Whelp, welcome to the boonies! Wachusett Station is among the newest stations on the Commuter Rail, having opened in 2016. This is also the highest point on the entire system, clocking in at about 650 to 675 feet above sea level. Damn! Originally, I was planning to do this one as a Christmas special, but I could just never get the timing right. So, I made my way out here on Independence Day to check it out! So, here we go.
The station is at the end of the Fitchburg Line, and is the furthest out one can get on the northside Commuter Rail lines (54 miles!), with only one station being further out than this on the entire Commuter Rail. As for what the station has, it’s just a park and ride. There’s a high-level platform with yellow signage, wastebaskets, benches, and whatnot. There’s also a busway for MART buses, which is nice. Furthermore, there plenty of parking to go around, though I’m not sure how well-utilized it is. Annoyingly, trains have to DEADHEAD TO THE YARD from here after terminating, and have to deadhead back before heading to Boston. This is also very annoying because it’s an easy way to end up running late. Eww. Now, in terms of what’s nearby? There isn’t much. The only things nearby are a gas station with a Dunks, and a….dispensary?! Yeah, there really isn’t a lot here. In terms of scenery though, it looks like a cool place to railfan Norfolk Southern!
The good: It’s a parking sink for the surrounding areas and towns like Westminster, Gardner, Princeton, and Ashburnham! It’s also a full-length high level platform! Neat!
The bad: The trains have to deadhead to the yard! Also, there’s not a lot out here overall…
Nearby points of interest: There’s a dispensary, for you stoners reading this! There’s also a gas station housing a Dunks in walking distance.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
MART (11, Wachusett Commuter, Wachusett Mountain Shuttle*)
*is seasonal
Overall, it’s an alright station. It’s not bad, it’s pretty nice actually. But, it’s relatively average and barebones as far as park and rides go. Also, terminal ops are annoying here.
Rating: 6.5/10
