Man, did I think Madison was the worst Shore Line East station. I mean, I still stand by that statement largely due to the fact it’s single-tracked. But, that didn’t prepare me for the nightmare of Guilford. So, how bad is it? Well, let’s find out.
to Guilford StationThere’s the signage!
So, getting off the train, the station already looks decrepit. Like, why?! Why are there benches taped off? Furthermore, why does the stairs look decrepit as hell?! The elevators? Nah, I don’t trust them. The worst part of this is that the station was rebuilt in 2005. Yeah, this thing is newer than South Attleboro and it’s already looking like its falling apart.
The obligatory track picWHY?!Bike racks
I’ll at least give it credit: it has bike racks and a dropoff/pickup area on the westbound side. Furthermore, it’s triple-tracked so parked Shore Line East trains aren’t obstructing the mainline.
UhhhhWestbound from the bridgeAnd eastbound!The majority of the parking – it looks like a high-ish ridership stationA train coming in from New HavenOH NO.The bridge from outsideAn Acela!The other side – with the old red dot matrix signAnother shotUHHHHHHHHHHHH
The good: It’s in the middle of a residential neighborhood! Largely, that means (I presume) a decent amount of ridership is (probably) local. Plus, it’s decently used, given how full the parking lot is.
The bad: Why is this place falling apart?! Just, why?! It’s too new for that. Also, why is the ceiling in the indoor stair area netted?
Transit connections: CTrail (Shore Line East)
Nearby points of interest: The town of Guilford. Doesn’t seem too interesting, though.
Overall, it could be a decent station. It’s hindered greatly by the fact it’s just so decrepit-looking. C’mon ConnDOT, repair this place!
WARNING: reader’s discretion is advised. I don’t even know what this translates to.
FROM: x9nw8r DATE: 9/10/22 POST: 9x (Pascoag/Chepachet) ATTEMPTED TO COMMENT:
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I don’t know the typeface, but it’s not Helvetica Bold.
Alrighty, so Madison isn’t much. You have a big parking lot, presumably intended for a park & ride. Needless to say, parking was plenty and the lot was about half-full. That’s normal. What isn’t normal, however, is the platform.
No second platform?!
Yup. It’s just a singular side platform. This means not every run of the SLE can stop here. So, how does scheduling work? Well, in the morning rush hour period, trains are ran only westbound, while all other times have eastbound-only trains stopping here.
Empty track looking towards Old Saybrook and New London
The station is pretty much fully sheltered, with a facade of a station building. However, it’s not a building, but there are benches and some partly enclosed space.
The “building”And outside!
Fortunately, there are benches and wastebins, so there’s some amenities. However, is it enough to save the lack of a second platform? No.
A Regional flying through
The good: It’s a park & ride off the interstate! It’s also fairly close to Madison’s town center, which seems like a nice place.
The bad: NO, NO, NO! WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE PLATFORM?! The single platform not only greatly hinders the Shore Line East’s service here, but also the Regional and Acela heading either way! Just, AUGH! No, just no! If there was a platform, this station could’ve scraped by with a 6, but NO!
Nearby points of interest: Madison’s town center! I’m not too familiar with the area, but it seems like a pretty nice place to relax and unwind.
Transit connections: CTrail (Shore Line East) CTtransit (201) 9 Town Transit (641)
Overall, why? I think it’s the least-used SLE station, given it’s the only one that’s still single platform. However, a “least used” station still deserves at least two platforms, one for each direction. And if it doesn’t have that, it’s kinda a bad station. Sorry, Madison, but you deserve better.
Rating: 4/10
A nearby lake!The Acela, after delays started to clear up!A Regional!Is it me or do these things sound like geese honking?
Alrighty, the eastern terminus of the Shore Line East! And, boy, does this one look nice!
The bus waiting area
So, the bus waiting area is a little ways up the street from the station, but it’s within view of the station, so it’s not far. It consists of a shelter and a bunch of benches. For it being SEAT’s New London hub, I’d expect more but whatever. Walking to the station, the platforms are in a similar configuration to what one would find on the Providence Line’s MBTA stations if anything, with a mini-high (though these are several cars long, not just one) and a low-level platform area on the other side of the street. Fortunately, the mini-highs are sheltered, but you better run to track 2 before the gates come down.
