STATIONS AND STATION ACCOMMODATIONS.

RAILROAD.

Petition of the Wollaston Park Improvement Association for the construction of a subway and the erection of a fence between the tracks at the Wollaston station and at the Norfolk Downs station of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad in the city of Quincy.

Norfolk Downs and Wollaston, two local communities in the city of Quincy, are served by the Boston division of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad, and are distant 6.12 and 6.71 miles from Boston, respectively. Passenger traffic at these stations consists largely of commuters to and from Boston.

At Norfolk Downs the station is located on the west side of the tracks near the junction of Newport avenue, a public highway running parallel and adjacent to the railroad location, with Broadway, an intersecting street, terminating at that point. On the east side, where most of the patrons of the railroad reside, access to the station is afforded by means of Billings road, a public highway running east and west as far as the railroad location. As neither Billings road nor Broadway is laid out across the railroad, passengers from the west side are obliged to cross the outbound track at grade when boarding trains for Boston, and passengers from the east side are obliged to cross both tracks in order to reach the station or in leaving outbound trains. As there is no public highway crossing for a distance of about 1,000 feet northerly and 3,000 feet southerly, many people, not patrons of the road, also cross the tracks at the station to reach a schoolhouse and several factories which are located on the west side of the railroad. The petitioners complain that the conditions at this station are dangerous, not only for passengers, but for school children and others, and ask that a fence be erected between the tracks, and a subway or footbridge be constructed under or over them, to eliminate this danger.

If a crossing at this point is necessary for the convenience of the general public, the obligation rests with the city of Quincy

to initiate proceedings for the laying out of an extension of Billings road as a public way across the railroad location. In order to avoid a crossing at grade it would be necessary to carry the street over the tracks by means of a highway bridge. The company, however, contemplates the four-tracking of its road from Atlantic to Quincy, and the plan for the abolition of grade crossings in Quincy, as reported by the special commission and approved by the court, has been made in contemplation of the construction of these additional tracks. Any plan for the extension of Billings road across the railroad location should obviously provide for a highway bridge of sufficient length to span the two additional tracks and for the construction of a stairway to the station platform which would obviate the necessity of a subway. If this is done, the company has signified its willingness to share in the cost of construction. The city could, of course, proceed at once to develop plans for the street extension under this arrangement, but apparently neither the city nor the company desires to undertake this work under present war conditions, as it is generally agreed that this project, as well as the abolition of grade crossings in Quincy, should await more prosperous times and more settled conditions.

The only question, therefore, is whether the construction of a subway or footbridge and the erection of a fence between the tracks is necessary as a temporary measure in the interest of public convenience and safety. School children and others crossing from the easterly to the westerly side of the railroad are undoubtedly subjected to some hazard under present conditions, but there would seem to be no obligation upon the railroad company to construct a subway or footbridge for the use of trespassers. It is true that there is also some element of danger for patrons of the road who are obliged to cross the tracks in boarding or leaving trains at this station, but similar conditions are the rule rather than the exception where two or more tracks are operated. Ultimately our American railroads should in this respect be brought up to the standard of safety which is exemplified in railroad operation abroad, but this result can only be brought about gradually, and while so much remains to be done it does not seem desirable to require a duplication of expense by making structural changes which will merely serve a temporary purpose and become superfluous upon the completion of the projected scheme of permanent improvement. It is to be remembered, also, that danger under present conditions is reduced to a

minimum by the operating rules of the company, which prohibit a train on a double track location from approaching a station. until the train previously loading has cleared the platform.

At the hearing it was also the general consensus of opinion that no action should now be taken which might interfere with the extension of a public way across the railroad location at a later time, and much apprehension was expressed that the temporary arrangement requested by the petitioners might tend to delay or to defeat the larger ultimate program. In view of all these considerations, and of the necessity at the present time of employing all available capital and labor in essential war work, there would appear to be no sound justification for requiring the company to make the changes desired by the petitioners at the Norfolk Downs station.

