Westerly is a passenger rail station on the Northeast Corridor located just north of downtown Westerly, Rhode Island. It is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional.Westerly is one of a small number of Amtrak stations (along with Mystic and Aberdeen) on the Northeast Corridor that does not have high-level platforms for accessible boarding. However, Westerly is still handicapped accessible; passengers may use a portable lift to board trains, and the under-track passage includes a wheelchair lift on its staircases. Westerly is also one of three Northeast Corridor stations (along with adjacent Mystic to the south and Kingston to the north) that is served exclusively by Amtrak, with no commuter rail service.HistoryThe Westerly station opened along with the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad on November 17, 1837. The original depot was a small wooden structure, similar to those still extant at nearby Noank and West Mystic. In 1872, a new station - similar to those still standing at Kingston and East Greenwich - was constructed. It had a pedestrian tunnel (passenger subway) for passengers to reach the westbound platform and shelter.In 1912-13, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad constructed the present station as part of a curve straightening project. The station building was in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, as were several other New Haven Railroad stations (including Buzzards Bay) built around the same time. The project included the station building, a new pedestrian tunnel, a westbound shelter that enclosed a tunnel entrance, and a shelter for the tunnel entrance on the eastbound side. A two-story brick freight house, now occupied by Westerly Agway, was constructed the same year.
