Author: chelsea

So, from the middle of absolutely nowhere, to the heart of a small city (kinda). Let’s look at South Norwalk.

So, getting off the WHEELS bus (no entries on that yet!), I made my way up towards the station. Wait, oh crap I got off the wrong spot. Turns out, you don’t enter through the parking garage like at Wickford Junction. So, some more walking later, and finally I found the entrance to the platforms. And there’s a station building here, too! Sweet!

Of course, it’s your standard Metro-North affair, but the platforms are configured in a slightly more unusual way. With it being the terminal for the Danbury Line, the trains need somewhere to lay over. So, that’s where the extra tracks and the partial islands come in. Tracks 1 and 2 are your standard express tracks, mostly for Amtrak and express trains. Tracks 3 and 4 are used for trains to New Haven and Grand Central, while tracks 5 and 6 are used for Danbury trains. Here’s a visual from Wikipedia.

So, how’s the station itself? Well, the platforms are your standard affair with benches, a Pepsi vending machine, ticket machines, and a parking machine to pay for parking. Inside the station, you have some vending machines, plus bathrooms which are only open during morning and evening rush hour periods. The inside of the station looks nice though, with waiting areas on either side, connected by an underpass.

The good: It’s pretty much in downtown Norwalk! Furthermore, you also have Norwalk WHEELS deviating in here with every route that serves the station. Parking is (as far as I can tell) aplenty, and you even have two nice indoor waiting areas. Plus, it’s also the terminus for Danbury trains, so one could transfer between lines here.

The bad: That said, sometimes the platform listing is only a suggestion, as the Danbury train above was too long to fit on track 5. It’s also a bit of a ways away from the WHEELS Hub, and the locked bathroom is annoying.

Nearby points of interest: If you’re willing to walk a little, downtown Norwalk is nearby! You also have the Sono Collection shopping center and the aquarium nearby.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (Danbury, New Haven)
Norwalk WHEELS (9, 10, 11)

Overall, it’s a nice station. In a way, it reminds me of Wickford Junction, but with actual service. And, unlike some other stations, it’s properly set up to handle branch services. It’s also centrally located in Norwalk so one could get here without much hassle.

Rating: 7.5/10

Hey kids! Ever wanted to be in what seemed like the middle of absolutely NOWHERE, but also with the sound of I-95 whirring about in the background?! Well now you can, at GREEN’S FARMS!!!

Alrighty, so first off, the platform situation is much the same as Stratford. You’ve got a mostly sheltered inbound side, and a bus shelter on the outbound side. Benches are everywhere, though! Plus, there’s what appears to be a cafe in the station building, but as far as I can tell it’s only open on weekday mornings during rush hour. Otherwise, all you get is a Pepsi vending machine. Ticket machines are also on the inbound platform.

As for parking, it’s obviously a park & ride, so it’s aplenty. Some spaces were left unused, but the vast majority of them were taken up. It’s also an alright spot for rail foaming, if you’re into that. However, I’d instead recommend another place, such as Bridgeport or South Norwalk, if the weather is bad.

The good: Well, it’s a decent enough spot for foaming! Plus, there’s plenty of parking and it’s pretty much right off I-95, so there’s that. Unfortunately…

The bad: If you want to get anywhere, you gotta go at least half a mile. By car it isn’t bad, as the interstate is only a mile and a half away. On foot, though, it’s a mile and a half to US-1. Yeah. This station’s pretty much in no man’s land. And, as for accessibility, it’s dubious at best. Yes, there’s level boarding, but good luck changing sides. Service here is also largely neutered vs. the rest of the New Haven Line, being a train an hour, vs. at least 2-3 on the rest of the line

Nearby points of interest: There’s a beach nearby if you’re willing to walk half a mile!

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven Line)

Overall, it’s literally just a park & ride. I got nothing much to say about it. It’s also got neutered service, but given the fact ridership as-is is high enough, if service is to increase, there should be a shuttle that runs to here and times with trains. Or, just go to Westport if you need midday service.

Rating: 5.5/10

Oh boy, a Metro-North station! Yeah, the next several entries are going to be Metro-North. Anyways, let’s get into Stratford!

So, like the rest of Metro-North’s New Haven Line, Stratford is fully high-level. However, the platform’s a little short, as on the train ride here, the conductor came on and announced that doors would NOT open on the last two cars. Yikes.

Of course, what does the station have? It’s just your standard Metro-North affair with ticket machines, a vending machine, trash, and benches. Of course, the southbound platform is fully sheltered while the northbound one only has a small shelter. While annoying, this makes sense since most people here are going towards Grand Central, not New Haven. Fortunately, the station is technically accessible by way of ramps up to the platforms. However, crossing over isn’t really the most accessible, just like Milford. But, since the sidewalk is a little flatter, at least it’s easier.

The good: It’s quite close to where most of the things in Stratford are. It’s also close to the interstate as well, so one could theoretically use it as a park & ride. Furthermore, it’s your standard Metro-North affair of having garbage bins and benches on the entirety of the platform, along with a ticket machine. It’s also a transfer point with some Waterbury trains.

The bad: The lack of an inbound shelter, and the questionable accessibility. Hell, wouldn’t it be easier to just install an elevator to sidewalk level on both sides?

Nearby points of interest: The national helicopter museum on the outbound side! There’s also a bar on the inbound side, but I’m not sure how good their food is. The Docks is also nearby, along with a Dunkin’ and a Cumberland Farms.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven, Waterbury)
GBT (23)
Coastal Link

Overall, it’s an alright station. Worse than Milford? Not really. But, I wouldn’t say it’s much better either. In a sense, I guess it’s just a copy-paste and not much else.

Rating: 6/10

The WHEELS on the bus go round n’ rou- oh, not that kind of wheels? Oh, ok. 🙁

Whelp, that’s it. That’s literally all of the Wheels Hub. What ya see is what ya get. Now, it isn’t the worst thing in the world, but the biggest gripe is that the berths are haphazardly labelled with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Fortunately, however, you do get some seating and a little bit of shelter. But, as far as I can tell it isn’t heated. Also unfortunate, and I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it, there’s also a number of homeless people sleeping here. Make of that as you wish. Oh, there’s also a dot matrix sign that lists departures! Neat!

The good: It’s got labelled berths and countdown clocks! For a small-ish RTA like Norwalk WHEELS, I honestly would’ve expected less. But, hey, it’s a nice thing to have! Plus, the system operates on a pulse schedule (where all routes, excepting the Coastal Link, leave at the same time, guaranteeing connections with one another)

The bad: I mean, the lack of an information booth can be quite offputting. And, for an RTA’s central hub, I would’ve thought some kind of an indoor waiting area would’ve been halfway decent. Also, be ready to inhale the occasional diesel fume from the Danbury Branch’s diesel locomotives from time to time.

Nearby points of interest: Pretty much all of Norwalk! You also got CTtransit’s 341 to Stamford and the Coastal Link to Bridgeport and Milford. A short ride to South Norwalk’s Metro-North station can also get one to either New Haven, Grand Central, or Danbury.

Transit connections:
Norwalk Transit (most routes)
Coastal Link
CTtransit (341)

Overall, it’s a serviceable transfer point. It’s not the best, and quite truthfully I’m sure worse exists. It’s a central hub for a small RTA, and it also serves as an inter-system transfer between the Coastal Link, CTtransit, and Norwalk Transit. Just be ready for the occasional Brookville, EMD, or GE diesel locomotive to pass under the nearby overpass.

Rating: 4.5/10

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