The Old Colony Railroad opened through Quincy in November 1845. Several local stations were added in Quincy, including Atlantic at Atlantic Avenue. In 1848, the Old Colony built its Gravel Branch from Atlantic to Montclair, but abandoned it the next year. In 1871 it was rebuilt, extended, and connected to the Granite Railway as the Granite Branch. Norfolk Downs station at Billings Road was added in the 1890s when the surrounding marshland was filled and developed. The Old Colony switched from English-style left-hand running to American-style right-hand running in 1893 when it was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Unlike nearby Wollaston, Atlantic station was already on the east side of the tracks and was not moved. Passenger service on the Granite Branch ended in 1940. Ridership on the Old Colony system declined further after World War II, and the New Haven decided to abandon the line in the late 1950s. Emergency subsidies kept the lines open during construction of the Southeast Expressway, but all passenger service to Atlantic, Norfolk Downs and the rest of the former Old Colony system was ended on June 30, 1959.
Red Line
Even before 1959, discussion was underway to bring rapid transit to the Old Colony mainline. The 1926 Report on Improved Transportation Facilities and 1945–47 Coolidge Commission Report recommended a branch of the Cambridge-Dorchester Line to parallel the Old Colony mainline to Braintree, taking over service on local stops. The newly formed MBTA bought the Old Colony right-of-way from South Boston to South Braintree in 1965. In 1966, the Program for Mass Transportation recommended the extension. The city wanted new stations at both Atlantic and Norfolk Downs, but the MBTA ultimately chose a less expensive plan for a single station between the two sites. Construction of the station began in 1966, and North Quincy opened along with Wollaston and Quincy Center on September 1, 1971. On September 27, 1991, the MBTA was awarded $32 million in federal funds for accessibility renovations at North Quincy, and for a new station at. The elevators were built in 1998, making the station accessible.
Development
In October 1997, North Quincy was identified as a possible site for a parking garage. The project was cancelled due to concerns over its financial viability. In February 2016, three bidders submitted proposals for mixed-use transit-oriented development to be built on the Hancock Street lot, with a new garage to replace lost parking spaces. That April, the MBTA board approved a 99-year lease of the lot to a developer. The developer would build a 1,307-space garage, with 852 spaces reserved for MBTA parking, as part of the project. The Quincy Planning Board approved the project, with the garage increased to 1,600 spaces, in June 2017. Shortly before construction was expected to begin, a local carpenters union petitioned the state to force a public bidding process for the garage because it will be operated by the MBTA. In April 2018, Massachusetts Attorney GeneralMaura Healey ruled that the MBTA or the developers were legally required to publicly bid for the garage construction. Construction on the garage - the first part of the $205 million development - began on February 17, 2019.
Station layout
North Quincy station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Red Line. Two tracks carrying the Old Colony Lines and Greenbush Line are adjacent to the west. Parking lots are located on both sides of the tracks. At the south end of the platform, a footbridge connects to the West Squantum Street busway on the east side of the tracks. At the north end of the platform, a footbridge connects to both sides of the tracks.
Bus connections
Three MBTA bus routes stop at a busway at the southern end of the station:
