New London Union (Amtrak/CTrail)

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 2
The 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 area
Track 1’s mini-high
This is nice.
The station building
Westbound from the low platform on track 2
Track 6’s decrepit platform, unused
Oh 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.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Northeast Regional)
CTrail (Shore Line East)
9 Town Transit (643)
SEAT (1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 15, 108)
Greyhound
Prison (via Amtrak police)

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 track
Oh, that’s why.

Old Saybrook (Amtrak/CTrail)

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 bathrooms
This 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 signage
Looking down the tracks
The platforms
Oh right, ConnDOT procured y’all recently.
Amtrak pulling in
The bridge
Another M8, from above this time
a 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.

Rating: 8/10

HOLY FUCKING SHIT, KING TUT?!

Mystic (Amtrak)

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 building
Looking northbound. Look at how long the southbound platform is!
And southbound, past the gates!
The shack
Oh, 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.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Northeast Regional)
SEAT (Stonington HOP)

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 extension
God, what’s with the CT section of the NEC being so darn scenic?!

SLW (Short-turn Silver Line)

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?!

HOLD UP WHAT?!

…MILES?! *I spit my tea out in shock*

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.

Not much ridership here!
Courthouse!
The legend himself (& Jackson)
EVERYONE. IS. HERE!
(I’m in the Harvard hoodie kneeling). Credits to Miles for this picture.

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.

Silver Line Way (Silver Line)

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 Way
The turnaround point, and that darn bus again.
Overhead catenaries and the bus’s pantographs
From 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.

Rating: 4.5/10

Newport Gateway Center (RIPTA)

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 garage
The 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.

Rating: 4/10

Kennedy Plaza (RIPTA)

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

32 (Wolcott Sq./Cleary Sq.-Forest Hills)

Alright, my first MBTA bus review! Let’s get into this route. So, what is it that I’m working with? I’ll be working with the 32 today.

A few CNG Xcelsiors laying over at Forest Hills Station

So, once my friend and I got on the bus, it was off to the races. The route is largely straightforward, being a clean shot down Hyde Park Ave. to Wolcott Square, Readville. The neighborhoods the route went through, or at least the sections of which, were largely residential in nature. Many businesses lined Washington St. in the Jamaica Plains section of the route. However, once we entered Roslindale, it was a different story with it being largely residential. I wouldn’t even describe the neighborhood as bad, or Olneyville-level, by any stretch of the imagination. At least, not at face value. I’m not a native Bostonian, so I’m very much unaware as to where to and to not go (beyond the very obvious).

Some businesses along Hyde Park Ave.
Some housing
An apartment complex of sorts
A shopping plaza?!

As we went down Hyde Park Ave., it was sorta urban in nature with the buildings. Like, it’s not very urban, but I’d describe it in nature similar to North Main Street in Providence. It was largely the same things. At one point, we passed by Hyde Park’s Commuter Rail station, where Stoughton-bound trains stop, along with Franklin and Foxboro trains. Eventually, though, after going under a stone arch bridge, we made it to Wolcott Square and Readville Station.

Oh my, more houses!
Some businesses! I wonder if that pizzeria is worth trying out some time.
A pole.
Near the terminus!
The bus leaving us as we were walking to Readville Station

The good: It’s a direct link between Wolcott Square, Readville Station, and the Orange Line via Forest Hills, going through Roslindale, Hyde Park, and the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain. It also gets some decent enough ridership, as far as I can tell, between my own trip being decently full. If Miles’ (of Miles in Transit) post on this route is to go by, this route happens to get slightly higher ridership than the R Line (in excess of 11000!) If anyone can double check this with the Blue Book (I can’t decipher it to save my life as I’m an idiot), please let me know.

The bad: Given the frequency, I’d imagine bunching up is bad with traffic. I mean, this route has R Line levels of frequency, being 10 minute headways. Which sounds nice until you realize it’s in mixed traffic.

Nearby points of interest: The Arbortorium at Forest Hills! There’s also Hyde Park and Readville Stations if you’re into railfanning. Also, the Orange Line’s southern terminus is at Forest Hills.

Overall, it’s not a bad route. It’s a clean shot from Forest Hills to Wolcott and Readville Station via Hyde Park Avenue. Could it be a little better in the frequency (i.e. being slightly less frequent to avoid bunching) department? Probably. But, it’s buses we’re talking. High frequency, higher than the R Line, is inevitably going to lead to bunching. It’s still not a bad route though.

Rating: 7.5/10

Forest Hills (Orange Line)

Ah, the southern terminus of the Orange Line, at the heart of Jamaica Plain. Oh, there’s also a Commuter Rail platform here, sweet! Let’s look at this station a little further.

Wow, now we’re REALLY in the past! Oh look, Helvetica Bold in the background!

So, the Orange Line platform is your standard Southwest Corridor affair. It’s primarily enclosed with concrete, though, unlike most of the other Southwest Corridor subway stops. It does tell you which platform the next inbound train is departing on, though, which is nice. Despite this, it still screams ’80s MBTA.

