Opened 1847 Closed 1941 | Rebuilt 1882 | |
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Line(s) Providence and Worcester Railroad Location 1 Depot Square; Woonsocket, Rhode Island Similar Blackstone River Valley Na, Blackstone River Valley Na, Blackstone River Greenway, Museum of Work and Culture, Slater Mill Historic Site | ||
Woonsocket Depot is a former railroad station located at Depot Square in downtown Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It was built by the Providence and Worcester Railroad in 1882 to replace a previous station built in 1847.
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Hachiko
Depot Square was the central filming location for Hachi: A Dog's Tale in 2009. A statue of the dog, HachikÅ, was installed in front of the station in May 2012.
Renovation and proposed return of rail service
The building was renovated by William (Bill) Dogan and was the headquarters for Develco a (now defunct) real estate development company during the 1970s who was responsible for building Lincoln Mall and the Marquette building in Woonsocket, R.I.
The building serves as the headquarters for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council organizes a Polar Express excursion each year which operates from Woonsocket Depot.
In February 2016, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation leased the depot to the Boston Surface Railroad (BSR) to be used by the company as a hub for commuter service between Providence, Rhode Island and Worcester, Massachusetts. Later, the depot was designated as the headquarters for the BSR. The BSR plans to build a platform on the western side of the station for high boarding. The company also announced that the Polar Express excursion trains will continue after the BSR begins service. The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor will be relocating from the depot to a mill in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.