Category: Massachusetts

Next stop: Lawrence! Let’s take a look at the station that the….11th(?!) largest city in the state has. As I’m on the train cresting the Merrimack River, the station slowly comes into view….wait, no, that’s the old station! Oh, NOW there it is. It’s just a measly single side platform. Oh…

So, the station is pretty standard. You have a full-length high level platform (only one of two on the Haverhill, the other being Malden Center. Oak Grove’s is only 400ft long), your standard amenities, and you STILL have the red dot matrix signage. Damn, even on NEW stations (this was built in ’05!) they still couldn’t help but go with red dot matrix signage. Oh well! You also have a loud speaker that beeps whenever a train is on track 2 approaching the station. Wait, what’s that on track 3? WHAT?!

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME, THERE WAS A SECOND PLATFORM HERE?! AND THEY JUST YANKED IT OUT, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD TO CROSS THREE TRACKS?! THAT’S IT?! THAT’S BULLSHIT! WHY?! WHY THE HELL WOULD THE T AND/OR MEVA NEUTER THE HAVERHILL FURTHER THAN IT ALREADY IS?! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING, DRINKING, SMOKING?! AAAAAAAAAAAAA WHY NOT JUST REBUILD IT WITH A RAMP UP TO STREET LEVEL, OR AN OVERPASS TO THE 2ND/3RD LEVEL OF THE MCGOVERN TRANSPORTATION CENTER?! JUST, WHY?! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!

MeVa also stops here, with the 3, heading to the Buckley TC and North Andover. We’ll look at that some other time. As for other amenities…….they were all locked and perma-closed. Bathroom? Closed. Cafe? Closed. There used to be more here, but they all shuttered up at some point, which REALLY sucks. For amenities that still exist, you can buy tickets here on weekdays! But hey, you can get some nice shots of the Merrimack River around here! Just be mindful of exploding gas mains.

The good: It’s got bus connections, plenty of parking (which doesn’t seem to all be fully utilized on weekends, but I’m sure it fills up on weekdays. It’s also close to downtown, with the 3 running every half-hour (hourly on Saturdays, no Sunday service). Neat! It’s also a full-length high level platform, which is also nice.

The bad: WHY DID THEY LET THE SECOND PLATFORM ROT AWAY?! JUST, WHY?! It’s also not in downtown, but that’s forgiven with the fact the tracks don’t run to there. But it is still a bit of a lengthy walk to downtown though.

Nearby points of interest: The 3 can take you to downtown! But, for the area immediately around the station? Eh, you can get some shots of the Merrimack River, and there’s some local restaurants nearby and green spaces. But this is mostly residential.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MeVa (3)

Overall, it’s alright. But, PLEASE, BUILD THAT DAMN SECOND PLATFORM AGAIN! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Rating: 6.5/10

Andover, Andover… Well, I’ve heard some stuff about you and Brooke suggest meeting me out here the other day (it’s now Monday, 10/16, at 12:02 AM as of me writing this, she and I got together on the Saturday prior…) for coffee and other stuff. So, how is the station and area in general? Let’s see…

So, the station seems average enough. You have a mini-high with a long low-level section. Not much shelter on the low level area, but you have benches, wastebaskets, and even bike racks! Neat! Parking is across the street, and MeVa even stops here on Railroad St. Weekdays only, however. There’s also a station house, which, like Wilmington, houses a restaurant (Japanese instead of Indian, however). Weirdly enough, the gates also come down well before the train reaches them, while stopped at the mini-high. It’s presumably annoying for local traffic but meh. Now, I do have one question…..

WHY THE HELL IS THERE ONLY ONE PLATFORM?!

The good: It’s got bike racks, is close to Andover’s town center, has some parking, and is actually accessible in practice! Woohoo! MeVa also stops here, neat!!!

The bad: WHY THE HELL IS THERE NO SECOND PLATFORM?! Less annoying is the grade crossing situation but meh, whatever.

Nearby points of interest: Andover’s town center is charming!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)
MeVa (22)

Overall, the station has some charm but there are some glaring flaws, most notably in the lack of a second platform. Like, what?! Just, why?!

Rating: 6/10

Oh goody, a new line! So, the first station on the Haverhill without any subway connections….is Ballardvale. So, let’s take a look at it, being the first stop on the outer section of the line (defined here as Ballardvale-Haverhill).