The lobby

The station lobby itself is pretty nice. There’s an information booth at the center of the station, and the ceiling and roof is all glass, which lets in a lot of sunlight. Access to the Commuter Rail platform can also be had here.

Looking down the stairs!
Oh no, not this again.

Oh boy. Why did it feel like Back Bay again? Fortunately, because most trains express through here with only Needham line trains stopping (UPDATE 9/24/22: the MBTA has changed the schedule so that Franklin trains and a midday Providence train stop here), diesel fumes aren’t an issue unlike in Back Bay. The platform itself, however, was quite bare, aside from the odd cute railfan girl.

The train platform
And the other direction!
The headhouse from the Commuter Rail platform

There’s two busways here, too. They’re either on the western or eastern side of the station, with a number of bus routes leaving here, such as the 32 to Wolcott and Readville. It felt a little dingy, but it wasn’t too unbearable as it was all outdoor otherwise.

One of the busways

The good: It gives the locals an intermodal transit center! The Orange Line to Downtown Crossing is about 20 minutes (once you’re on the train). The station is also in fare zone 1A, meaning that Commuter Rail fares are the same as the subway heading into South Station and Back Bay. Heading outbound, the rail line ends at Needham, although it costs $7 rather than $2.40.

The bad: Not much. It’s a little dingy, and the Orange Line platform is definitely showing its age, but aside from that I don’t have many complaints. The tunnel with the Needham line would be problematic if all trains stopped here, but fortunately that isn’t the case. Also, what’s with the last Providence train stopping here?

Nearby points of interest: Forest Hills, the neighborhood! There’s also the Arbortorium nearby, along with the Franklin Park Zoo. Maybe a cute sapphic couple.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Needham, limited Franklin, Foxboro, Providence)
Orange Line
MBTA bus (16, 21, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 34E, 35, 36, 37, 38,39, 40, 42, 50, 51)

Overall, it’s a nice station. Sure, the platform is dingy, and there’s not much in extra amenities, but you don’t always need that when you have local businesses nearby. The building itself is quite nice, and there’s several things to do nearby.

Rating: 7/10

Quincy Center (Red Line)

Welcome to Quincy! Since I’m here reviewing MBTA stations, that means I have to go out to Quincy as well. Fortunately, Quincy Center has things to do unlike the next two stations down the line (Quincy Adams & Braintree). Now, let’s get into this.

I spy some Helvetica Bold.

For one, the poles at the Red Line platform is shiny. And, it’s a weird mix of being sorta underground but not really. Sometimes it can smell funky down here as well. But come on, we’re not here for just the Red Line platform. Up the stairs outside of fare control, we go!

Fare control and the CharlieCard machines

The lobby at Quincy Center is small but simple. You have CharlieCard machines, fare control going to the Red Line platforms, and bus schedules. There’s also an associate here if anyone needs assistance. There’s also a sandwich shop outside the station, along with a busway. The roofing used to be a parking lot, but it’s since been closed a long time ago.

The busway, served by various bus routes

After a quick trip to a nearby convenience store, I returned to the station and headed to the Commuter Rail platform. This…..has got to be among the most “out of the way” Commuter Rail platforms I’ve ever seen. To even get there, you have to go to the back of the station and go down a corridor. At least it’s open, unlike Back Bay.

The Commuter Rail concourse and some art!
Oh no.
Oh dear god.

The Commuter Rail platform is mostly dark, but at least there was seating in the open area. Plus, at least the train engines stop in the open area, unlike in Back Bay. This means, fortunately, diesel fumes aren’t a major issue! YAY! So, what trains DO stop here? Well, how about the Old Colony and Greenbush lines? I’ll also ask, why is it just a single track? Like, this feel kinda hackjobbed in at the last minute, if anything. How many people use this place, anyways? Oh, 773 as of 2018, and 7120 on the Red Line as of 2019. Nice.

The other side, towards a parking garage. Not Quincy Adams, though.
HELVETICA BOLD, MY BELOVED!!!!!

The good: It’s an important link and largely straightforward (save for the Commuter Rail platform) intermodal hub! How about, a bus-subway, subway-CR, or bus-CR transfer? It’s also close to a few tourist attractions, like the Adams statue, the Adams house, and the church where they’re buried.

The bad: …why would you take the Commuter Rail from here to downtown, when the Red Line also stops here? One’s $2.40 and lets you use day/monthly CharlieCard passes, while the Commuter Rail is $6.50 (zone 1 fare) to fare zone 1A. Also, it can feel a little creepy and dingy at times. Still not as bad as Back Bay, though!

Nearby points of interest: Quincy Center! Plus, the places accessible by the various bus routes, the Red Line, the Kingston, Middleborough, and Greenbush Commuter Rail lines!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Greenbush, Kingston, Fall River, New Bedford)
Red Line (Braintree)
MBTA bus (210, 211, 215, 216, 217, 220, 222, 225, 230, 236, 238, 245)

Overall, it’s certainly not the worst. Questionable decisions can be made here, but maybe that’s fitting for Quincy, given that sometimes there’s some interesting people around. But, c’mon man, just use the Red Line or the bus to get into downtown from here instead.

Rating: 6.5/10