been reused for the Assabet River Rail Trail on its Hudson and Marlborough section. In 2018 rail trail construction will be completed on a 3.4 mile section starting at train station and extending southeast through Maynard to the Maynard/Stow border. MBTA era The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was formed in August 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service. On January 17, 1965, northside services were cut to the boundaries of the MBTA funding district. The Fitchburg Line was cut to until June 28, 1965 when it was reopened to . After service to Ayer was discontinued on March 1, 1975, South Acton was the end of the line until service was restored as far as on January 13, 1980. During that time, the line was known as the South Acton Line. Around 1977, the Town of Acton and the MBTA built a new platform two tenths of a mile westward, off of Central Street west of Main Street, to provide expanded on-site parking. The original parking lot is now the "overflow" parking lot; portions of the former platform remain in the brush off the north side of the tracks. The former station building was demolished between 1985 and 1995. Fitchburg Line upgrades Until 2011, the main double-track section of the Fitchburg Line ended a quarter mile east of the station, with a short second under the Main Street bridge to allow a trainset to sit while preparing for an inbound run. The 1980s-constructed station had a single low platform, which was not handicapped accessible, serving the single track. As part of the ongoing upgrades to the Fitchburg Line infrastructure, South Action station was rebuilt and opened 2015, as the second track was added to the Acton-Ayer section of the line. The new station has separate platforms for inbound and outbound service; both platforms are full-length high-level for accessible boarding. They are connected by a pedestrian bridge which includes ADA-required elevators. A single-platform design was considered in 2009, but the imposing design and the need for large ramps were disliked by town residents. The two-platform design, accepted in 2010, eliminated the need for large ramps and allowed for Maple Street access. The new design was largely based on community input. A small drop-off lane was built on the south side of the tracks off Maple Street, next to the new inbound platform. However, daily parking capacity was not immediately increased. Additional