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Natick Center station

Train station in Natick, Massachusetts, US

Natick Center station
Summary

Train station in Natick, Massachusetts, US

FieldValue
styleMBTA
nameNatick Center
imageNatick Center August 2025 2.jpg
image_captionNatick Center in August 2025
altA railway station in an open cut with two high-level side platforms and long wheelchair ramps to the platforms
address1 Walnut Street
boroughNatick, Massachusetts, US
coordinates
lineWorcester Main Line
otherMWRTA:
platform2 side platforms
tracks2
parking71 spaces
passengers419 daily boardings
pass_year2024
opened
rebuilt1845, 1875, 1897, 1962, , 2020–2025
accessibleYes
zone4
formerNatick (until January 12, 2015)
services
other_services_headerFormer services
other_services_collapsibleyes
other_services{{Adjacent stationssystem=New York Central Railroadline1=Worcester Lineleft1=Framinghamright1=Wellesley
line2Saxonville Branchleft2=Felchvilleright2=}}
mapframeyes
mapframe-marker-color

| mapframe-marker-color =

Natick Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Natick, Massachusetts, United States. Served by the Framingham/Worcester Line, it is located below grade in an open cut. The accessible station has two side platforms flanking the two tracks of the Worcester Main Line, with entrances from North Main Street (Route 27) and Washington Street.

The Boston and Worcester Railroad (B&W) opened through Natick in 1834; a station was established by 1838 and modified around 1845. The Saxonville Branch opened between Natick and Saxonville in 1846. Around 1875, the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) built a new station slightly east. In 1895–1896, the railroad lowered the tracks through Natick to eliminate grade crossings. A new station building designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr. was completed in 1897.

B&A passenger service peaked in the early 1910s and declined thereafter. Saxonville Branch passenger service ended in 1936. Natick station was briefly closed in 1960 as part of service cuts. In 1962, a commercial building was built over the station building. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964 and began subsidizing service on the line in 1973. New platforms were paved around 1982.

The station was renamed Natick Center in 2015. Construction on a $36.1 million renovation of the station began in March 2020. Portions of the new accessible platforms opened in July 2025, with some construction still ongoing.

Station layout

The Worcester Main Line runs approximately east-west in a trench through downtown Natick. It has two tracks with space reserved between for a future third track. The accessible station has two 800 ft-long side platforms flanking the tracks. A footbridge crosses over the trench at Walnut Street, near the midpoint of the platforms, with an elevator and stairs to each platform. At the east end of the platforms, switchback ramps and stairs lead to the Washington Street bridge. The Cochituate Rail Trail connects to the west end of the outbound (north) platform with stairs to North Main Street. A 71-space town-owned parking lot for permit holders is located at Mulligan Street several blocks east of the station.

History

Early history

A detail from a bird's eye view map. It shows two one-story buildings along a rail line in a village center.
The freight house (left) and 1870s-built station on an 1877 aerial map

The Boston and Worcester Railroad (B&W) was built westward from Boston to Worcester, opening in stages from 1834 to 1835. The section from North Needham through Natick to Unionville opened on September 22, 1834. A station building "of the smallest size" was established by 1838 in Natick Center, one of several villages in the town. The addition of the railroad contributed to the rapid growth of Natick Center; it soon replaced South Natick as the town's commercial center.

The line was originally single track; construction of double track took place from 1839 to 1843. Improvements to Natick station were made around 1845. The 3.87 mi Saxonville Branch opened from Natick to the Saxonville section of Framingham on July 4, 1846, with through trains to Boston. Although branch ridership was never high, these trains were the first time that commuting was possible on the B&W from west of .

The B&W merged with the Western Railroad in 1867 to form the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A).

On January 13, 1874, a fire destroyed much of downtown Natick. The town desired to extend Washington Street across the tracks during reconstruction; the railroad proposed a footbridge instead. That June, the legislature ordered the B&A to move the station 100-150 feet east and construct the grade crossing. The old station was removed and the crossing opened by early November. The new station, a one-story wooden structure near Clarendon Street, was completed by late 1875.

