Pawtucket/Central Falls train station opens - what to know

PAWTUCKET — When the first commuter train to make a scheduled stop in Pawtucket in decades rolled in at 4:20 a.m. Monday, even the MBTA's ticketing app didn't seem to believe what was happening: It wouldn't offer a one-way fare from Providence.

Hours later, conductors weren't collecting tickets anyway when most of the state's top elected officials bundled into a reserved car bound for the new $63-million Pawtucket-Central Falls station.

"This has been a long time coming," Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien told a big crowd before a ribbon-cutting for the station off of Pine Street. He credited the idea and siting of the station to city public works employees under former Mayor James Doyle.

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After years of talking about it, plans to build the station plan began to pick up steam in 2015 when consultants produced a design roughly similar to what now exists and the city began applying for grants. A $13-million federal grant awarded in 2016 kicked the project into high gear.

"When people start coming into this station and head over to the new soccer stadium and all of the development that will happen there ... the multitude of economic investments in this general area is only going to help raise our incomes," said Gov. Dan McKee.

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What did Rhode Island get for $63M?

The new Pawtucket station has two high-level boarding platforms — one for each Northeast Corridor track that passes through — with roofs over those platforms and a series of ramps and stairs allowing riders to cross from one platform to another.

Surrounding the station are 200 parking spaces and a drop-off zone that includes five bus berths. The state Department of Transportation may double the number of parking spaces if there is demand for them.

City leaders hope that the conversion of nearby industrial space into apartments will accelerate now that the station is open.

There are only portable toilets now, but the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority plans to include restrooms as part of a "passenger amenity center" attached to the station's bus hub. RIPTA is going out to bid for amenity center design this year.

When it is built, the facility should have public restrooms, bus driver restrooms, a driver break room, a police sub-station, an interior waiting area with seats, charging stations, and customer-service people," RIPTA spokeswoman Barbara Polichetti said.

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Lawmakers approved spending $5 million in federal COVID funds for the amenity center last summer.

Bathrooms had been part of the original rail station design, but were cut out of it to keep costs under control.

The initial projected sticker price for the station was $40 million, and that included building two extra tracks so trains stopping at the station will not slow trains passing through. When the design was slimmed down, DOT officials said there aren't enough trains using the tracks now to make the extra tracks necessary.

Of the $63 million cost of the station, $43 million was picked up by the federal government.

Twenty trains in each direction are scheduled to stop at Pawtucket station each weekday, and roughly half that number on the weekends.

Ten RIPTA bus lines stop at the station, including the R-Line.

How much does the Pawtucket commuter rail cost?

An MBTA ticket between Pawtucket and Providence costs $2.75. Pawtucket to T.F. Green International Airport costs $3.25, and to get to Boston's South Station costs $12.25.

The trip from Providence to Pawtucket took six minutes. A ride from Pawtucket to South Station is scheduled to take around an hour and 10 minutes, assuming there are no delays.

The trip to Boston will take a little longer if Massachusetts repairs the now closed South Attleboro station about two miles away and trains resume stops there.

Over the last few years, Rhode Island governors have explored ways to make the rail connection between Providence and Boston faster, more frequent, less expensive and more reliable.

At the urging of consultants, Gina Raimondo at one point proposed passes that would allow riders to make the commute on Amtrak trains, and then looked at creating special express trains between Rhode Island and Boston. Neither project went anywhere.

McKee's 2030 plan mentions regional rail initiatives, but when asked Monday whether he is working with Massachusetts officials on anything involving rail, he didn't point to anything.

In addition to McKee, Grebien and Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr., the state's congressional delegation made the train trip for the ribbon cutting, as did Secretary of State Gregg Amore and Treasurer James Diossa, who worked on the project when he was Central Falls mayor.

After the event, none were on the next train heading back to Providence.

What will happen to the old station?

Around a bend in the tracks from the new station is the 1916 Central Falls-Pawtucket station that has been closed since 1959.

The now derelict station spanning the tracks is privately owned, and Alviti Monday said Amtrak wants it torn down.

"I can remember 20 years ago walking with Mayor Doyle through the old Central Falls-Pawtucket station wondering what we could do to revive it, what we could do to revive transit in the city of Pawtucket and Central Falls," Sen. Jack Reed said at the ribbon cutting.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Pawtucket/Central Falls station opens: Schedule, ticket price, parking