First off, the platform is LONG! Certainly, much longer than anything that’d ever stop here. Secondly, NOTHING STOPS AT THE DAMN MINI-HIGH! IN ESSENCE, FUCK YOU IF YOU NEED TO BOARD AT THE MINI-HIGH PLATFORM! This is almost as bad as that ad for Big Bill Hells Cars that opens with “FUCK YOU BALTIMORE!”, but at least that is funny. This is just outright depressing. But, it gets worse. THEY RIPPED OUT THE WRONG TRACK. YEP! THE STATION HAS ONE TRACK, CLEARLY HAD A SECOND, AND THEY YANKED OUT THE WRONG TRACK AND JUST EXTENDED THE PLATFORM OVER IT. AND, OF COURSE, DID I MENTION THE TRAINS NEVER STOP AT THE MINI-HIGH, RENDERING THIS STATION INACCESSIBLE IN PRACTICE?! FUCK YOU IF YOU NEED THAT MINI-HIGH! Also, seemingly everyone and their mom trespassed to reach a ballfield on the other side. Kinda dangerous, and one of these days someone’s gonna be struck doing that. On a more positive note, you have your usual amenities, a red dot matrix sign, and even a shelter! Neat! You also have parking.

The good: It’s got parking and is in a residential area, and has a (at face value) decent-ish walkshed being residential

The bad: IT’S NOT ACCESSIBLE IN PRACTICE! THE PLATFORM IS SO DAMN LONG TRAINS DON’T EVEN BOTHER STOPPING AT THE MINI-HIGH! FURTHERMORE THEY RIPPED OUT THE WRONG TRACK!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, HOW BAD CAN THIS PLACE BE DESIGNED?! WHAT KIND OF CRACK WERE THEY SMOKING?!

Nearby points of interest: Not much, but a pizzeria, cafe, and convenience store all exist! Furthermore, you got some TOD!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Haverhill)

Overall, NO. JUST, NO PLEASE GOD NO!!!

Rating: 4.5/10

So, last time I did the Worcester Line, in April, I did everything up to Framingham. Service originally terminated there, with Worcester service being restored in the ’90s. Since then, in the early ’00s, four infills opened up, being Ashland, Southborough, Westborough, and Grafton. Westborough is the first we’ll be looking at.

So, the station is pretty basic, as you’d expect. You have a copious amount of parking, wastebaskets, benches, yellow dot matrix signs for basic info, and a GIANT FREAKIN’ OVERPASS designed for back when CSX ran double-stack freight through here. Fortunately, the yard where they’d bring said double-stack freight to has since closed. Unfortunately, they still run freight, but less frequently than before. If you’re a railfan, you might also get to see the Lake Shore Limited heading each way. No stop, sadly. And, when a train approaches, YOU HEAR THE WAILING OF A FREAKIN’ SIREN! YEAH, WAS “TRAIN APPROACHING, PLEASE REMAIN BEHIND YELLOW LINE” NOT ENOUGH?! DID I ALSO MENTION HOW UNWALKABLE THE AREA IS?!

The good: There’s basic amenities and a giant footbridge! Neat! Also a lot of parking! WRTA’s dial-a-ride microtransit also serves here!

The bad: WHY IS IT NOT A FULL LENGTH HIGH PLATFORM?! WHAT THE HELL?! FURTHERMORE, WHY IS THE STATION HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALMOST-NOWHERE, WHEN THE RIGHT OF WAY LITERALLY RUNS THROUGH THE TOWN CENTER?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!

Nearby points of interest: Not a lot!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Worcester)
WRTA (Via WRTA)

Overall, it’s just your run of the mill poorly-placed park and ride station. This could have had better ridership in Westborough Center. But, nah, just plop a giant parking lot with a platform in the middle of almost-nowhere. That oughta do the trick!

Rating: 5/10

Alrighty! So, today, I ventured out straight into the far-flung reaches of the Fitchburg Line as I had plans to see my dad. Unfortunately, I was running a little tight on time as the train I was taking shat itself and they had to send a rescue set out to get us westbound. However, I still eventually got to North Leominster. And with that, here it is.

So, the platform seems standard enough. You have some benches, wastebaskets, a red dot matrix sign and, on the far end, the grade crossing used to get onto the outbound side. Unfortunately, because of Norfolk Southern barreling down track 2, the train dropped several people and I off on the inbound side. It’s not very often you see freight trains run alongside the Commuter Rail, especially a class 1 freight company like Norfolk Southern or CSX. As for the parking garage itself, it’s like someone took Wickford Junction, aged it a bit, made it more dingy, and stripped the restrooms from it. MART also stops here! However, it’s unsigned. And, given the location and the usage of the lot, a garage park & ride isn’t the worst idea. Plus, for a park & ride, it’s got actually decent pedestrian connections to the neighborhood. Neat!

The good: It’s decently used AND it has relatively decent pedestrian connections. That is, to say, it’s not in a stroad hellscape. The layout for entering is also pretty decent, especially if you’re cutting it close.

The bad: …the busway sucks. The crossing on the far end also is very annoying, and more electronic signage indicating last-minute track changes from dispatch (e.g. a NS train gets clearance on the inbound track and your train has to board on the outbound side). Or heck, a crossover that DOESN’T involve grade crossings, even!

Nearby points of interest: Eh, I can’t immediately think of anything, and looking at Google Maps post-review doesn’t seem to bring up much of note. If I find anything after publishing this, I’ll make an edit.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg)
MART (1)

Overall, while the station is alright, it’s certainly not the best, and definitely not the best on the far end of the Fitchburg Line. However, for a park & ride, it’s okay.

Rating: 6.5/10

Alrighty, so, West Gloucester was a disappointment? But, how does normal Gloucester stack up? Well, for one, it’s in downtown and has multiple bus connections. Actually, this is pretty good! Let’s look!

So, unlike West Gloucester, Gloucester is single-tracked. Also unlike West Gloucester, it isn’t barebones! You have a bus shelter for CATA buses, wastebaskets, red dot matrix signs, SHELTER (even on the mini-high!!!!!), a crossing to the parking lot, wastebaskets, and did I mention it’s in the middle of downtown? Oh yeah, HORNS for the railfans! Neat! This is easily among my favorites! Plus, to top it off, Gloucester itself is actually a nice seaside town, and is a popular tourist destination during the spring and summer months on Cape Ann.

The good: It’s in downtown Gloucester! Furthermore, you have amenities, sheltered mini-highs, bus connections, and it’s in a walkable area! YAY!

The bad: It’s a mini-high and there’s a grade crossing to the parking lot. Vleugh. Two pet peeves.

Nearby points of interest: Downtown and the beaches! Also, wherever CATA can take you!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Rockport Line)
CATA (Blue/Lanesville, Orange/Gloucester Xing-Business Express, Stage Fort Shuttle, Saturday Mall)

Overall, I like this station. Like, it’s personally a favorite of mine and I like Gloucester as a town. Now that I think of it, I need to visit this place further. Fortunately, that’s when I’ll be doing the CATA bus network. Stay tuned for that! (eventually…)

Rating: 8/10

Alrighty, so we’ve done Rockport, now, what about the second of the four famed seaside towns on the Rockport Line? Let’s look at Gloucester-

wait, what? This is WEST Gloucester? Alright, let’s look at West Gloucester. How bad can it be? Well……

So, after dialing my ride from Gloucester, I arrived and it’s pretty unassuming, all things considered. It’s a residential neighborhood with, actually, not a lot going on. You DO, however, have a big sign unlike anywhere else on the Commuter Rail. Oh boy.

The station itself has some parking, two platforms with mini-highs, benches, wastebaskets, and Helvetica signage. And, maybe the outhouses count as restrooms? Not sure. But, there’s a few major problems here, and I’ll get into them shortly.

OKAY, SO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS STATION? I’LL TELL YOU! THE MINI-HIGHS ARE UNSHELTERED – AGAIN! WHY IS THE INBOUND SIDE A QUARTER OF THE LENGTH OF THE OUTBOUND SIDE?! EVEN MORESO, IS THAT MOST PEOPLE HERE ARE BOARDING INBOUND TOWARDS CHELSEA AND BOSTON – NOT TOWARDS ROCKPORT! FURTHERMORE, YOU’RE ALWAYS PERPETUALLY STUCK WITH THE HUMMING OF THE ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION SO YA BETTER GET USED TO IT! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM………… FUCKING FUCK! AND THE GRADE CROSSING!!!!!! ALL OF THIS, PLUS THE LACK OF THINGS NEARBY AND INFREQUENT SERVICE OUTBOUND (just take CATA!) ALL ARE REASONS THAT THIS, WEST FREAKIN’ GLOUCESTER, IS THE LEAST-USED PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE COMMUTER RAIL STATION ON THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AS OF 2023. THIS STATION SUCKS, AND SHOULD GET A MAJOR REBUILD.

The good: Nah. Ok, ok, it at least exists so locals don’t have to go into downtown Gloucester for their trains.

