Branford (CTrail)

Finally, the last Shore Line East (-exclusive) station! And wouldn’t ya believe it, it’s actually pretty decent!

Whelp, we’re about 10 miles out from Union Station, and the last Shore Line East-exclusive station. Now, getting off the platform, it’s definitely a stark contrast to Guilford, again. And, it actually seems like it was cleaned recently! Neat. Of course, you have the usual benches and wastebins. Parking is found exclusively on the eastbound side, while the westbound side has a kiss & ride dropoff area. The town center also happens to be a short walk north. On top of that, this station’s probably the most used SLE-exclusive station as well, as a number of people got on when I alighted the train, at midday. Neat! Maybe it’s also because outside New Haven, Branford’s the most populated town along the line. Only one nitpick: The parking area floods (supposedly). That’s um, not good.

The good: It’s a well-used station in a modestly-sized town! I mean, I’m sure there’s a reason the lot is so huge, but I feel like most ridership is likely local in nature and most don’t drive. Oh yeah, CTtransit stops here at rush hour, too. It’s also pretty close to the town center, being a quarter-mile south.

The bad: The parking lot floods?! And, maybe it’s overbuilt. Despite it being well-used, I get the feeling most walk or transfer from CTtransit.

Nearby points of interest: Branford seems like an alright enough town, however nothing immediately jumps out.

Transit connections:
CTrail (Shore Line East)
CTtransit (204, rush hour only)

Overall, this is probably the best station on the Shore Line East that isn’t shared with Amtrak (or the Hartford Line, or MNRR). It’s in a town center essentially and it gets decent ridership. However, I can’t help but think that it’s overbuilt with regards to parking, though. I’m sure, however, there’s times where the lot is filled up.

Rating: 7.5/10