Grade crossing elimination

A postcard showing a one-story Romanesque train station next to below-grade tracks
Postcard of the 1897-built station

Around 1883, the B&A began planning to eliminate the numerous grade crossings on its main line. The legislature authorized the B&A in 1887 to relocate its tracks slightly to the north through downtown Natick. In 1890, the Massachusetts General Court passed An Act to Promote the Abolition of Grade Crossings, which allowed town officials or a railroad company to petition the state superior court to create an independent commission to determine whether a grade crossing could and should be eliminated. The costs of such eliminations were to be paid 65% by the railroad, not more than 10% by the town, and the remainder by the state. The rate of grade crossing eliminations increased after its passage.

The town of Natick and the B&A jointly petitioned for a commission around 1894. The B&A presented plans to the commission in December 1894. They called for the main line and Saxonville Branch to be lowered below grade, with a maximum lowering of 15 feet at Main Street. The main line would be located northwards at a slight angle to the existing line – a distance of 59 feet at Washington Street and 224 feet at Washington Avenue. It would extend into the southern portion of Lake Cochituate, with the lake filled south of the new alignment. Five bridges were to be built over the main line and one over the Saxonville Branch.

The Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners approved the plan in May 1895. The B&A also opened a new passenger station in 1897. Made of granite with brownstone trim, it was located on the south side of the tracks between Walnut Street and Washington Street. A small baggage room was located just to the east. Wooden canopies were located on both sides of the tracks. The station was designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr., a student of H.H. Richardson, who had designed nine stations for the B&A in the 1880s. The old freight house was removed; a new freight house was built on the Saxonville Branch near Wilton Street.

Between 1899 and 1904, the old station building was removed, while Middlesex Avenue was built on part of the old alignment. At Natick station, the line had four mainline tracks plus the branch track.

20th century

A two-track railway line in an open cut. At right is a platform several feet higher than track level, with a wooden canopy. Stairs lead from the platform down to track level.
Natick station in October 1981

Service on the B&A system peaked in the early 1910s. Service cutbacks began during the middle of the decade. The lightly used Saxonville Branch was reduced to one daily round trip by 1919. The B&A made major cuts to passenger service in the late 1930s and after World War II; main line service to Natick consisted of 21 daily round trips in 1938 and 11 in 1954. One main track was removed west of in 1952.

The B&A intended to end all Boston commuter service when the conversion of the Highland branch into a streetcar line was completed in 1959. Natick station, which was used by 157 daily passengers, was closed entirely. The station reopened in early May as part of the settlement of a lawsuit by four cities against the B&A. In 1961, the B&A was merged into the New York Central.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in August 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service. The New York Central merged into Penn Central in 1968. Later that month, the MBTA acquired most of Penn Central's suburban lines around Boston, including the Riverside–Framingham section of the B&A main line. Penn Central, which merged into Conrail in 1976, continued to operate freight on the main line and the Saxonville Branch. The MBTA began increasing service on the line (now the Framingham/Worcester Line) in the late 1970s; by 1983, the station had 12 daily round trips and 319 daily boardings.

MBTA track upgrades in 1980 lowered the south track by several feet through Natick; passengers used wooden staircases from the old platform to small boarding platforms. In October 1981, the MBTA awarded a contract to add paved station platforms on the line. Platforms were built on both sides of the tracks at Natick. A second station serving the town – – opened in 1982 to provide additional parking. The plan was cancelled because of concerns over the financial viability of the garage.

Reconstruction

A railway station with two low-level side platforms in an open cut
The non-accessible platforms in 2016 prior to reconstruction

The 1980s-built platforms at the station were not accessible; they did not have level boarding for train cars, and there were no ramps or elevators to street level. The station was also poorly integrated with the surrounding area; each platform only had a single narrow stairway, and there was insufficient space for bicycle parking, bus stops, and passenger pick-up/drop-off. Flooding of the inbound track and platform during heavy rains was a recurrent problem. The town appropriated $80,000 () in 2012 for a feasibility study and conceptual design of a rebuilt station.

Conceptual plans for the reconstruction were presented in June 2014. A rebuilt station with a pedestrian-only deck was projected to cost $26 million (equivalent to $ million in ), while a deck incorporating a loop for MetroWest Regional Transit Authority buses would add $17 million ($ million).

