Amtrak closes historic Rhode Island station building

By Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Amtrak has closed a century-old station building in southern Rhode Island but says trains will continue to pick up and drop off passengers at an outdoor platform.

The last ticketing agent stopped working at the Westerly station at the end of the business day Friday.

The restrooms and indoor waiting room have also closed.

This has angered state and town officials, who claim they were blindsided by this decision. "Completely shocked," exclaimed Lisa Konicki, president of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce. 

For State Senator Dennis Algiere (R – District 38), revitalizing the century-old train station building has been a priority of his since he went into office more than 20 years ago. "Shocked and angry that [Amtrak] would do this. and there was absolutely no dialogue at all with this decision," he told ABC6 News. "People use the restrooms, they would like to get out of the elements, come inside when it’s raining, so we want to see if we can go back and reverse that [decision]."

Amtrak’s decision comes as more and more people buy their tickets online, at kiosks and through the mobile app. So, town officials fear further down the tracks that this downsizing may lead to Westerly no longer being a stop on Amtrak’s map. "[No station building] could potentially have the result of less people coming to our community to use our station knowing that that’s not available to them," explained Konicki.

The closest full-service stations are now 18 miles west in New London, Conn., and 22 miles northeast at Rhode Island’s Kingston station.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation owns the building and says it will look for a new tenant. It says it’s an attractive location because it’s in Westerly’s downtown commercial district. Algiere is also appealing to RIDOT about alternative ways to utilize the building if Amtrak doesn’t change its mind.

The depot was built in 1912 in a Spanish Colonial Revival style with a terra-cotta tile roof. It was renovated in the 1990s.

© WLNE-TV 2016