We took an MBTA train from the WORST STATION
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2024
- After riding the Fairmount Line earlier, it was time to ride another MBTA Commuter Rail line. This time, we're taking a 20 minute trip on the Framingham/Worcester Line. For $6.50 a person, we traveled from Newtonville to Boston South Station. Newtonville happens to be one of the crappiest stations on the entire commuter rail network in Boston, and you'll see why.
Correction: the newest Metra station actually opened in 2018, not 2006. However, this station is only served 3x a day in each direction. So still bad.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:00 Newtonville Station
3:23 Train 582 Arrives
4:33 Boston Landing, Lansdowne, and Back Bay
5:24 Improvements
6:30 South Station to Logan Airport - Авто та транспорт
Thank you for not mispronouncing Wusstah as "War-chester" 😂
I do my due diligence!
Hey TRA! As a European, I gotta say your videos are quite amazing and make me learn a lot about public transport in the USA, which is often underdiscussed.
Thank you! I try to make my videos approachable for a wide audience!
For about three years I had an apartment three blocks from the Boston Landing station. One night when I was returning from a concert downtown on the train, even though I informed the conductor that I was getting off at Boston Landing (it is a flag stop late at night), he got distracted and never informed the engineer. We get to Boston Landing, we don't stop, and then I run through the train and find the conductor yelling "you skipped my stop." After first suggesting that I take the train to Wellesley where I could transfer to an inbound train, I got him to stop the train for me at the crappy Newtonville station (even more crappy at night), and I had to get a taxi home.
The next day I called the MBTA to complain, and to my surprise, they pulled up the GPS record of the train the night before, confirmed the train never stopped at Boston Landing, and sent me a check for my cab fare. So all in all, it ended alright.
I’m actually very impressed that they put in all the effort to track the train and make sure you got your compensation. CTA would never. I’ve had bus drivers skip my stop because they were on their phone, and I call and call customer service, to hear the same “we’ll inform the garage manager.”
@@Thom-TRA I was shocked too, especially that they had the GPS history. However, I will say, that the commuter trains are operated by Keolis, and the MBTA tends to be pretty liberal about making Keolis give refunds, not so much on the T operated subway and bus system!
That's SERVICE!
Thanks for the ride, Thom! That's the former Boston and Albany main line. It was built with handsome Richardsonian Romanesque stations (similar to the surviving Newton Centre Green Line station, the former B&A Highland Branch to Riverside). All were torn down when the Mass Pike was extended into Boston. You can tell the highway powers-that-were assumed no one would ride the train anymore when they had a six-lane (toll) road adjacent. Hence those ridiculous one-side-only platforms. But as others have commented here, past misdeeds are to be corrected with new stations planned (with in-and-outbound platforms) at all three Newton stops on the Wuh'-ster line... at least you didn't pronounce it "War'-cester". 😉
Thanks for the informed comment, amfam889 !
...the rich (and somewhat tragic) history of passenger rail service throughout Massachusetts is accessible, informative, and hopefully, will help citizens' continuing efforts to bring sustainable mass transit solutions to the forefront of the general consciousness, in their effot to create a more liveable Commonwealth for all.
You are my favorite train UA-camr.
Wow that’s a huge compliment! Thank you!
Great video! Love hearing your opinion on the MBTA commuter rail. I think that they could totally electrify the lines on the NEC. For the other lines they could using the Semins ario style trains.
electrification is coming by force even though it’s unnecessary and expensive but the politicians gotta appease a few environmentalists and union workers
@bostonrailfan2427 Expensive? Yeah, short term. Unnecessary? Absolutely not.
@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45 electrifying the commuter rail is 100% worth it
Correction: the newest Metra station actually opened in 2018, not 2006. However, this station is only served 3x a day in each direction. So still bad.
I got to enjoy Boston Landing for one summer before moving away. It turned an hour commute into a 20 minute jaunt. It was a thrill and a joy every time.
5:23 Lake Shore Limited also picks up passengers at Back Bay headed to Chicago! I took that train a year ago to move to nearby Providence from Chicago!
That's a long ride. I hope you got a Roomette or Sleeper seat - 24 hours on a train.
Interestingly enough, The Boston Globe published an article in 2014 which provided an estimate that the cost per minute of driving was $.34/minute. Taking inflation into account, that's probably more like $.43/minute today. Your trip cost $.325/minute, so not too shabby.
Oh, I’m not disputing that! I pay $75 a month for public transit in Chicago. There are gas fill-ups pricier than that!