In July 2014, the MBTA agreed to the town's request to change the station's name to Natick Center as part of a larger rebranding of the downtown area. Online maps were changed shortly thereafter; the renaming became official on January 12, 2015. By early 2019, the island platform design was replaced with two side platforms. The platforms would be closer to their existing locations, with no entrance from Spring Street; a footbridge rather than a plaza would be located at Walnut Street. The third center track would not be added as part of initial construction, but space would be left between the two main tracks to add it in the future.

Construction of two railway platforms in an open cut
Construction work in November 2023, with the short temporary platforms in use

The construction contract was put out to bid in August 2019 with a cost estimated at $36.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ). A $36.1 million contract (equivalent to $ million in ) was awarded on November 4, 2019. Construction began in March 2020 with completion expected in September 2022. Demolition of the canopy took place in May 2020. A temporary platform on the south side was installed later in the year. In July 2020, the state awarded $125,000 () for design of the final 1300 ft segment of the Cochituate Rail Trail, including the connection with the new station. Construction in 2021 included platform supports, drainage, and a retaining wall.

The MBTA issued a $28 million design contract (equivalent to $ million in ) in June 2021 for a project to add a third track from Weston to Framingham, including through Natick Center. The track was projected to be complete in 2030. In February 2022, the MBTA indicated that completion would be delayed to early 2024 due to supply chain issues and soil conditions requiring modification of a retaining wall design. By December 2022, construction was 45% complete, with the east ramps nearly finished. By that time, expected completion was further delayed to fall 2024.

The east ramps were put into service on February 13, 2023, to access temporary platforms east of Washington Street, allowing the old platforms to be demolished and the new permanent platforms built. The Walnut Street footbridge was closed on March 2, 2023. By November 2023, construction was 70% complete and expected to finish in September 2024. By June 2024, work was still 70% complete, with completion expected in December 2024. By December 2024, work was 75% complete, with completion expected in May 2025. The eastern portion of the new accessible inbound platform, including the elevator, opened on July 21, 2025. The eastern portion of the outbound platform and its elevator opened on July 28. Construction continued on the west portions of the platforms. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on August 11.

