By Samantha Turner, republished with permission from Narragansett-South Kingstown Patch.com.
In the 1950s, Bob Cioe dreamed that one day commuters would line the platform at a train station in Wickford. More than 50 years later, that dream is nearly a reality.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced that commuter rail service to Wickford Junction in North Kingstown will begin on Monday, April 23. Commuter trains will bring passengers from Wickford to Warwick, Providence and Boston Monday through Friday – offering 20 trips per day. (Scroll down for the complete list of times.)
According to DOT officials, travel time to Warwick will be about 15 minutes, to Providence will be 35 minutes and to Boston’s South Station will be just less then two hours. Fares will vary according to destination, ranging from $2.25 for a trip to Warwick each way ($3 starting July 1, 2012) to $9 each way ($11 starting July 1, 2012) up to Boston. The Wickford to Providence route will be $2.50 each way (jumping to $3.25 this summer).
Tickets are half price for seniors and those with physical disabilities. Kids 11 years and younger are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Monthly passes for unlimited travel to Providence ($89) are also available, along with ones for Boston ($308).
According to RIDOT Director Michael Lewis, the expansion of the commuter rail to Wickford will help alleviate congestion along the Route 4 and Route I-95 corridor during peak hours.
Construction began on the $32 million project in September 2010, which was largely aided by federal grants. The station features an 848-foot platform with seating and covered areas and a four-story parking garage – large enough to house 1,100 cars. (Parking will cost $4 per day.) The garage also features 10 charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles, bike racks, heated and air-conditioned bathrooms, indoor waiting area and even a coffee shop.
Though construction began only 19 months ago, the vision of a train station in Wickford has been at the forefront of Bob Cioe’s mind for years. Owner of Wickford Junction, the North Kingstown native’s love for trains began when he was in college. Trying to save money while attending college in Boston, Cioe took the train from South County to Boston every day. The experience won him over, and he’s hoping it will do the same for families and travelers decades later. (If you want to see how much this project means to Bob Cioe, check out WPRI’s video here.)
Inbound Trains (leaving Wickford to Warwick, Providence and South Station)
- 4:50 a.m.
- 5:58 a.m.
- 6:37 a.m.
- 7:45 a.m.
- 9:10 a.m.
- 1:10 p.m.
- 3:40 p.m.
- 6:55 p.m. (only to Providence)
- 7:50 p.m. (only to Providence)
- 10:10 p.m.
Outbound Trains (arriving to Wickford from Warwick, Providence and South Station)
- 5:43 a.m. (arriving from Warwick and Providence only)
- 6:17 a.m. (arriving from Warwick and Providence only)
- 7:32 a.m. (arriving from Warwick and Providence only)
- 8:54 a.m.
- 12:59 p.m.
- 3:26 p.m.
- 5:41 p.m.
- 6:42 p.m.
- 7:18 p.m.
- 9:55 p.m.