Capen Street was incredibly hard to find. For one thing, the neighborhood it’s in has crazy streets, which double back on themselves and go all over the place. Plus, the street after which the station is named is a dead end. It’s really unassuming, yet there it is. A Mattapan High Speed Line station.
 |
| The inbound platform, viewed from the outbound platform. |
As you can see, Capen Street cuts right through the station. However, the level crossing doesn’t seem too unsafe, since the trolleys have to stop at the station before crossing the road. Oh, also, it’s a tiny dead end street. Yeah, I doubt Capen Street has too many trolley-car collisions. Or cars.
 |
| A closer look at the inbound platform. |
On the inbound side, there’s a generic-looking shelter with a bench under it. There’s also a wheelchair ramp and a wastebasket, neither of which are probably used too often. As for the outbound side, it’s basically the same thing but without the shelter. And anyway, who would go from here one stop to Mattapan?
 |
| A train cruising into the station. |
Station: Capen Street
Ridership: Very, very low. There are only 58 riders per weekday who use this station, and what do you expect? It’s on a dead end street in a quiet residential neighborhood. At least it has more than its neighbor to the east, Valley Road, but we’ll get to that later.
Pros: I like this station in the same way I like D Line stations. It’s tranquil, with just enough amenities to make for a pleasant wait for the train. Also, though the MBTA website says it doesn’t, Capen Street has 16 bike spaces. That’s probably way more than enough, but better safe than sorry.
Cons: I guess the shelter is a bit bland, but that’s a common theme along the MHSL. Really, there isn’t much wrong with this station other than that. The level crossing doesn’t seem dangerous at all.
Nearby and Noteworthy: If you like houses, Capen Street is the place for you. Or any other residential neighborhood, really.
Final Verdict: 8/10
You know, I want to give this station a 9, but…this just isn’t the kind of station that gets a 9. I mean, it’d be like giving a D Line station a 9 – it just doesn’t happen. That said, Capen Street is still a nice, tranquil station, even if it is a bit hard to find. I suppose it keeps it more local…
Latest MBTA News: Service Updates