Surely Shirley can’t be that bad! Great, I’ve gotten that joke out of the way.

Andddddd…that’s it!

Shirley has one very very very small platform. Quite very small. However, it’s entirely occupied by a shelter that’s actually rather charming! It has some benches both outside and inside, plus lighting and information on little placards outside. There are a few newspaper boxes and a wastebasket on one end. The station has a small bike rack, while car parking is spread alongside the tracks, adding up to 25 free spaces (according to the website, at least – it looks like it’s more, though!). Interestingly, Shirley’s digital sign is across the tracks, facing the platform.

It’s a foggy morning in Shirley.

Station: Shirley

Ridership: Hang on…315 inbound riders per weekday? More than the fancy modern North Leominster? More than the even fancier, even more modern Littleton/Route 495? Granted, I think ridership at both those stations has gone up since the 2013 data, but still! 313 people at this tiny platform is a lot!

Pros: Hey, hey, give it credit where it’s due: Shirley has a lot of charm. I love that unique shelter. There’s free parking.

Cons: Yeah, well, basically everything else. There’s just one platform, so when people get off outbound trains, they have to cross an active track to get to it. Also, the one platform is really really tiny, which is also problematic! I got a late morning rush train from here and that platform was packed.

Nearby and Noteworthy: There’s sort of a “downtown” a little west on Front Street, but it only has a few convenience stores and pizza joints.

Final Verdict: 3/10
Like I said, there’s charm here. Everything else about Shirley is awful…but it does have charm. That counts for something.

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