Merritt 7 station

Metro-North Railroad station in Connecticut

41°08′53″N 73°25′40″W / 41.14803°N 73.42768°W / 41.14803; -73.42768Owned byConnecticut Department of Transportation[1]Operated byConnecticut Department of Transportation[1]Platforms1 side platformTracks1ConnectionsBus transport Norwalk Transit District: Route 7 LinkConstructionParking88 spaces[2]AccessibleYesOther informationFare zone41HistoryOpenedJuly 29, 1985[3]RebuiltSeptember 2020–June 7, 2023Passengers2018181 daily boardings[4] Services
Preceding station Metro-North Railroad Following station
South Norwalk
Terminus
 Danbury Branch Wilton
toward Danbury
South Norwalk
toward Stamford or Grand Central
Location
Map

Merritt 7 station is a commuter rail stop on the Danbury Branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, located in Norwalk, Connecticut. Merritt 7 is named after an adjacent business park based near the interchange of the Merritt Parkway and Route 7. The station has one high-level 6-car long side platform to the west of the single track. It is owned and operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT).[1]

History

The new Merritt 7 station under construction in March 2021.

The Merritt 7 corporate park built the station while separating the station from building entrances by a fence to make the complex transit adjacent but not transit-oriented.[5] The station was opened on July 29, 1985, by Metro-North. At the time of its opening, it was the only privately built rail station in Connecticut. Construction of the station cost $750,000.[3]

The station was rebuilt with a 510-foot (160 m) six-car-long high-level platform on the west side of the tracks, slightly north of the former station. The new station has a full-length canopy and an accessible pedestrian overpass with elevators.[6] The state authorized funding for the project in 2017.[7] Bidding took place in April–June 2020; construction began that September.[8][7] The new platform opened on June 7, 2023, but the opening of the footbridge over the tracks to the office park was delayed due to supply chain issues with glass panels,[9] which opened on January 12, 2024.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Office of Rail, Bureau of Public Transportation (January 2007). "New Haven Line Train Station Visual Inspection, Summary Report" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation.
  2. ^ Urbitran Associates Inc. (July 2003). "Task 2: Technical Memorandum parking Inventory and Utilization: Final Report" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. Table 1: New Haven Line Parking Capacity and Utilization, Page 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Charles, Eleanor (July 28, 1985). "Rail Station For Corporate Park". The New York Times. p. CN11. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Metro-North 2018 Weekday Station Boardings. Metro-North Railroad Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group. April 2019. p. 6.
  5. ^ Connecticut Department of Transportation January 2007 Visual Inspection Report
  6. ^ Guenther Chapman, Nancy (February 2, 2017). "Merritt 7 train station construction funded by state". Nancy on Norwalk.
  7. ^ a b Dylan, Jonah (March 20, 2023). "Opening of new train station at Norwalk's Merritt 7 stop delayed until summer, CTDOT says". New Haven Register. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "State Contracting Portal Solicitation Details". State of Connecticut. June 17, 2020.
  9. ^ Lutge, Katherine (July 23, 2023). "Pedestrian bridge at Merritt 7 train station in Norwalk delayed by supply chain; new platform opens". The Hour. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  10. ^ Ludge, Katherine (January 12, 2024). "Footbridge bridge at Merritt 7 train station opens to public: 'Much-needed pedestrian connection'". The Hour. Hearst Communications. Retrieved January 13, 2024.

External links

Media related to Merritt 7 station at Wikimedia Commons

  • Metro-North station page for Merritt 7
  • List of upcoming Metro-North train departure times and track assignments from MTA
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Park Avenue main lineHarlem LineHudson Line
Penn Station service (planned)
New Haven Line
New Canaan Branch
Danbury Branch
Waterbury Branch
Penn Station service (planned)
Pascack Valley Line
Port Jervis Line
Former route
  • Harriman
  • Monroe
  • Chester
  • Goshen
  • Middletown
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Italics denote closed/future stations and line segments. Asterisks indicate stations closed prior to the formation of Metro-North
Stations south of Pearl River and Sloatsburg are operated and owned by NJ Transit