This is the mother of Commuter Rail microstations: one train in the morning and one train in the evening. Plimptonville is a tiny stop in the middle of nowhere within Walpole, and it gets the lowest ridership on the entire system. Could this be the worst station on the whole Commuter Rail?

Hmm…

The station comes out of nowhere as you go down Plimpton Street: the road weaves its way past houses and trees before all of a sudden, there it is. It’s very easy to miss if you’re not looking, since all there is on the roadside is a dirt patch. When Nathan and I came here, a car was parked in it, but it might have been waiting to pick someone up. If not, then we can officially report that Plimptonville has one whole parking space! Maybe two if someone gets creative!

This is it…

Walking through a huge puddle covered in leaves, we arrive at the platform. It’s…well, the picture shows it. It’s just this tiny stretch of asphalt. Okay, this isn’t the worst station on the Commuter Rail. It’s at least better than Hastings. Look, it’s paved! And there’s a yellow line! But best of all, there’s a station sign. Yes, an actual station sign. So, we can definitively say that Plimptonville is better than Hastings. We can also definitively say that it’s still awful.

One of two trains that stop here…not that it looks like it’s going to stop.

Station: Plimptonville

Ridership: As expected, this is the least-used station on the Commuter Rail. It can’t quite be counted on your fingers, but if you throw in a foot, you can get to it: 13 inbound riders per day. That could also be phrased as 13 riders per train, since there’s, you know, only one per day.

Pros: It has a sign!

Cons: This isn’t difficult to figure out: it gets one train per day and its platform is a tiny asphalt stub of nothingness. End of story.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Most of the area around Plimptonville is residential. However, if you really want to get to the Super Stop & Shop in Walpole, this is the best station for you! Sure, it’s a 10-minute walk and you would be much better off taking the frequent-by-comparison 34E, but…look, it’s the closest attraction, alright?

Final Verdict: 1/10
I do hope this isn’t a surprise! It sucks.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates