An older, and a bit more attractive Bridgeport station
Throughout my tour of the New Haven Line I have discovered quite a few beautiful train stations. Unfortunately, I would not include today’s featured station, Bridgeport, among them. The current station is a somewhat imposing concrete structure, amassed with people heading in all directions via Metro-North, Shore Line East, and Amtrak trains. And all of those people are a quite diverse lot, ranging from girls in rainbow fishnet stockings, to a guy with a soulpatch wearing a miniskirt and high heels. I’m totally not judging.
A literal train wreck at Bridgeport.
The current Bridgeport station was completed in 1975, though it not nearly as beautiful as the station it replaced. The previous station was built in the early 1900’s for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, but burned down in the 1970’s. The station is located alongside the water, and not far from the ferries to Long Island, as well as Harbor Yard. The station is a transfer point for folks riding the Waterbury branch, and it is approximately 55 miles from Grand Central.
Here are some photos of my visit to Bridgeport… I will state, for the record, there would be more, including a panorama of the M8 that passed by, had I not been visited by a police officer that told me picture taking was forbidden. I suppose the popo don’t realize that there are a lot of ways to secretly record things… I mean if I were a terrorist, it would be quite easy to secretly record the happenings at the train station without, you know, that big “terrorist device” known as a camera. Just sayin’.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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I thought we’d already resolved this “taking pictures is forbidden” nonsense. I’m not saying that confronting the police on the job is the best place to educate them but, really, shouldn’t they know the laws they’re hired to enforce?
I know, it is such nonsense. Unfortunately, the woman looked like she was a mere rent-a-cop type security guard, and she was very nice about it. I really didn’t have the desire to fight with anyone that day, and it was clear that she wasn’t much of a policy maker, merely an enforcer. And probably a poorly paid one at that.
That floor inside looks clean! Sorry to hear about not being able to take pictures. The MTA has a letter which explicitly states that you are allowed to take pictures.
True, but it is a difficult situation in Connecticut, where the stations aren’t owned by the MTA, but the state of CT.
Interesting. I’ve luckily never had a problem but had expected the MTA letter to cover it. I’m not sure how many CT stations you still have left to photograph (vs. publish on the blog), but to try to avoid problems in the future it might not hurt to send a letter to ConnDOT asking them to clarify exactly what you were doing “wrong” and asking for their specific written policy (attaching a copy of the MTA letter). The only time I’ve had a problem so far was in Cleveland where an officer told me I wasn’t allowed to take pictures. I asked the local transit agency to clarify whether the problem was that particular station or the system as a whole (and pointed out that I was in a public area not impeding passengers or employees). I got back a letter from the police chief saying it appeared the officer was in error, and he would remind all officers of the policy. Having such a letter from CT would probably help in the future.
I always carry a copy of the T’s photography policy in my bag for the next time someone challenges me. I’ve already been told to stop shooting in New Haven, had the cops called on me in Newark, and been kicked out of Downtown Crossing station here in Boston. I always obey them and will continue to do so even knowing I’m in the clear, but it’s just a matter of time before I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time and it goes beyond “you can’t take photos here…”
Also, with all the photos of actual trains in this post, I think it’s time for you to come out of the railfan closet. Just sayin’.