So, last time I did the Worcester Line, in April, I did everything up to Framingham. Service originally terminated there, with Worcester service being restored in the ’90s. Since then, in the early ’00s, four infills opened up, being Ashland, Southborough, Westborough, and Grafton. Westborough is the first we’ll be looking at.
So, the station is pretty basic, as you’d expect. You have a copious amount of parking, wastebaskets, benches, yellow dot matrix signs for basic info, and a GIANT FREAKIN’ OVERPASS designed for back when CSX ran double-stack freight through here. Fortunately, the yard where they’d bring said double-stack freight to has since closed. Unfortunately, they still run freight, but less frequently than before. If you’re a railfan, you might also get to see the Lake Shore Limited heading each way. No stop, sadly. And, when a train approaches, YOU HEAR THE WAILING OF A FREAKIN’ SIREN! YEAH, WAS “TRAIN APPROACHING, PLEASE REMAIN BEHIND YELLOW LINE” NOT ENOUGH?! DID I ALSO MENTION HOW UNWALKABLE THE AREA IS?!
The good: There’s basic amenities and a giant footbridge! Neat! Also a lot of parking! WRTA’s dial-a-ride microtransit also serves here!
The bad: WHY IS IT NOT A FULL LENGTH HIGH PLATFORM?! WHAT THE HELL?! FURTHERMORE, WHY IS THE STATION HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALMOST-NOWHERE, WHEN THE RIGHT OF WAY LITERALLY RUNS THROUGH THE TOWN CENTER?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!
Nearby points of interest: Not a lot!
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Worcester)
WRTA (Via WRTA)
Overall, it’s just your run of the mill poorly-placed park and ride station. This could have had better ridership in Westborough Center. But, nah, just plop a giant parking lot with a platform in the middle of almost-nowhere. That oughta do the trick!
Rating: 5/10
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