@@Thom-TRA The classic CityNerd video about the total cost of car ownership feels pertinent here. ua-cam.com/video/c2rI-5ZFW1E/v-deo.html
@@Thom-TRA I used to pay $350/month on for Littleton to North Station, plus parking ($5/day).
Very nice Thom!
Another enjoyable video showing us a train system we would have never have known about.
A most enjoyable ride ! Shame about the condition and location of the stations, but I do like the MPI locomotives that power most of the trains on that route !
Politicians have really been pushing MBTA electrification as of recent, with legislation being proposed for initial electrification by 2024
That’s good news!
As well they should. I've seen the recent bill and it's very ambitious. I hope it passes. Even if it's too ambitious and the project ends up being delayed, it'll at last get the ball rolling.
Thank you, TRA channel, for your efforts and passion producing these videos!
I hold hope that a secondary function off efforts like yours will be an even greater consciousness of the potential good passenger rail brings to society; for now I know I am but one of many "simply enjoying the ride" -- thank you, Thom and family!
Thank you for these kind words! I hope my videos reach all these goals, I’m glad it starts with you!
you did a great job and very accurate with your facts. Lots of TLC and upgrades are needed not only to the equipment but to the stations. I use MBTA and Amtrak frequently as well as the Silver Line, You had facts and was worth exploring Hope to see more
there have been some worse stations such as hastings on the fitchburg line, but it closed in 2020
it was basically a ballast parking lot that could fit at most 3 cars and the station itself had no platform and could accommodate less than one car
A classic “if a train opens its doors here we can call it a station” kind of deal
@@Thom-TRA Yeah, Hastings and Silver Hill were basically railroad crossings where the trains would stop and let people on or off. They were closed in 2020. You'll be happy to know that (after some delay due to truly puzzling initial designs that would have hobbled operations on the line) the MBTA has approved plans to rebuild all three Newton stations, including Newtonville Station, and will include high platforms on each side and accessibility improvements from the surrounding streets.
@@roxxma that’s great news!
Hastings closed? Is was sort of a dirt parking lot and they hardly ever stopped there coming home.
I'm surprised by how basic Newtonville looks, considering the relatively frequent service. In a previous comment I mentioned Te Huia, that Hamilton to Auckland service. And for comparison, it calls at Rotokauri station (near a huge shopping centre).
Rotokauri was built from scratch and specifically for Te Huia (although excursions sometimes call there as well). The station has an island platform plus elevators to the overbridge and a departure screen, yet it only sees two trains a day in each direction (not counting freight).
Thinking back to MBTA, you get the Providence/Stoughton line in Train Sim World 3, and I find it amusingly ironic that the northern end of that route is Boston South. Unfortunately you get a limited amount of rolling stock with that pack; just the rebuilt F40PH-3C and BTC-3 / CTC-3 coaches.
Thankfully Newtonville is an outlier in the MBTA network. Here in Chicago, even Union Station has low-level platforms…
Thank you for this video. I love Boston and really miss it. I lived 30 some miles away in North Attleborough. I’ve taken the MTA ( MBTA) from Attleboro to South Station quite a few times. I’ll be flying from Tampa to Boston in June to see my son and maybe I’ll take the train to Mansfield where he lives.
I hope it brings back a lot of good memories!
Harrison here! I appreciated the shoutout!
Yay! Send me another email sometime!
As someone who lived off the MBTA green line for years and recently moved to Chicago off the red line, the comparisons are super interesting!
I live off the red line too
Wow!
You have a Wooster too?!
That's awesome!
We don't have an orange line though...
I live in CT. I use the Hartford line each month. Metro North too.
Part of the reason passenger railroads are using old equipment is because the nation does not value trains they way they value automobiles.
The entire line from NY to Boston needs to be double tracked. So does the Hartford line (which is almost complete). This way bottle necks are eliminated and people can travel the same way they used to 100 years ago.
It's electrified and is double track. Still too many freight and commuter rail traffic on that line to make it a fast ride, even on Acela.
I absolutely despise the Greenwood station on the Haverhill line. It’s a flag stop, inaccessible, you get a tiny hut to stay in, there’s a information board which often displays incorrect information, the North Shore often only has one double decker car on every train set, and the rail joints make it a bumpy ride because of the outdated infrastructure.
2:41
However, the result is we have the epic Star Market over I-90, which is absolutely amazing!
And a note on Newtonville, that is not the only station that looks like that. I also have been to Auburndale (same line) and looks the exact same.
Great steady hand nice pics ...also goes to patriots Gillette stadium
Thanks again John in Chicago
Our pleasure!
