T.F. Green Airport/Warwick
T.F. Green Airport/Warwick opened on December 6, 2010 as a one stop extension on the MBTA Commuter Rail from Providence. T.F. Green Airport is the only station on the Northeast Corridor with a direct walking connection to the terminal that doesn’t require connecting to a Monorail or Shuttle Bus at the Newark International Airport and BWI Airport Rail Stations respectively. The station has only ever received limited weekday service – the station has never received regularly scheduled weekend service – with all trains to and from the station continuing to Wickford Junction after that extension opened in April 2010.
The station consists of a single full-length high-level platform located on an unelectrified siding track just to the west of the two mainline electrified tracks used by Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela Express Trains. All access to the platform is at its northern end where the Northeast Corridor passes directly through the middle of the bottom two levels of the four-level parking garage called the Interlink. The rest of the platform is alongside the parking lot of the Hyatt Place at Providence Airport (where I spent a couple nights) but the hotel has no direct access to the platform without walking all the way into the doors into the parking garage (that have a big Hyatt Guests only sign). This exposed part of the platform has an oddly placed silver canopy structure at its southern end, followed by a purple enclosed and modular waiting shelter near the entrance and parking garage.
The station is accessed via a ramp or a wide staircase down to the first level of the Interlink Parking Garage. The parking garage with the train station even has a motto “Interlink: Connecting you to New England” this first level contains a passenger kiss and ride loop plus a few sidewalks that lead out and through the parking garage to nearby Jefferson Blvd that includes a bus stop with infrequent RIPTA service.
The next level of the garage, Level 2 contains its own ramp and is for daily commuter parking ($5 for 24 hours), with more expensive multi-day rates ($35 per additional 24 hours). Passengers pay for parking at a shelter by the train station, via a ticket that they must also scan at a gate to exit. The third, forth, and fifth levels of the parking garage are the airports consolidated rental car center. These contain their own separate vehicle ramps near the main station entrances on Jefferson Blvd, that are separate than for passengers going to commuter parking. The outside of the garage, facing Jefferson Blvd has some decorative and colorful vertical lines trying to make the garage look more aesthetically pleasing.
Passengers who want to reach the airline terminal use a couple of elevators, or a staircase up to level 3. From here they have a complicated walk around the outside of the parking garage, including going over the train station before passing signs for the various rental car agencies. From here a short skybridge leads across Glenham Avenue to the Rental Car Counter area in a separate area.
After arriving rail passengers pass the rental car area they arrive of the core of the Interlink, a Skywalk. This is a 1,200 foot long fully enclosed and climate controlled bridge that connects the railroad station and rental car center with the 3rd level of the main TF Green Airport Terminal. This bridge requires traversing 4 different sets of moving walkways and passes over two additional streets Imera Avenue and Post Road. These streets contain various local buissiness (a Dunkin Donuts is clearly visible from the skywalk) but there is no additional access to these streets (except for emergency access), Post Road even has bus stops directly below the skywalk but there is no way to make an easy connection (without walking to the airport terminal and doubling-back) from these bus stops to the train station. Signs at the start of the Skywalk advise that it’s an 8 minute walk if you stand on the moving walkway, a 3.5 minute walk at a brisk pace, and electric cart service is available. In the short areas without moving walkways as the skywalk veers slightly there are benches for passengers to take breaks.
Passengers arrive at the terminal at Level 3 and can use elevators or stairs to go down one level to departures and two levels to arrivals and the RIPTA bus stop for additional bus connections just outside. The skywalk is signed in the airport as the Skywalk to Rental Cars and Trains with a number of large white on an orange background (not a standard look) T logos that go with the overall pictogram aesthetics of the airport’s signage.
Photos 1-16: June 18, 2024; 17-61: June 19, 2024; 62-74: June 20, 2024;
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Last Updated: August 16, 2024
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Wickford Jct