 Hartford, CT | Northeast Regional: New Haven — Springfield Shuttle | Windsor Locks, CT  |
Windsor, Connecticut is a stop on the Amtrak owned, diesel New Haven - Springfield Line that receives service on Weekdays from one direct Northeast Regional train and from 4 New Haven — Springfield Shuttles, (there is an additional northbound direct train on Friday evenings). Weekend service is actually more with 5 southbound shuttles (6 on sundays) but only 4 northbound. There is one southbound direct train that stops at the station (an additional train skips it) and two northbound direct trains on Saturday and just one on Sunday. It is currently the only Amtrak station in Connecticut the Vermonter bypasses. It is the least busy station in Connecticut with 10,269 boardings and alightings in FY-2011 (Amtrak Connecticut Fact Sheet, Link) which is probably the reason the Vermonter skips it. Confusion can also be caused by the fact the Vermonter stops at Windsor, VT a station with even less (almost a twentieth) of the ridership compared to here and is know to be confused as Windsor, CT by Northeast corridor conductors. The stop would be one on Connecticut DOTs proposed New Haven-Springfield commuter rail line that would bring more frequent commuter service to the corridor using their equipment.
The depot building itself is a historic structure built in circa-1871 and was rebuilt into the Windsor Multi-Modal Transportation Facility in 1988. The structure is clearly victorian with a wrap-around porch elevated a few steps up from the brick platform and sidewalk that surrounds it. The depot is currently mostly used for (vacant I think right now) commercial tenants but a single door leads to a tiny public alcove (no bench) for a public restroom. Intermodal connections at the depot are from just 3 CT Transit Bus Routes. The station platform is a rarity consisting of a brick surface. There is no tactile warning strip or yellow line on the platform edge (ADA didn't pass until 1990) the red bricks continue up to the edge of the single track. There is a line of grey bricks (that would be the yellow line) and some are engraved to say Stand Back. The platform begins at the grade-crossing with Central Street and extends north for the length of about two cars, only in front of the depot and ends at a path to a small parking lot. Just beyond the platform along this path is one of the modern silver Amtrak information panels with its fading changeable information. The box is installed in reverse, the Thank You for Choosing Amtrak part on grassy knoll above the platform, the information panels facing the path and track. Other signage for the station are a few of the blue pointless arrow era signs on the depot, one has had the arrow covered with the new logo. There is also an Amtrak police phone call box on the platform. The portion of the platform just beneath the depot has two extremely long benches and 3 trash cans.
All photos were taken on 21 November, 2011