Down the tracks!The high platform for track 2The Amtrak sign
Moving into the waiting area in the station building, it’s quite nice. In a way, it feels like something you’d expect from a modern station, while retaining the vintage feel of the building. Here, Amtrak and Greyhound ticketing can be found, along with a cafe area. Apparently the womens’ bathroom smelled like fish, per a friend.
The waiting areaTrack 1’s mini-highThis is nice.The station buildingWestbound from the low platform on track 2Track 6’s decrepit platform, unusedOh look, an M8!
The good: It’s centrally located in downtown New London! And, for a station serving a small town of about 25000, it’s pretty well used with similar ridership figures to Kingston/URI. Furthermore, most Shore Line East trains end here, along with many Regional trains stopping here. The station building itself is also pretty nice.
The bad: However, the bus area could be better. Yeah, it’s nice it’s sheltered, but I’d think a dedicated berth or three would be better. I mean, you have Greyhound and SEAT primarily. Also, the grade crossing. It’s a major “screw you” should you be running late. Shoulda kept the footbridge instead of demolishing it. And, why is track 6 unused and un-electrified? I think it’d be better to have the M8s lay over there instead of obstructing one of the two mainline tracks. Also, would countdown signs outside like at Kingston or Old Saybrook have been too much?
Nearby points of interest: Pretty much all of New London, plus SEAT’s reach. There’s also Block and Long Islands via the ferries.
Overall, I like this station as well. It managed to survive into the 21st century retaining its vintage feel, but with a modern refurb. The fact track 6 isn’t used is irritating though. It’s also a scenic place to railfan, if that’s your thing.
Rating: 7/10
HOLY FUCKING SHIT, THE VETERAN’S LIVERY!There it is!Oh yeah, it blocks the street.Another Regional, wrong trackOh, that’s why.
Up next on the Amtrak to-do list, Old Saybrook! So, not only does Amtrak stop here, so does CTrail’s Shore Line East. Oh, it’s also a central hub for 9 Town Transit as well.
See ya!
So getting off the platform, I immediately noticed that it is much shorter than Kingston’s (the point of comparison for this station, as Mystic’s was Westerly). But, it’s also high-level, which is nice. And, wouldn’t ya believe it, track 3 is actually useful here. That is, the Shore Line East uses it to dwell and to allow Amtrak to also stop (or express) past the station. Meanwhile, over to the east, track 3 is pretty much never used as the MBTA doesn’t go that far south. Now, moving on to the station building, it’s split into two essentially. One section is the Amtrak waiting area, meant for both Amtrak and Shore Line East (of which Amtrak operates under contract with ConnDOT) passengers. The other section is where I got my lunch, which brings us to…
DEVIATION SENSATION TIME!!!!!
The bathroomsThis feels like it’s straight from the ’50s. I like it.The Amtrak area of the building
Alrighty, today’s lunch consists of a meat lovers’ pizza from Pizza Works, located at Old Saybrook Station. The downstairs area is nothing to ring home about, however they do have a model railroad and a live feed of the tracks on the upper level. I got some Coke for a beverage, while my friend only got a water, nothing crazy. And boy, was the pizza good. In fact, I’m writing this at 10PM, 10 hours after eating most of the pizza, and I’m still not hungry. In terms of service and food quality, I’d give it a 5/5, however the prices can be a bit much for just one person.
Model railroad!More model goodness!
And now back to our regularly scheduled program!
Moving on, in the parking lot, you can see a bus shelter. Wait, where’s the promised “transit hub” for 9 Town Transit? Well, it is the shelter. Yep. You mean to tell me 9 Town Transit’s central hub, is a dinky shelter?! Oh for God’s sake…
For Fucks’ sake!
Now, there’s one last area I’ve yet to touch on. The bridge itself is much like Kingston’s, however unlike Kingston it has a display so you know how screwed you are, running for the Shore Line East train you’re about to miss. It does look nice, though, and the elevator doesn’t smell like urine.
Down the stairs!Across the bridge with Amtrak signageLooking down the tracksThe platformsOh right, ConnDOT procured y’all recently.Amtrak pulling inThe bridgeAnother M8, from above this timea 9 Town Transit van
The good: It’s a nice station! It’s got some charm and, unlike Kingston, has some transit-oriented development around it, namely Saybrook Junction Marketplace. This is also something Wickford should’ve had happened, but it just never came to be. Furthermore, you got commuter trains to New Haven from here, as well as most Northeast Regional trains. As for ridership, it’s on the lower side of things, however it’s still not bad vs. other Connecticut stations. Lastly, you also have 9 Town Transit, despite the bus shelter being all you get.
