Alrighty, so today’s excursion was a trip up to Canton and down the Stoughton branch. And, as such, I’ll be taking a look at the two stations on this branch line. Meet: Canton Center.
So, Canton Center is the lesser-used of the two stations on the branch, clocking in at just under 500 daily riders. Actually, this is the least-used station on the line, aside from the South County Extension stations. As for parking, the amount is relatively anemic, as it’s located in Canton’s town center. There’s also a singular side platform with a mini-high……which isn’t sheltered. Yeah, that’s a major “screw you”. That grade crossing? Also a major “screw you”. The way it works, trains have to stop to pick people up/let them off outbound, INCH CLOSE TO THE CROSSING, STOP TO LET THE GATES COME DOWN AS THE ENGINEER IS BLASTING THE HORN, AND THEN GO FULL THROTTLE AFTER THE GATES COME DOWN. Yeah…
The good: Well, it’s a good enough “relief” station for those who don’t want to be on crowded northbound Providence trains! Sure, there’s no indoor waiting area, but odds are you’re probably going to be parking and riding here, which isn’t a big issue since the lot is small as-is. There’s also seating!
The bad: NO, NO, NO! WHY IS THE MINI-HIGH UNSHELTERED?! WHY THE GRADE CROSSING SITUATION?! WHY, HOW, WHY?! There’s not even any weekend service down here, aside from the MBTA’s 716! Never mind that, the fact you’d have to inch to the crossing to force it to come down. What is this, the Shore Line East at New London?!
Nearby points of interest: Well, Canton Center seems like a nice enough downtown area.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Stoughton)
MBTA bus (716)
Overall, just why? I guess if you want to avoid Providence trains, it’s good enough. But, like, double track and rebuild this damn place! Hell, the plan is for that to actually happen under Phase 2 of the South Coast extension.
Rating: 2.5/10
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