Waltham 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

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...

. It serves the

Fitchburg Line The Fitchburg Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which runs from Boston's North Station to Wachusett station in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was built across norther ...

. It is located in downtown Waltham adjacent to Central Square (Waltham Common).

History and operations

The station has an unusual configuration, similar to

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

. There are 2 side platforms, separated by Moody Street: the eastern platform is used for inbound passengers, and the western platform is used for outbound passengers. Most of the station is located on a short single-track section; after double-tracking was completed from South Acton to

Willows Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

in 2014, this became the only single-track section of the Fitchburg Line. Elimination of the grade crossings at the station was considered the 1910s, but never constructed. Commuter rail service to Waltham station has remained relatively constant since the MBTA was formed in 1964. However, several nearby stops on the Fitchburg Line and the

Central Mass Branch The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. The eastern Train station#Terminus, terminus of the line was at North Cambridge Junction where it split off from the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad, Middlesex Central B ...

were closed in the early years of the MBTA. The former depot building, which included a large clocktower, was demolished around 1962. The Waltham Interlocking Tower is located next to Elm Street; it controlled the junction with the

Watertown Branch Railroad The Watertown Branch Railroad was a branch loop of the Fitchburg Railroad that was meant to serve the town of Watertown and the City of Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, as an independent short line railroad; it also serviced the Wate ...

, which operated passenger service until July 9, 1938.

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 ...

mini-high platforms were added in 2007.

Bus connections

MBTA route 554 bus at Waltham station, April 2016

Eight

MBTA bus The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates List of MBTA bus routes, 170 bus routes in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance (defined as ) for all residents ...

routes and one private route stop at Waltham station: *: North Waltham–Waltham Center *: Market Place Drive or Waltham Center– University Park *: Waltham Center– *: Waltham Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street *: Roberts–Federal Street & Franklin Street *: Waverly Square–Federal Street & Franklin Street *: Waltham Highlands–Federal Street & Franklin Street *: Riverside Station–Federal Street & Franklin Street *128BC Waltham Shuttle, provides rush hour service to nearby businesses.

References

External links

{{Commons category
MBTA – Waltham
*Google Maps Street View
outbound platforminbound platform
MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Railway stations in the United States opened in 1843