Wait, didn’t this one get closed? Well…..about that. They actually reopened it today (as of me writing this) for limited peak-direction service. What’s it like? Actually, it’s…….actually very, VERY sad. Let’s take a look, shall we?
So, I was the first person to get off a train here, at the unholy hour of 4:30ish AM. Yep! THAT early. The station, however, is pretty bogstandard. While you don’t have a way to cross to the other side, all trains that serve this station stops on the outbound platform. The station itself is well-lit, and the mini-high has a bench for waiting. The low-level platform is fairly long, but usually only one door opens here. The tactile strip is inconsistently placed, weirdly enough. Not sure what’s up with that. There’s a decent amount of parking, a Market Basket nearby, RIPTA and GATRA buses, and even a new departure board alongside the ’80s-era red dot matrix warning signs. This feels cursed. That aside, you have Newport Avenue overhead and I-95 a stone’s throw away. As for railfanning, it’s alright, all things considered.
The good: It’s Attleboro’s relief station! Or, it would be… It’s also well-lit and in walking distance to Market Basket! At least you have RIPTA and GATRA?
The bad: This station is in a sorry state of affairs! They didn’t bother updating ANYTHING. Signage is decrepit still, there’s no crossover mechanism resulting in limited service, and ESPECIALLY the fact odds are real good this station is rendered obsolete by Attleboro and Pawtucket/Central Falls these days! Never mind that, the bus stop is a literal hike away across the parking lot! There isn’t even a designated safe spot for GATRA to pick people up, so good luck flagging a GATRA bus down, ‘lest you end up like Miles in his efforts to ride the 16 back in the day. It’s also very much NOT conducive to pedestrian access, as the platform is the sidewalk. Eww!
Nearby points of interest: GATRA can bring you to Attleboro’s town center and Emerald Square, while RIPTA can bring you to Pawtucket and Providence!
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence)
RIPTA (1, 35)
GATRA (11, 16)
Overall, yeah, no, this is very bad. I think, this takes the cake for “shittiest NEC station I’ve reviewed so far”, and is quite possibly the worst one between Boston and New York. Yeah, sorry but not sorry! The fact it’s also limited service rather than MassDOT funding station replacement is also just bad.
Rating: 3/10