At Wollaston the station is located on the easterly side of the tracks, and about half of the patrons reside on the easterly side and half on the westerly side of the railroad. The highway known as Beale street crosses the tracks at the south end of the station location by an overhead bridge with steps leading to the station platform adjacent to the inbound track. There is also a platform on the west side of the outbound track, with a turnstile which allows passengers to pass out to, but not to enter from, Newport avenue, which abuts the railroad location and intersects Beale street at this overhead bridge. By using this bridge, therefore, it is possible for all passengers to and from Boston to board and leave the trains without crossing the tracks at grade, although passengers going from outbound trains to the easterly side of the railroad habitually cross the tracks instead of going around by way of Newport avenue and Beale street. The only persons who are compelled to cross the tracks at grade are the relatively few who have occasion to board outbound trains to reach Quincy and points beyond.

If a fence were erected between the tracks, and the turnstile at Newport avenue removed, it would be possible for passengers to board and leave all trains without crossing the tracks. Present track clearances are, however, insufficient to permit of the erection of such a fence, and the present Beale street bridge is not wide enough to make it practicable to spread the tracks. The widening of this bridge in connection with the proposed fourtracking would make it possible at a later time to erect a fence between the tracks, but passengers would be subjected to the delay and inconvenience of using a circuitous route in going to

and from the station and train. The company apparently agrees that the only satisfactory method of providing for the convenience as well as the safety of passengers using this station is by the construction of a subway as requested by the petitioners, but the company is unwilling to undertake the work at this time. in view of the projected four-tracking and the grade crossing changes which involve the depression of the tracks about four feet at this point.

There would seem to be no practical difficulty in constructing a subway at this time which would be deep enough and long enough to conform to future track conditions, and which would require no alteration except the elimination of a few steps when the track changes are completed. As this subway would be in the nature of a permanent improvement necessary for the safe and convenient use of the station, and not merely a temporary expedient pending the completion of the proposed track alterations, we should be disposed, under ordinary circumstances, to require the company to build it at once. It would appear, however, that the danger incident to the present method of using the station is not so great as to warrant the construction of this subway in a time of national emergency, but that this undertaking, like the highway extension at Norfolk Downs and the Quincy grade crossing changes, should be postponed until the conclusion of the war. If the company within a reasonable time thereafter does not commence the construction of this subway, the Commission, upon any petition then filed, will enter such order as may be appropriate.

Petition of the Boston and Albany Railroad Company (by the New York Central Railroad Company) and the New York Central Railroad Company for determination of rental for the use of the union station in the city of Worcester.

In connection with the abolition of certain grade crossings in the city of Worcester, provision was made for the construction of a new union passenger station for the joint use of the Boston

and Albany Railroad Company, the Boston and Maine Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, and such changes in the railroad locations as were necessary for proper track connections to the new station. (Acts 1900, c. 387; Acts 1902, c. 508; Acts 1905, c. 422.) The entire cost of the land and 65 per cent of the cost of the station was paid by the Boston and Albany company, the balance being contributed by the Commonwealth and the city of Worcester, in accordance with the provisions of the statute of 1905. Section 2 of that statute also provided that "said station shall be used by all the railroads now entering the city of Worcester, the railroad corporations owning or operating such railroads severally yielding and paying to the Boston and Albany Railroad Company, its lessee, successors or assigns, a reasonable rent for the use thereof, which, if not agreed upon by the parties, shall be determined, and may be revised and altered from time to time at intervals of not less than three years, by the board of railroad commissioners upon a petition presented to said board by either of said corporations." The parties having failed to agree as to the reasonable rent for the use of the station, the Commission on the petition of the Boston and Albany company is asked to determine the same in accordance with the provisions of said section.

It appears that the new union station was opened on June 4, 1911, but as certain items of expense in connection with the grade crossing proceedings were still in dispute, the exact cost of the station could not then be fixed. Pending the determination of this matter the three railroad companies, in the latter part of 1911, entered into an agreement, fixing the basis upon which rentals for the use of the station should be paid by the Boston and Maine and the New Haven companies. This agreement became effective as of June 4, 1911, and by its terms was to continue in force until June 30, 1912, and thereafter until terminated by ninety days' notice from either party to the others. Under this agreement, the Boston and Maine and the New Haven companies were each to pay 20 per cent of the total cost of maintaining the station, including interest at 41 per cent on the cost of the land, and at 6 per cent on the cost of the building, taxes, insurance and repairs, less the rentals chargeable to each of the three companies for office space occupied at a designated rate per square foot, and less the rentals received for the restaurant, news stand and similar concessions. The parties agreed upon the cost of the land and also agreed