Go to the Newtonville Station Wikipedia... The current MBTA shack is a sick JOKE of what used to be there...
There were three tracks and the depot stood where the freeway is now... There was an adjacent platform on the other side (Washington street) of the Tracks... Ther remains are clearly seen on Google Sattelite and in your video. Good coverage and good points.
I agree the line should be electrified, but it would make perfect sense the NEC line to Rhode Island would receive EMU's first and assign the coaches and diesels to other lines that need the additional equipment.
I believe this line was actually four tracks (not sure how far west) until most of the right of way was usurped for the freeway. Pretty sad but definitely not unique 😢.
We didn't take these train when we were in Boston, but good to see this if we do go ther eagain.. (*Gasp! You flew there inteast of the train? LOL )
Clearly, you've never seen what North Wilmington station looks like! Haha. It's basically a concrete slab with an MBTA sign and a small bus shelter with a bench that's always got loose legs.
Every 45 minutes frequent. It's comparable to some cities elsewhere in the world Bristol, GB (hourly on some lines) and Plymouth, GB (hourly or two hourly) on local routes. Although you would expect a large national city like Boston to have a higher frequency.
As for the station it's very typical of smaller city halts in GB and France. Out of interest how close is the Green Line light rail to this station? Where I live the Department for Transport, Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council and Karyans rag Kernow (the latter three being the transport authorities) argue that with a frequent bus service (every 15 minutes or better) that it isn't worth upgrading the line or frequency of the rail service. I wonder if MBTA uses the same principle that the Green Line Light Rail would take the bulk of the traffic.
I always love to hear North Americans pronounce Worcester. Here in the West of England it would definitely be pronounced Wussster
@Nick Scales The three stations on this particular commuter line are nowhere near the light rail Green Line D-Line that also runs through Newton. There are express buses that use the Mass Pike (I-90) which run much more frequently. And, Thom got it half-right on his pronunciation: he said "Woo'ster". "Wuss'ter" is the New England way, as are many other place names borrowed from the olde country!
For the MBTA they might as well Modernize this station by having French National Railways SNCF help them to do it however you're left with a 55cm 21in platform while the train doors are 121 cm 48in above the rails. on the other hand if Dutch Prorail engineers were to help MBTA modernize the station it should have High level platforms at 76cm 30in almost close to the 121cm train doors above the rail with elevators for disabled riders.
Option 2 for Modernization is a mini High level platform on the one end to allow wheelchair riders to board here to Boston South Station.
Gotta say, Thom nailed the pronunciations!
Haha thanks I practiced
Newtonville (and the other 2 Newton stops) are getting upgrades such as two platforms, higher frequnecies, and high level platforms coming in the late 2020's.
That’s good news!
@@Thom-TRA Yes although no updates has been posted since February 2022 and the money hasen't been given yet so we willl sadly need to wait
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The team has won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and has played in 13 World Series.
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If you come back to Boston you have to listen to the Kingston Trio's song Charlie and the MBTA
A great song!
How do they operate the doors on those single level coaches?
The passenger cars remind me very much of the South Shore cars on the line from Chicago to South Bend. Have you done a video on that line?
Many videos!
This is also the only MBTA commuter rail trip I've taken for the same exact reason, and I've lived here for 6 years. The commuter rail is hard to use!
compare to subway, CR is more reliable.
They're suppose to add some service on the Worcester line once the new second platform is complete, we hope. Once the new platform is complete, then 448 won't be stuck waiting for the commuter rail to depart Worcester, which delays it even more if they're not allowed to bypass the commuter enroute to Boston.
I love the purple on the MBTA commuter rail! Very different from metra's grey rail cars! Lol
Where were you to get a nice shot of that Amtrak train at about the 1 minute mark?
There's a yellow warning strip by the track and a warning on the speak - that's plenty of "safety" features.
For Americans? There’s no such thing as enough safety features
The frequencies definitely suck lol. However, the stations on the old colony lines are so much better and feel far safer. I’d definitely recommend trying out the cape flyer service!! It’s got 1 round trip per day, and has first class seating.
I need to go back to Boston. There’s so much I still need to try. And I absolutely LOVE cape cod!
@@Thom-TRA you’re the opposite from me lol. I hate cape cod purely because of the traffic. Turns a 20 minute drive to work into an hour or more. And there is no way around it. Waze has ruined taking backroads, and not one road is safe from the dreadful cape traffic…
@@JoeyLovesTrains I haven’t driven there in years, I just remember the pleasant childhood memories from a trip my family took there. Would definitely have to reevaluate it.
Nice video.
