Canton Junction
Canton Junction is named because it is still a true railroad junction station. The stop is where the short 3 mile Stoughton Branch leaves the mainline of the Northeast Corridor. The mainline tracks are used by Amtrak trains that bypass the station and trains continuing to Providence and Wickford Junction in Rhode Island. These tracks are electrified although all MBTA Commuter Rail trains operate as diesel under wire. Trains on both branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line stop at the stations with Boston-bound passengers needing to make sure they are at the proper platform depending upon if their inbound train is coming from Stoughton or points in Rhode Island, all weekend service comes from Rhode Island since service to Stoughton is only Monday through Friday. The Stoughton Branch tracks are not electrified.
The station contains basically four platforms (depending upon how you count) for the four tracks in the station area. These platforms each are low-level with a ramp leading up to a mini-high level platform at their southern end. The mini-high platform has a canopy and bench on it that provides the only covering other than from the footbridge structure except along the Inbound platform from Stoughton that contains the station’s depot. The platforms are all connected by a silver metal footbridge structure with three sets of staircases and switchbacking ramps (two switchbacks on each of the ramp structures) connecting each platform.
The Providence Line tracks are dead straight through the station area. Starting from the west there is a side platform along a parking lot for Rhode Island-bound trains, this parking lot leads out to parallel Jackson Street. This is labeled Platform A. This platform and the Inbound Providence Line platform have Amtrak installed train approaching stand behind yellow line digital signs and annoucements.
Next are the platforms for Inbound Providence Line trains (Platform B), and Stoughton-bound trains (Platform C). These platforms start as basically an island platform at their northern ends, soon a fence splits the platforms in two as their elevations change slighlty, the Stoughton platform going down to a slightly lower grade than the Providence-bound Inbound platform before the single, combined ramp/staircase structure arrives at these platforms before the platforms completely split apart. The Inbound Providence Line platform continuous straight to the south, while the Stoughton-bound platform curves to the east. Just beyond the footbridge an extra track begins that follows the Stoughton-bound platform, although this track doesn’t properly platform. These two platforms have their own entrance via a path that arrives at the platforms just south of the footbridge. This path then follows the opposite side of the unused siding track and following the Stoughton-bound platform area before leading south to Revere Street arriving at Revere Street by a new apartment building development, the Coppersmith Condominiums.
The final platform is Platform D for Inbound trains from the Stoughton Branch. This platform is nearly completely offset from the other two platforms, beginning with its mini-high platform just north of the pedestrian footbridge and continuing north until just before the Spaulding Street overpass. The northern end of the platform contains only three tracks, because it is north of the switch where the Inbound track from Providence and Outbound track from Stoughton diverge.
The reason this platform is so far offset is because it contains the stations historic 1893 depot. This stone station building contains a cafe, Copper City Expresso, with signs for the cafe hanging outside the depot beneath black with white text hand painted Canton Junction signs. The inside of the cafe uses most of the formerly back-office rooms of the station building with single tables in little rooms like the former conductors lounge - still painted on the wall - providing neat nooks to sit and relax in while drinking a coffee. The station house also leads to proper attached canopy structures providing additional coverage for the Boston-bound from Stoughton Platform. It feels very clear that originally this depot led out to wooden boarding areas leading to boarding for all of the tracks at the station before the footbridge was built. Just south of the depot is another large parking lot, along with access to Sherman Street with a few steps leading down from the platform to Sherman Street that curves to be parallel with the railroad line in the station area.
Photos 1-82: June 20, 2024;
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Last Updated: September 14, 2024
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Sharon