The bad: The biggest complaint is easily the platform length. Sure, it’s fine for the SLE, which uses 4 car trains (or 3+locomotive, before the M8s went into service), but for the Regional, it’s a bit of an issue given train lengths are oftentimes double or triple that. Furthermore, with it essentially being 9 Town Transit’s hub, it’s not exactly great at that, with the sole bus shelter.
Nearby points of interest: You have Saybrook Junction! The town center is to the south on Main St. as well. There’s also connections to places served by 9 Town Transit.
Transit connections: Amtrak (Northeast Regional) CTrail (Shore Line East) River Valley Transit (640, 641, 642, 643, 644, Xtramile) CTtransit (921)
Overall, this isn’t a bad station. The platform length might be an issue, as with the shitty bus hub, but in terms of character, I like this station. It reminds me quite a bit of Kingston. However, I’d definitely lengthen the platform a bit.
So, coming off the heels of RIPTA and a Miles meet in Boston, along with some MBTA shenanigans, let’s settle down in a more quiet, slightly more remote town. Ooh, why not Mystic?
Water tower and station signage!
Alrighty, so because this is the first station in Connecticut, I got nothing to compare it to, and as a result, I’ll be using Westerly as my point of reference primarily (for context, that got a 3.5/10). Is Mystic as bad as Westerly? Is there any saving grace? Or, am I going to be denied access to track 2 due to a southbound Regional or Acela at the wrong time?
Deboarding the Regional
So, getting off the Regional, immediately I notice the station doesn’t have level boarding, or even a mini-high, for that matter. Supposedly there’s a wheelchair lift, but I don’t buy that for one minute. The station building is a cafe that’s open 7 days, 8-2, and houses the Quik-Trak machine. I think it also has a restroom, but don’t quote me there. Wait, what’s that right ahead? Oh no…
Oh no.Oh dear god please no.
What is that? No……not a grade crossing! THERE ARE ELEVEN OF THESE ALONG THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, ALL IN CONNECTICUT. THE ACELA RUNS DOWN THESE TRACKS. THESE ELEVEN GRADE CROSSINGS ARE WHY THE ACELA RUNS AT A FREAKIN’ SNAIL’S PACE OVER HERE. Never mind that, it’s a safety issue! What if a wheelchair gets caught on the tracks?! Well, apparently this is how you get to track 1 (northbound).
Parking!
There aren’t many parking spaces, but this station isn’t heavily used, either. Some spots are reserved for the cafe (which is, of course, a separate entity), but from what I’m aware, what’s pictured is all of the Amtrak parking. There’s a canopy from the cafe where southbound passengers can wait, should it be raining or snowing, while northbound passengers have what’s essentially a prefab shed that one can buy from Home Depot or Lowe’s. Also, why is the southbound platform much longer than the northbound one?
The station buildingLooking northbound. Look at how long the southbound platform is!And southbound, past the gates!The shackOh, a glorified Regional.The Quik-Trak machine inside the station building. And, look, brochures! Admittedly, I didn’t notice them earlier.
The good: It’s a small town train station, and I like the feel of these! Plus, Mystic Seaport (and Old Mistick Village to the north) are both major tourist destinations in the area, so it’s good that the train station is close by. Furthermore, SEAT (the local transit agency) runs 6 days a week in the area with the Stonington HOP microtransit service. Review on that coming eventually.
The bad: Really? Only 3 trains a day in either direction stopping here? If I did this on a weekday, I wouldn’t have gotten home until 10pm rightabout. Furthermore, the low-level platform without a wheelchair lift in sight is a major “oh no”. If there is not, in fact, one, screw you if you need accessibility. They really couldn’t put a mini-high near the street? Thirdly, the grade crossing. That’s a “screw you” if you’re in a hurry, because you could very well run the risk of missing a train due to it coming down at the last minute.
Nearby points of interest: I spent the day in Mystic Seaport, and got a lunch at Mystic Pizza (thanks mom, for giving me $20 to do so!). If you utilize SEAT’s Stonington HOP, you can get to other places in Stonington like Mystic Aquarium, where you can connect to the 108 to Foxwoods and New London.
