Montello station is an

MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track on 12 lines to 142 stations. It ...

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 105,643 at the 2020 United States census. Along with Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, ...

. It serves the

Fall River/New Bedford Line The Fall River/New Bedford Line (formerly the Middleborough/Lakeville Line) is a commuter rail line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in southeastern Massachusetts, United States. It runs south from Boston to Taunton, Massachusetts, Taunton, where ...

. Located north of downtown Brockton, it has two full-length high-level platforms serving the line's two tracks, and is fully accessible.

History

The Fall River Railroad opened through North Bridgewater (later Brockton) in 1846. It merged in 1854 into the

Old Colony and Fall River Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, ...

, which became the

Old Colony Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, ...

after several name changes. By 1884, residents and shoe manufacturers in the Huntington Heights area of northern Brockton desired a station. After failing to reach an agreement with an abutting property owner, the railroad took the needed land by

eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...

in April 1884. Construction of Huntington Heights station and freight house began that June. The brick station building was on the west side of the tracks, with the freight house on the east side. The station opened later in 1884. Residents immediately desired to change the name of the station. Their first choice was "Newburg", but the second choice of "Montello" was chosen instead. The name change took effect on January 15, 1885. A new freight house was built in 1886. The

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to 1968. Founded by the merger of ...

acquired the Old Colony in 1893. A new passenger shelter designed by

Bradford Gilbert Bradford Lee Gilbert (March 24, 1853 – September 1, 1911) was a nationally active American architect based in New York City. He is known for designing the Tower Building in 1889, the first steel-framed building anywhere and the first skyscr ...

and a new freight house were built at Montello around 1896 during the elimination of grade crossings in Brockton. Montello station closed on June 30, 1959, when all remaining Old Colony Division service ended. A new station opened on September 29, 1997, along with the rest of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line.

References

External links

MBTA – Montello
Former Old Colony Railroad stations MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Railway stations in the United States opened in 1997 Buildings and structures in Brockton, Massachusetts {{Massachusetts-railstation-stub