The bad: THE MINI-HIGHS SUCK, WHY IS ONE PLATFORM SHORTER THAN THE OTHER, THE SERVICE SUCKS IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY, AND FURTHERMORE JUST TAKE THE LOCAL BUS INSTEAD IF YOU NEED TO HEAD OUTBOUND. OH YEAH, THE HUMMING OF THE SUBSTATION!

Nearby points of interest: Nah.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Rockport)
CATA (West Gloucester/Purple)

Overall, this station sucks, and if anything on the Rockport Line needs a rebuild after Beverly, I’d argue a case for this station in particular despite low ridership, and I’d give CATA a busway for it as well. Either way, if you can help it, I wouldn’t suggest waiting here.

Rating: 2/10

Alrighty, so we went from Beverly (which kinda sucked), to Prides Crossing (which undisputedly sucks), and now we’re at Beverly Farms. Is it bad like Wellesley or Green’s Farms? Well, let’s see.

Okay, so Beverly Farms. You have a rather barren mini-high, but not as bad as Beverly’s in that it’s one piece (or two? one for each side?), yay! There’s some parking, some of it looks like a mud and gravel patch? Yeah, I’m not sure, but there’s still parking. There’s some benches and wastebaskets on the platforms at least, along with two(!!!) red dot matrix signs! Yay! There’s also shelter on the inbound side, primarily around the storefront housing a bagel shop. As for Beverly Farms, the neighborhood? Well, I actually like it and need to check it out further. The area’s got some charm to it. However, I must ask one thing: WHY IS THERE NO SHELTER ON THE OUTBOUND SIDE?! Pretty typical of most stations, sadly.

The good: Well, it’s in a nice area! Furthermore, the mini-highs aren’t decrepit! Also, there’s a bagel shop and a decent amount of parking!

The bad: The platform’s kinda barebones, and there’s no shelter outbound! Furthermore, why is it in zone 5?!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a few restaurants and shops in the neighborhood, including a Dunkies, a bagel shop, and a couple of bars, along with a bookstore and gift shop. There’s also a beach to the south!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Rockport Line)

Overall, while the platforms are just bad, I like the area and want to check it out further some time, and admittedly I’m a little biased with that regard. But, even objectively, Beverly Farms is just an interesting area!

Rating: 5/10

Hey, remember when I reviewed Mishawum about five months ago? The very first sentence in that blog is me rambling on about how the station closed in late 2020 as part of some COVID-related cuts. Well, six stations fell victim to that, actually. Or, as I call them, the sinister six. Mishawum (Lowell Line) was the first one to receive an entry. The second one, is the subject of this blog: Prides Crossing. And, for those curious, the remaining four are Hastings and Silver Hill, both on the Fitchburg Line, Plymouth on the Kingston Line, and Plimptonville on the Franklin Line. It also happened this was the easiest one to do. So, without further ado, welcome to Prides Crossing. Or, as I and a few other LGBT peeps jokingly referred to it as, Trans Prides Crossing.

Getting here was relatively easy, if a bit long of a walk. I mean, 15 minutes one-way isn’t the end of the world but still. Amusingly enough, the grade crossing on Hale Street pictured above, was NOT something Google wanted me to cross. I’m legitimately not sure why, as sidewalks existed. See?

I’m not sure why Google insists on jacking up the EDI of the route, when walking the black line I drew worked out fine and beget me a 3/4-mile walk. This isn’t even the first time, as I’ve contemplated hiking to the Walmart in North Smithfield after riding the 59X, too, and it did the same thing around Slatersville. But, after a rather tame 3/4-mile walk, I made it. So, I commenced the review.

So, you have a singular side platform on the Rockport Line, with a hunk of asphalt used to access track 2. There’s a few benches, including the famed “Democrat” and “Republican” benches. Wastebaskets are also here, along with a red dot matrix sign, except it was facing parallel to the tracks rather than perpendicular. There’s also Prides Crossing Confections, which if you’re looking for locally-made sweet treats, despite being mildly pricy, I recommend checking out.

The good: It’s actually got some amenities! For a station of its caliber, I’d have expected nothing at all! Also, there’s some things nearby!

The bad: It’s inaccessible and there’s one platform! Also, it’s so darn close to Beverly Farms, to where I ask one thing: “why? why use this over Beverly Farms?”

Nearby points of interest: Prides Crossing Confectionary is the big one!

Transit connections: None (is closed)

Overall, from an objective perspective, it kinda sucks! But, it is an unusual station and travelling out here was a good time, I must admit. Also, worth it for the chocolates from the shop here, if nothing else. Too bad there’s no bus connection…

Rating: 2.5/10