Overall, I really like this station. I really do. Even in spite of its shortcomings, this is definitely a personal favorite of mine, and I feel like this is what Westerly should’ve been. However, I’d rather have seen a tunnel or bridge/ramp instead of hailing Mary across the tracks for getting to the other side. I’d also personally throw up a mini-high somewhere towards either end of the platforms.
Rating: 5.5/10 (but the train ride to/from is a 10/10 in scenery!)
BONUS: pictures from my journey that aren’t train-related!
Mystic Seaport!Up goes the road!A slice of heaven indeed. 10/10, would recommend.Lunch!Peeking into the ocean at the end of the Broadway extensionGod, what’s with the CT section of the NEC being so darn scenic?!
Oh god. So, a mysterious figure appeared in the distance, walking right towards me and about 5 others. Alright, let’s find out who it is. And it was…..woah, woah, WHAT?!
Yeah, Miles himself, from Miles in Transit, ended up showing up, along with about 9 others. Now that there was a party of 16 for Miles’ first phase in riding every overhead-powered bus route in the country, how were we going to go about this? Well, the T happens to run short-turn Silver Line trips between Silver Line Way and South Station that only run on the section shared between the SL1, SL2, and SL3. Eventually, after waiting in the shade and introducing ourselves (and some tomfoolery), all 16 of us boarded the next SLW bus to South Station. Weirdly enough, only the middle door opened and I felt a little uneasy committing fare evasion. But is it really fare evasion if the driver is only bothered to open the middle door? Once we all settled into the back part of the bendy bus, we were off to the races.
Onwards!
Of course, being mildly rambunctious, we were all collectively probably every bus operator’s worst nightmare. Nevertheless, once we got to World Trade Center, all of four people got on. “FOUR PEOPLE?! THAT’S ALL THE RIDERSHIP!” someone yelled. As we progressed towards Courthouse, we started singing Sweet Caroline, to get the full MBTA experience. And boy, was it a good time. Soon enough, we made it to South Station, round of applause for the operator (presumably for putting up with all our shenanigans), and everything. From here, we all gathered for a group picture in front of the inbound platform and we’d all head up to the food court for lunch before Miles and Jackson had to run off to catch the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago.
The good: Short-run trip between the four innermost Silver Line stations (at least, the ones on the busway coming out of South Station)! On paper, this is supposed to alleviate any congestion on the SL1/2/3 during rush hour (I presume). However…
The bad: This route isn’t all that great with nerfed headways, especially given every SL1 I’ve seen is packed, and not so much the SL2 or SL3, and plus my trip was largely empty, save for Miles, Jackson, and co.
Nearby points of interest: Pretty much the waterfront district in its entirity, if you walk out of any given station. Downtown, if you leave South Station, as well as access to the Commuter Rail, Amtrak, and the Red Line and SL4.
Overall, on paper it’s not a terrible route. In fact, I’d argue it’s the best Silver Line route. Unfortunately, though, I’d limit this one to rush hour and special events only (of which neither conditions were true when I rode this). Plus, if you’re going between the three BRT stops along the shared section of the SL1/2/3, odds are you’re gonna be using whatever comes first heading inbound, and it probably won’t be this.
Rating: 7/10
Also, a post-publish edit: shoutouts to everyone who was there. Y’all legit are cool people, and to be real, I had a good time. And to Miles and Jackson, if you see this, best of luck on your cross-country trolleybus journey.
Alrighty, the last of the Silver Line stations for today! Let’s delve into it. The station? Silver Line Way.
The outbound shelter
Now, for one, there’s nothing really special about Silver Line Way, other than the fact it’s where the diesel-overhead transition happens. That is, if the bus is an old Neoplan. The Xcelsiors (diesel hybrids and BEBs) don’t need to switch over because they don’t have pantographs. The only other things immediately at the station are a turnaround point for the short-turn Silver Line runs and a parking lot.
A normal bus next to a disabled bus….facing the wrong way?Looking down Silver Line WayThe turnaround point, and that darn bus again.Overhead catenaries and the bus’s pantographsFrom the shade at a nearby hotel
Wait, what the? Who’s this walking towards me and the small gathering of people? Not the shadowy figure! Oh god, no, not like this. Please, anything but this. No, no, NOOOOOOOO!!!
TO BE CONTINUED…
The good: It’s right on the waterfront, near a major concert venue.