References

References

  1. "Natick Center". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  2. {{MBTA Commuter Rail 2024 ridership
  3. (August 5, 2019). "MBTA Natick Center Station Project Update". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  4. (September 2016). "Downtown Natick New Parking Program". Town of Natick.
  5. "Natick Center". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  6. (1985). "Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years". Boston Street Railway Association.
  7. Dickinson, S.N.. (1838). "The Boston Almanac for the Year 1838".
  8. Bacon, Oliver N.. (1856). "A history of Natick, from its first settlement in 1651 to the present time".
  9. (January 1980). "MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Natick". Massachusetts Historical Commission.
  10. (June 2, 1845). "Report of the Directors of the Boston and Worcester Railroad". Boston and Worcester Railroad.
  11. (June 1, 1846). "Report of the Directors of the Boston and Worcester Railroad". Boston and Worcester Railroad.
  12. (June 7, 1847). "Report of the Directors of the Boston and Worcester Railroad". Boston and Worcester Railroad.
  13. (1869). "Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1869". Massachusetts General Court.
  14. (January 14, 1874). "A Day of Fires". The Boston Globe.
  15. (April 29, 1874). "The Natick Crossing". The Boston Globe.
  16. (1874). "Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1874". Massachusetts General Court.
  17. (November 6, 1874). "Natick". The Boston Globe.
  18. (November 29, 1875). "Scenes In and About the State-House". The Springfield Daily Republican.
  19. (March 1888). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
  20. (1875). "County Atlas of Middlesex, Massachusetts". J.B. Beers & Co..
  21. (1897). "Thirtieth Annual Report of the Boston and Albany Railroad to the Stockholders". Boston and Albany Railroad.
  22. (1887). "Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1887". Massachusetts General Court.
  23. (1890). "Acts and resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the Year 1890". Massachusetts General Court.
  24. Healey, John. (August 1990). "Written Historical and Descriptive Data". Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service.
  25. (January 1896). "Twenty-seventh Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners". Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners.
  26. (December 16, 1894). "Changing the B & A at Natick". The Boston Globe.
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  28. (May 1899). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
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  30. Roy, John H. Jr.. (2007). "A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses". Branch Line Press.
  31. (May 1899). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
  32. (May 1899). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
  33. (March 1904). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
  34. (January 1908). "Thirty-ninth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners". Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners.
  35. (December 1915). "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts". Sanborn Map Company.
  36. (1986). "Boston's Commuter Rail: Second Section". Boston Street Railway Association.
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  38. (March 30, 1960). "125 B&A Trains Will Make Last Runs In Bay State Tomorrow". The North Adams Transcript.
  39. (May 5, 1960). "Pact Saves 8 B&A Runs For a Year". The Boston Globe.
  40. Carr, Robert B.. (January 25, 1973). "MBTA gets $19.5m to buy rail lines". The Boston Globe.
  41. (January 1973). "Certificate". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  42. (July 1, 1985). "Conrail Trackage Rights Agreement". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  43. (1981). "1980 Annual Report". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  44. Mulcahy, Richard T.. (March 23, 1982). "Historic Bridge Inventory & Evaluation". Massachusetts Historical Commission.
  45. (1982). "Annual Report 1981". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  46. Barlow, John. (February 1983). "Inbound T to Boston South Station arriving Natick".
  47. (1983). "1982 Annual Report". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  48. (April 3, 2002). "Independent State Auditor's Report on Certain Activities of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: July 1, 1996 to July 31, 2001". Auditor of the Commonwealth.
  49. McMahon Associates. (June 18, 2014). "Natick Center MBTA Commuter Rail Station Improvements: Statement of Purpose and Need". Town of Natick.
  50. (August 21, 2015). "Heavy rains cause commuter rail delays, snarl commute". Boston Globe.
  51. Henrich, Michael. (30 September 2015). "Storm causes flooding on MBTA Commuter Rail tracks". FOX25 Boston.
  52. (June 15, 2014). "Natick Center MBTA Commuter Rail Station: Feasibility Study and Conceptual Design for Upgrades (Draft)". Town of Natick.
  53. (June 18, 2014). "Implementation Framework". Town of Natick.
  54. Benson, Brian. (August 4, 2014). "MBTA backs Natick Center station name change". MetroWest Daily News.
  55. Arsenault, Charlene. (January 12, 2015). "MBTA Commuter Rail Station Now 'Natick Center Station'". Natick Patch.
  56. Benson, Brian. (December 17, 2017). "Natick Center train station design progressing". Metrowest Daily News.
  57. (February 13, 2019). "MBTA Natick Center Station Accessibility Improvements: Public Meeting". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  58. (August 30, 2019). "Notice to Bidders". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  59. (November 4, 2019). "FMCB Approves Contract for Major Improvements at Natick Center Station". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  60. Malachowski, Jeff. (April 8, 2020). "Long-awaited $40 million reconstruction of the Natick Center commuter rail station is underway". Metrowest Daily News.
  61. (June 2020). "Natick Center Station Accessibility Improvements". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  62. Brelsford, Laura. (November 30, 2020). "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—November 2020". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility.
  63. (July 2020). "2020 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  64. Kelly, Maribel. (June 21, 2021). "MBTA Contract No. C72PS01: Worcester Line Track and Stations Accessibility Improvements (P0261) Design and Engineering Services". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  65. Doherty, John. (February 2022). "Natick Center Station Accessibility Improvements". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  66. (December 6, 2022). "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—December 2022". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility.
  67. (March 21, 2023). "Alerts: Framingham/Worcester Line". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  68. (November 27, 2023). "System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—November 2023". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility.
  69. (June 25, 2024). "Accessibility Initiatives—June 2024". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  70. (December 6, 2024). "Accessibility Initiatives—December 2024". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  71. (July 18, 2025). "Natick Center Station Accessibility Improvements". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  72. (August 11, 2025). "Healey-Driscoll Administration, MBTA Celebrate Natick Center Station Upgrades". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Wikipedia Source

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