Ansonia (Metro-North New Haven Line Waterbury Branch)

Ansonia is another simple station in disrepair along the Naugatuck River (its just behind the concrete wall of the Ansonia Flood Wall on the opposite side of the tracks) on the neglected Waterbury Branch. The is along the waterfront in a town that once had quite a bit of manufacturing.

The station itself is low-level with a concrete platform that can accommodate about 1.5 train cars. The platform doesn't look like it's been repaved in many, many years. There is a 100 font long wooden canopy along the platform that desperately needs to be repainted many colors are visible. The only other platform amenity is a glorified bus shelter waiting area to protect passengers from the wind where is a small display with the timetable. The station like the rest on the Waterbury Shuttle has no Ticket Vending Machine so tickets can be purchased on board the train with no surcharges.

The station is at the northern tip of a triangular-shaped station parking lot. With the northern end directly across from the T-intersection of Railroad Avenue and Main Street. This parking lot contains approximately 75 spaces.

Between the time of my first visit in 2008, until a second visit in 2023, the station received a minimal amount of work and additional amenities, the former wooden boxes for boarding passengers has been replaced by a small section of the platform with a tactile warning strip. Secondly, two more shelters, these have a triangular roof design, and are complete with unused advertising panel on one side, have supplemented the original white domed bus shelter. These also are only enclosed on 3 and not 4 sides. All shelters have benches inside them. The recycling center has been replaced and is now green instead of Metro-North Blue.
Photos 1-4: 12 June, 2008; 5-38: November 27, 2023;

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Looking down the old looking low-level platform at Ansonia, with the wooden platform canopy along with the bus shelter windscreen visible.

A close up of the glorified bus shelter and an Ansonia station sign with very small text on one side of the wooden canopy.

The other end of the quite wide concrete platform at Ansonia with the wooden canopy visible, the only station signs are on either end of the canopy.

A view of the other end of the platform with the wooden windscreen and glorified bus shelter visible, along with the wooden platform that acts as a six-inch boost to get up to the bottom of the stairs to board the Shoreliner cars at Ansonia.

The Shoreliners at the back of a longer than necessary Shuttle Train stopped at the station

Passengers head up the steps at one of two open doors to board a Bridgeport-bound shuttle train. This is while a passenger helps another passenger down the steps - as a good Samaritan, this should be the conductor's job.

The wooden platform canopy, and a bunch newer bus shelter

The conductor closes one of the doors so this Shuttle train can depart

Metro-North Shoreliner VI Cab-Car #6311 prepares to leave Ansonia

The blur of Shoreliner VI Cab-Car #6311 leading a Bridgeport-bound Waterbury branch train out of the station

The blur of Shoreliner II Thelonious Monk leaves the station

The rear (currently closed to passengers) Shoreliner of a much too long for Waterbury Branch ridership leaves the simple Ansonia Station platform

P32AC-DM #226 pushes a southbound Bridgeport-bound train south passing through a gap of the Ansonia flood wall (that can be closed when the Naugatuck River floods)

Zooming through the flood wall at P32AC-DM #226 continues south with an unnecessary 6 cars

Looking past the very simple short station platform

A new shelter on a new concrete pad on the station platform

One of now 3 platform shelters (notice the unused advertising panel) in this one

The old wooden platform canopy, a newer shelter next to the original shelter

Do you want a slightly more open shelter or an older shelter with a bit of a windscreen

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