Do all trains in Newtonville stop at that platform? Because I don't see a platform for the other direction.
I think either that, or you have to cross the tracks. Either way, not very good.
If you thought that was bad, Hastings was worse before its closure in 2020, as it was just a gravel patch!
That sounds rough
Yow! I thought some of the Metra stations were "basic", but check out debris piled high on the platform at 3:45. Thanks for the fine video. I saw the note about accessibility. What do they do for wheelchair users?
You can’t use this station with a wheelchair. You’d have to go to a different station!
@@Thom-TRA Thanks. Is wheelchair accessibility limited to high-level platforms (like New Jersey Transit) or do they also use lifts (like Metra or Amtrak)?
There are renovations planned to all three Worcester line stops in Newton, which I believe include replacing the current platform with a high-level platform and adding second platforms(also high-level) at each station. Maybe check this station out again after its renovation is complete?
@@johnkolassa1645 For most commuter rail services in the Northeast, such as NJ Transit and Long Island Railroad, accessibility is limited to high-level platforms. Yes, there are some commuter railroads outside this region where this is also the case(Examples: South Shore Line, Denver RTD), but most of these railroads use passenger cars that are low-floor and can only accommodate low platforms.
@@williamyoon7660 I'm most familiar with Metra. On Metra (except for the electric line), wheelchair access is by lift.
I can agree if your trains are awesome🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Yeah!!
Is there an outbound platform at Newtonville station or only a Boston bound platform?
There’s only one platform. Either trains switch tracks, or people have to cross over the tracks.
@@Thom-TRA interesting. That sounds dangerous given it looks like there is only one crossover.
@@alk61695 i never knew that. and yeah that sounds VERY dangerous
@@alk61695 unfortunately it’s not uncommon in the US. Kalamazoo Amtrak station in Michigan is the same way.
Newtonville indirectly caused the death of a passenger as the conductor chose to not hold the train at the station and await help from the nearby fire station for a passenger having a heart attack…it only remains because the city refuses to allow it to be closed
and frankly at that price for a ticket i’d rather get the bus upstairs to Watertown then transfer to the express bus to Boston or get the bus to Newton Highlands for the D branch of the Green Line
I was recently told that single level cars are better than double level cars because of their faster acceleration, capacity, and frequency. I used to like the idea, but now I have second thoughts for if we should continue to use bilevel cars of the line gets electrified. However, I believe that the Stadler KISS is a really good bilevel train and better than most
The only thing I can think of is that double-deck makes it impossible to have more doors
@@Thom-TRA also they’re bigger so they have slower acceleration
@@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460 that’s not inherently true. The NS 1700+DDAR combination used to be the fastest accelerating train the Dutch had. It had to do with the aerodynamics and the weight of the load a train is carrying. And since double deckers carry more people, yes, they are often slower.
@@Thom-TRA Look, every EMU has fast acceleration no matter the build, so yes, that’s true. Push pulls are a problem
@@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460 that’s not true either. There are many varying levels of fast acceleration. Some emus in Europe are really slow. And some loco-hauled trains are really fast. It has a lot to do with the motors, voltage level, DC vs AC, etc.
The Downeaster is actually an Amtrak train.
Yes. No one said it wasn’t.
@@Thom-TRA you said it was MBTA
Word for word, I said:
"No railfan's trip to Boston is complete without riding the Amtrak Downeaster, and the MBTA Commuter rail. We did both."
Where in that sentence did I say the Downeaster is MBTA? Try listening before you correct me.
i want to have a haverhill video
Landsdowne station used to be called yawkey station, whic is named after Yawkey way at fenway park. Yawkey way used to be called
Jersey street, but, in 1977, just 1 year since Formor Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey died, the red sox decied to change the name from jersey street to Yawkey Way, the street name, remained Yawkay way, until, 2018 when the red sox decided to name the street back to its original name Jersey street, this is because the red sox think Tom Yawkey was racist, and they do not want fans worried when coming to fenway park with a street name, named after a racist person. The MBTA stop kept the name yawkey station, until the following year, when the T changed its commuter rail station from yawkey, to lansndowne, because of the street name change, landsdowne was named after landsdown street, which parllel the green monster, outside the park, and thats why Landsdowne station is called Landsdowne.
WOOOOSTAA MASS!
Bro chill out wit the taking a train at the WORST TRAIN STATION bro jk ur right it is kinda the worst station
why were you wearing a mask
Because this video is super old
Amtrak Is way better
Ah, okay, next time I’ll just take Amtrak to Newton then.
Wearing a mask is pointless.
Commenting about it is even more pointless