South Attleboro station

The Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) opened a new route from East Junction (near Dodgeville in Attleborough) to Providence via Pawtucket in October 1847 to serve a new downtown Providence station.[7]^:29 There was no station at the modern site, which was not in a populated area during the 19th century; the nearest stations were at Hebronville to the east and Pawtucket–​Central Falls to the west.[8][9] The B&P was acquired in 1888 by the Old Colony Railroad, which was in turn acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893.[9] The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail operations; the line became the Providence/Stoughton Line. Hebronville closed before the MBTA era, while Pawtucket–Central Falls closed on February 20, 1981 when Rhode Island stopped its subsidies and service was cut back to Attleboro.[10]

Accessible mini-high platforms at the station

In August 1987, the MBTA approved plans to build a new station at South Attleboro to relieve crowding at Attleboro station.[11] Commuter service returned to Providence on February 1, 1988, but the Pawtucket/Central Falls station remained closed.[10] The $3 million station was completed in September 1988; however, the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) refused to let the station open. The station did not meet state requirements for accessibility: the footbridge had only stairs and no ramps, and no high-level platforms had been built.[12]

The MBTA built ramps and "mini-high" platforms (short sections of high-level platforms) at an additional cost of $1 million in mid-1989.[12] However, the station remained closed because the MAAB insisted on full-length high-level platforms, while the MBTA wished to only build the cheaper mini-high platforms.[12][13] The MBTA's appeal of the MAAB ruling (which came two years before the Americans with Disabilities Act mandated accessibility nationwide) had system-wide implications, particularly for the then-inaccessible Green Line.[13]

After a judge ruled in favor of the MBTA, the two agencies reached an agreement in March 1990 under which existing mini-high platforms would be extended to 45 feet (14 m) long, and accessible platforms would be installed at all commuter rail stations by 1997 (which did not occur).[5] South Attleboro station ultimately opened on June 20, 1990.[10][14]

The MBTA began operating Providence–Foxboro service for events at Gillette Stadium in 1994, with South Attleboro as one of the intermediate stops.[10][15] South Attleboro station was the southern terminus of regular weekend service on the line until June 29, 2006, when Rhode Island began funding weekend service to Providence.[10]

The footbridge in 2013, with two deteriorated staircases closed

In the 2010 Northeast Corridor Master Plan, Amtrak indicated long-term plans to add two outer station sidings and high-level platforms to South Attleboro, allowing Amtrak trains to pass stopped MBTA trains.[4] More immediately, portions of the station are in poor condition, with a 2012 report indicating that two sets of stairs were closed due to rust damage. Although the station has mini-high platforms for level boarding, certain ADA-required elements such as tactile platform edges are missing.[6]

MBTA plans for a $4.9 million renovation, which would not have fixed the footbridge, were criticized by local officials in 2019.[16] That November, $4 million for design of a more extensive renovation was approved by the MBTA Fiscal Management Board. The project will include a new footbridge with elevators, an improved bus stop, and changes to the parking lot.[17] Design work began in April 2020 and is expected to last 18 months.[18] Some repairs may be made in the interim.[19]