So, I ended up taking a ride on the Franklin Line all the way to the very end (first time I’ve ridden the Franklin Line beyond Readville!) and decided to do Forge Park. I also wanted to railfan a little at the Forge Parkway grade crossing, so there’s that too. Anyways, what is Forge Park like? Well, here we go.
So, my first order of business was to railfan that damn grade crossing. I wanted to! Could you blame me?! And, quite truthfully, I think the treacherous walk down Route 140 was worth it. Just look!
Okay, so I walked down West Central St. to the north parking lot. Yes, this station has TWO lots. And, as a byproduct, it also is the only station to have doors open on both sides (at least during peak hours) because of said dual-platform setup. This is unlike any other station where the doors open either on the left (for islands, usually) or right (for sides, usually). This is more like if someone made Park Street or Sullivan a terminal station. Yeah. The southern platform has the mini-high, there’s your usual amenities, a red dot matrix sign or two, and even a station building which looked closed. How sad. Oh well!
The good: It’s clear the station is built to serve as Franklin’s (& northern RI’s) parking sink. For that, it does the job – and pretty well at that. It’s also got two platforms, making it easier to access both lots while a train dwells (which happens a lot!). Furthermore, it’s also right off I-495 as well. It’s also accessible, unlike Dean College/Franklin Station (yeah, that’s a mouthful!)
The bad: Eh, the station house is a mess. Would also be nice if the north platform had a mini-high too – or if both/either platforms were full-length high level.
Nearby points of interest: Not a lot…
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Franklin)
GATRA (GATRA GO)
Overall, it’s a nice station. I like it. However, at face value, it isn’t my favorite station on the line. But, that’s also subject to change.
Rating: 7/10
BONUS: Foamer video!
