Old Saybrook (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Old Saybrook is a regional rail
station
located in Old Saybrook
, Connecticut
. It is served by both Amtrak
regional rail and the Connecticut Department of Transportation
's Shore Line East
commuter service.
, the busiest passenger railway in the United States
, Old Saybrook station serves some of the rail services that pass through the station. Only a select few trains on Amtrak's Northeast Regional train line stop at Old Saybrook. No high-speed Acela Express
trains serve the station but some stop at the following southbound and northbound stations, New Haven
and New London
, respectively. However, all Shore Line East
commuter rail trains stop at Old Saybrook; it serves as the eastern terminus for some trains. (New London is the eastern terminus of the line, with approximately half terminating there.)
Old Saybrook features a common track setup, with one island platform
and one side platform
. Unlike the two-track commuter-rail-only stations on the 81.6km (50.7 mile) stretch of the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and New London, there are three tracks at Old Saybrook, presumably to handle terminal trains on Shore Line East
.
Of the twelve Connecticut stations served by Amtrak, Old Saybrook was the sixth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 175 passengers daily.
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
located in Old Saybrook
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook Manor.-History:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It is served by both Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
regional rail and the Connecticut 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...
's Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
commuter service.
Service
Located on the Northeast CorridorNortheast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
, the busiest passenger railway in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Old Saybrook station serves some of the rail services that pass through the station. Only a select few trains on Amtrak's Northeast Regional train line stop at Old Saybrook. No high-speed Acela Express
Acela Express
The Acela Express is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York...
trains serve the station but some stop at the following southbound and northbound stations, New Haven
Union Station (New Haven)
Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station was completed and opened in 1920 after the previous Union Station was...
and New London
New London (Amtrak station)
New London Union Station is an historic regional rail station located in New London, Connecticut, United States. It is served by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's Shore Line East...
, respectively. However, all Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
commuter rail trains stop at Old Saybrook; it serves as the eastern terminus for some trains. (New London is the eastern terminus of the line, with approximately half terminating there.)
Old Saybrook features a common track setup, with one island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
and one side platform
Side 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...
. Unlike the two-track commuter-rail-only stations on the 81.6km (50.7 mile) stretch of the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and New London, there are three tracks at Old Saybrook, presumably to handle terminal trains on Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
.
Of the twelve Connecticut stations served by Amtrak, Old Saybrook was the sixth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 175 passengers daily.
Parking
Ridership increases have rendered the station's parking lot insufficient, causing commuters to park along roads in town. The town of Old Saybrook is pressuring the Connecticut Department of Transportation to add parking space.Transit connections
- Estuary Transit DistrictEstuary Transit DistrictEstuary Transit District is the public transit provider for Connecticut River Estuary region. ETD provides public transit service through its 9 Town Transit service to the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook, Connecticut...
Shoreline Shuttle, Riverside Shuttle, and Niantic Shuttle. Also served by express bus service to MiddletownMiddletown, ConnecticutMiddletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
.
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.