Why is it that you sometimes see seagulls in places that aren’t even close to the ocean? I know this is a random way to start, but there were two seagulls in the empty Campello parking lot, and I was wondering what the heck they were doing there! Um…anyway, time to look at Campello Station.
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| The street leading to the station. |
Around the neighborhood, there are a bunch of convenient signs that point the way towards the Commuter Rail station. Although their usefulness to a person who commutes there every day is questionable, they at least helped a newbie like me find my way. The station is located on Riverside Ave, a gritty, industrial-feeling street. There’s also a second entrance located off of the larger Plain Street that’s useful for people coming from the east.
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| That’s a biiiiiiiiiiig parking lot. |
Of course, since this is an Old Colony Line, it has to have a huge parking lot. Or rather, a huge empty parking lot. And it’s not just because I was here on a Saturday – the 535-space lot only gets around 20% filled on the average weekday. Still, better safe than sorry.
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| The platform. |
Since the station is single-track, there’s only one platform. And whaddayaknow, it’s got that most classic of Old Colony shelters – bland, but does the trick. The station also features ads, benches, wastebaskets, and newspaper boxes. As usual, the platform is much longer than the sheltered part, but there isn’t much to talk about out there since it’s just a bunch of benches.
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| I didn’t see any trains when I was here, but SEAGULLS! |
Station: Campello
Ridership: There weren’t any trains coming for another hour when I was here, so the station was dead. However, Campello is ultimately the second-busiest station in Brockton, with almost 700 inbound riders per weekday. I guess most of those people walk or take the bus here, since the parking lot is so empty all the time. The station is in a pretty dense neighborhood, after all.
Pros: It’s a typical Old Colony station, so it gets the job done. The fact that it’s fully high-level is certainly a plus. Also, it has a huge (perhaps unnecessarily so) parking lot, which could contain a lot of cars if people actually drove here.
Cons: I guess Campello’s only problem is that it has that Old Colony blandness going on. You know, there’s the stark platform, the huge asphalt parking lot, and the bland metal shelter, none of which help it out much in the visual department.
Nearby and Noteworthy: The surroundings are mostly either residential or industrial, but there are a few businesses on nearby Main Street.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Like many Old Colony stops, I don’t have much to say here. Campello is a perfectly efficient station that may look a bit boring, but it gets the job done. Um…well, it also seems to attract seagulls. Wooooooo.
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