Alrighty! So, today, I ventured out straight into the far-flung reaches of the Fitchburg Line as I had plans to see my dad. Unfortunately, I was running a little tight on time as the train I was taking shat itself and they had to send a rescue set out to get us westbound. However, I still eventually got to North Leominster. And with that, here it is.
So, the platform seems standard enough. You have some benches, wastebaskets, a red dot matrix sign and, on the far end, the grade crossing used to get onto the outbound side. Unfortunately, because of Norfolk Southern barreling down track 2, the train dropped several people and I off on the inbound side. It’s not very often you see freight trains run alongside the Commuter Rail, especially a class 1 freight company like Norfolk Southern or CSX. As for the parking garage itself, it’s like someone took Wickford Junction, aged it a bit, made it more dingy, and stripped the restrooms from it. MART also stops here! However, it’s unsigned. And, given the location and the usage of the lot, a garage park & ride isn’t the worst idea. Plus, for a park & ride, it’s got actually decent pedestrian connections to the neighborhood. Neat!
The good: It’s decently used AND it has relatively decent pedestrian connections. That is, to say, it’s not in a stroad hellscape. The layout for entering is also pretty decent, especially if you’re cutting it close.
The bad: …the busway sucks. The crossing on the far end also is very annoying, and more electronic signage indicating last-minute track changes from dispatch (e.g. a NS train gets clearance on the inbound track and your train has to board on the outbound side). Or heck, a crossover that DOESN’T involve grade crossings, even!
Nearby points of interest: Eh, I can’t immediately think of anything, and looking at Google Maps post-review doesn’t seem to bring up much of note. If I find anything after publishing this, I’ll make an edit.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
MART (1)
Overall, while the station is alright, it’s certainly not the best, and definitely not the best on the far end of the Fitchburg Line. However, for a park & ride, it’s okay.
Rating: 6.5/10
