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Noroton Heights (Metro-North station)
Encyclopedia
The Noroton Heights Metro-North Railroad
station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut
via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal
.
The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95
. The highway borders the southern side of the station, which faces Heights Road to the north, Hollow Tree Ridge Road to the west and has access to Noroton Avenue to the east (via Ledge Road). The station is one of two in Darien; the other is the Darien Metro-North train station
.
The Noroton Heights station building is "unique in that it resembles an overgrown Plexiglass
[sic] shelter protected by a metal lean-to," according to a January 2007 state Department of Transportation
report. According to the report, the station is a "notable alternative to the downtown Stamford train station. The Noroton Heights station is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. All the railroad parking at the station (772 spaces) is owned by the state. The farthest available parking spaces are as much as 1,500 feet from the station.
s, each 10 cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
-bound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.
had plans to put an underground 345-kV cable along the south edge of the eastbound parking lot (just north of Interstate 95). The state Department of Transportation agreed to the location because it would "minimize the potential impact to any future parking structure built at this site."
In 1989, the attractive former station building was slated for demolition. Instead, a group of Darien residents changed it into "The Depot", a youth center. The building remains at the far end of the train station, near the intersection of Noroton Avenue and Heights Road. Across the train tracks from "The Depot" is the Post 53 ambulance unit (which previously occupied "The Depot" building before moving into its more modern headquarters).
In recent years the town government of Darien has been collecting parking revenue from the station, which has gone into an improvement fund. The stairs leading to Hollow Tree Ridge Road were replaced in late 2010 along with new lighting being installed. Renovations will also include an update to the overpass (witch will be closed for renovations starting Jun 6, 2011). The improvement project is running behind schedule with the original completion date being December 2010, no new date has been announced.
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
.
The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
. The highway borders the southern side of the station, which faces Heights Road to the north, Hollow Tree Ridge Road to the west and has access to Noroton Avenue to the east (via Ledge Road). The station is one of two in Darien; the other is the Darien Metro-North train station
Darien (Metro-North station)
The Darien Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 37.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal. A small station house is located on the north side of the tracks...
.
The Noroton Heights station building is "unique in that it resembles an overgrown Plexiglass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
[sic] shelter protected by a metal lean-to," according to a January 2007 state Department of Transportation
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
report. According to the report, the station is a "notable alternative to the downtown Stamford train station. The Noroton Heights station is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. All the railroad parking at the station (772 spaces) is owned by the state. The farthest available parking spaces are as much as 1,500 feet from the station.
Platform and track configuration
This station has two high-level side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, each 10 cars long. The northern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-bound trains. The southern platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains.
The New Haven Line has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks, not adjacent to either platform, are used only by express trains.
History
As of January 2007, Northeast UtilitiesNortheast Utilities
Northeast Utilities is a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity and natural gas service to more than 2.1 million customers in New England....
had plans to put an underground 345-kV cable along the south edge of the eastbound parking lot (just north of Interstate 95). The state Department of Transportation agreed to the location because it would "minimize the potential impact to any future parking structure built at this site."
In 1989, the attractive former station building was slated for demolition. Instead, a group of Darien residents changed it into "The Depot", a youth center. The building remains at the far end of the train station, near the intersection of Noroton Avenue and Heights Road. Across the train tracks from "The Depot" is the Post 53 ambulance unit (which previously occupied "The Depot" building before moving into its more modern headquarters).
In recent years the town government of Darien has been collecting parking revenue from the station, which has gone into an improvement fund. The stairs leading to Hollow Tree Ridge Road were replaced in late 2010 along with new lighting being installed. Renovations will also include an update to the overpass (witch will be closed for renovations starting Jun 6, 2011). The improvement project is running behind schedule with the original completion date being December 2010, no new date has been announced.
See also
- Connecticut Rail Commuter CouncilConnecticut Rail Commuter CouncilThe Connecticut Rail Commuter Council is an independent state board that acts as an advocate for commuters on the Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads....
is the official state advocate for commuters and brings station problems to the attention of officials.