The bad: …there’s not much else of any major note in the area. Delays are also likely should the handoff between diesel and overhead fail.
Nearby points of interest: The aforementioned concert venue and the waterfront.
Transit connections: Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW)
Overall, it’s “meh.” If the bus is in the middle of the street, good luck if you need accessibility. The handoff works great if it goes well, but if it goes wrong, it goes REALLY wrong and can cause delays a plenty. But overall, I’d say it’s about average. It does suck if you’re here for 40 minutes in the searing heat, though.
Huh, I thought this’d never open. But, here we are, and it’s open! Must be a summer-only thing. So, here we go.
Yikes.
Not a lot inside. You have an ATM, a bunch of brochures, a waiting area in case it’s raining, and bathrooms. There’s also a desk which I presume is for RIPTA stuff. On the outside, you have a parking garage, a layover area for the buses that stop here, as well as berths for RIPTA and various long-distance and tour bus companies. There’s also destination signs at each berth, and they’re all covered with benches.
The parking garageThe 67, having just picked people up
The good: It’s Newport’s central transit hub, and for a major tourist destination, it’s kinda important in that regard. It also serves not only RIPTA, but also Greyhound and various local tour bus companies. The berths are also sizable and covered, something Kennedy Plaza could use…
The bad: Why is the indoor area closed during the winter?! If it isn’t summer, this transit hub quickly becomes one of the “screw you” type, especially if you need a bathroom break. Furthermore, the destination signs don’t work half the time, just reading “No Data”. There’s also no machines to reload Wave cards here.
Nearby points of interest: Essentially all of Newport! It’s quite literally, a gateway to Newport by transit.
Transit connections: RIPTA (14-Newport, 24L, 60, 63, 64, 67, 68, 231 Flex) Greyhound Probably some other long-distance bus companies I’m forgetting
Overall, I….don’t like this place. Yeah, it’s okay during the summer, but if it’s the winter, it’s a major “screw you”. And that’s what I’m gonna have to base my rating on.
This one was inevitable. You know it. And today, we’re going to be looking at Kennedy Plaza.
Kennedy Plaza!
So, what does this spot have to offer? Well, for one, it’s RIPTA’s central hub. There’s also some things around it as well. On the north side, you have the old Union Station and Providence Station, along with Burnside Park. This is also where bus stops X, Y, and Z are, all long-distance routes. If you’re trying to catch the bus and you’re in the plaza itself, good luck. Getting here consists crossing the street twice and a park. Burnside Park is also over here, along with the ice rink. During the summer, it’s a roller skating rink. No speed skating! Then, there’s the plaza itself. East Approach, while technically still part of Burnside Park, has bus stops V and W, where Broadway-bound routes board, along with North Providence-bound routes. On the north side of Kennedy Plaza, you have bus stops G, H, I, and J. It’s here that many of the East Side routes board, along with the northbound DTC routes. The R Line’s northbound stop can also be found here. On the southern side, you have bus stops B, C, and D. Southbound DTC routes board here, along with the CCRI-bound routes. Above each of the stops are countdown signs, but half the time they don’t even work.
Oh no.
Inside the building itself, you can find a couple of countdown signs for a few bus routes, but they don’t show all of them. Bathrooms can also be found here, however I wouldn’t recommend using them. Normally, there would be a ticket and photo ID office here, but they’re closed for now.
It’s well-lit, at least!
The least they could do with this building, is to have a Wave vending machine where you can load Wave cards. Kinda like how the MBTA has CharlieCard machines at the various subway stations.
The good: It’s centrally-located in Providence! It’s also largely walkable and big. However…..
The bad: The size can be detrimental, especially if you have to run from bus stops B/C/D to stop X. Also, why isn’t stop Z consolidated with stop X? Hell, why does the 49 board over here?! Thank god they’re axing that route. Also, this might not be the best place to hang, given that sometimes interesting figures will hang around. If you know, you know.
Nearby points of interest: There’s a 7/11 nearby! Also, Burnside Park! Providence Station is a quarter-mile away, as is Providence Place Mall.
Rating: 7.5/10
EDIT: It’s come to my attention that as of 6/20/22 (a Monday), the ticket office (and hopefully also the photo ID office) at Kennedy Plaza will be reopening, with Wave sales happening here. With this in mind, I can up the rating to a 7.5. ORIGINAL RATING: 6/10
