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A HISTORY OF THE RAILROAD STATIONS WHICH SERVED PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND

1848 to 1896

1898 to 1986

1986 to the Present

AN OVERVIEW

Railway service began in Providence in July 1835 when the Boston & Providence Railroad crossed the Seekonk River on a movable bridge and terminated at a dock at India Point from which passengers from Boston could reach New York City by steamboat. In 1838, the New York, Providence & Boston opened a station on the Providence River in south Providence and provided a rail route to the New York steamers at Stonington. The two Providence stations were connected by a ferry boat for about ten years until a Union Station was built in the center of Providence which joined the B&P, the NYP&B and the just opened Providence & Worcester railroad. The Union Station was outgrown by Providence and in 1898 a new station was opened by the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad with substantially larger facilities than were had by the several Providence railroads which it now controlled. Eventually the new station failed to meet Providence's needs and it was replaced in 1986 by a modern structure from which Amtrak provides fast electric service to Boston, New York and Washington. The New Haven railroad was merged in 1969 and its sucessors, Penn Central and Conrail, are also gone. However, freight trains of the reborn Providence & Worcester still pass through the Amtrak station.

A new New York, New Haven & Hartford I-3 Pacific type locomotive built by Baldwin in 1913 is ready to leave Providence with a New York express as soon as the baggage and express is fully loaded.

A New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Alco built PA-1 is leaving Providence with a New York express in 1957.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

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For additional information about the railroads in Rhode Island go to:

http://sites.google.com/site/rhodeislandrailroads

http://sites.google.com/site/roundhousesinprovidenceri

http://sites.google.com/site/humpyardprovidence

http://sites.google.com/site/pawtucketcentralfalls

http://sites.google.com/site/moshassuckvalleyrailroad

http://sites.google.com/site/nynhhsteam

http://sites.google.com/site/rhodeislandlocomotiveworks

My other railroad station sites are:

http://sites.google.com/site/massachusettsrailroadstations

http://sites.google.com/site/newenglandrailroadstations

Site constructed by Edward J. Ozog