare Zone 2 to Zone 1A (allowing subway-fare rides to Boston) from May 22–31, 2020, and July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 to provide additional travel options during the COVID-19 pandemic (as many of the
400-series bus routes were reduced in frequency) and to examine the impact of temporary fare changes. The change was found to have diverted just 8 daily riders to commuter rail, and the stations reverted to Zone 2 on July 1, 2021. Service on the inner portion of the Newburyport/Rockport Line was suspended for several periods in March–September 2022 to accommodate signal work on the line.
Proposed changes
The land east of the station was formerly home to General Electric's Gear Plant, which closed in 2011. Four years prior to the closure, the city upzoned the site to allow buildings up to 20 stories high in hopes of attracting new commercial development.
In July 2014, a developer reached an agreement with GE to buy of the site. The developer, Charles Patsios, indicated that he planned to leave an
easement
An easement is a nonpossessory right to use and/or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. It is "best typified in the right of way which one landowner, A, may enjoy over the land of another, B". An easement is a propert ...
for public access to the station.
Patsios bought the site in October 2014 and opened discussions with MBTA officials about opening River Works station for public use. GE granted the required easement after Patsios purchased the property.
He intended to rename the station "Lynnport". To open the station to the public, it would have to be made
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.e ...
, with
high-level platform
Railway platform height is the built height – ''above top of rail (ATR)'' – of passenger platforms at stations. A connected term is ''train floor height'', which refers to the ATR height of the floor of rail vehicles. Worldwide, there are ...
s constructed and the tracks relocated. The state was hesitant to pay for such upgrades without proven ridership, and GE would require security considerations before approving the public opening.
The station was proposed in 2016 to be opened only to residents of the planned development, rather than to the public at large.
However, under a tentative agreement that the developer reached with the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1, 2009, by the 186th Session of t ...
in February 2017, the rebuilt station would be open to all riders.
The full agreement was signed in May 2017, although the development project had not been financed. Under the agreement, the developer would pay for new platforms, 80 parking spaces, and a bus station.
Proposals to extend the
Blue Line of the
MBTA subway
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates rapid transit (heavy rail), light rail, and bus rapid transit services in the Boston metropolitan area, collectively referred to as the rapid transit, subway, or the T system.
The c ...
to Lynn have considered the possibility of a stop in West Lynn. The 1945 Coolidge Commission report recommended an extension over the BRB&L route, with a West Lynn station at Commercial Street.
More recent proposals have considered using either the Eastern Route or the BRB&L alignment, with a possible station at River Works.
References
External links
{{commons category
MBTA – River Works
MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Essex County, Massachusetts
Stations along Boston and Maine Railroad lines
Private railway stations
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1965
General Electric