by Ryanontherails
I've gone and figured out the 2018 ridership for each station on the Commuter Rail, which involved taking the MBTA's published figures on the difference between 2012 and 2018 ridership and plugging in the 2012 figures.
Based on these numbers, it is no surprise that Prides Crossing, Silver Hill, Hastings, Plimptonville, and Plymouth were all closed. I'm going to draw 100 passengers per day as my line in the sand for having sufficient ridership. Now I should add that stations with fewer than 100 passengers per day include River Works, which is planned to become a public stop; Newmarket and Uphams Corner, which will hopefully gain more ridership once the Fairmount Line improves; and JFK/UMASS, Ruggles, and Malden Center which are connected to the subway and don't see much traffic in and out of Boston. I should also point out that Greenwood, Waverley, Kendal Green, and Melrose/Cedar Park had fewer than 100 boardings but more than 100 alights, while Rowley and Lansdowne had fewer than 100 alights but more than 100 boardings. This leaves:
Mishawum - with 32 boardings and 39 alights, this one can go unless maybe they can put up a parking garage in the area. Otherwise Woburn/Anderson does the same job better.
West Gloucester - I was surprised that it had only 36 boardings and 42 alights just because Gloucester is a relatively big place and that station serves the part of town west of the Annisquam River, but if that's all it gets it can go too unless the MBTA can find a way to get more parking.
North Wilmington - I was a bit surprised to see this had such low ridership given its proximity to I-93, however the lot is small and with Wilmington Station two miles away plus Woburn/Anderson just five and a half miles down I-93, I can see it being redundant. It had only 57 boardings and 85 alights.
On this thread, someone made some compelling arguments to close Melrose/Cedar Park, Wedgemere, Canton Center, Hyde Park, and Norwood Depot due to their proximity (about 1/2-mile) to other stations, as well as relocating Islington and West Roxbury.
Interestingly, under Option 6 of their Rail Vision plan (although I don't know how serious I should take it), all of the stations that were closed during the pandemic were slated to be closed under that plan, plus North Wilmington, which would be replaced by a new station at I-93 and Kendal Green, which would be replaced by a new station at I-95. It also adds new stations at Riverside, West Station, Kendall/MIT, and Wonderland. I don't know where these stations would be built, and the one at I-93 would seem redundant as the tracks go under the highway near the Route 129 interchange, which is just one exit and just over two miles north of Anderson/Woburn. It also doesn't include all of the new stations proposed under South Coast Rail or Pawtucket/Central Falls.
If Rhode Island ever gets their intrastate commuter rail service running, I don't see any reason they should go all the way to Wickford Junction. Pawtucket/Central Falls, Providence, and T. F. Green Airport are sufficient for Boston-bound travel from Rhode Island.
Based on these numbers, it is no surprise that Prides Crossing, Silver Hill, Hastings, Plimptonville, and Plymouth were all closed. I'm going to draw 100 passengers per day as my line in the sand for having sufficient ridership. Now I should add that stations with fewer than 100 passengers per day include River Works, which is planned to become a public stop; Newmarket and Uphams Corner, which will hopefully gain more ridership once the Fairmount Line improves; and JFK/UMASS, Ruggles, and Malden Center which are connected to the subway and don't see much traffic in and out of Boston. I should also point out that Greenwood, Waverley, Kendal Green, and Melrose/Cedar Park had fewer than 100 boardings but more than 100 alights, while Rowley and Lansdowne had fewer than 100 alights but more than 100 boardings. This leaves:
Mishawum - with 32 boardings and 39 alights, this one can go unless maybe they can put up a parking garage in the area. Otherwise Woburn/Anderson does the same job better.
West Gloucester - I was surprised that it had only 36 boardings and 42 alights just because Gloucester is a relatively big place and that station serves the part of town west of the Annisquam River, but if that's all it gets it can go too unless the MBTA can find a way to get more parking.
North Wilmington - I was a bit surprised to see this had such low ridership given its proximity to I-93, however the lot is small and with Wilmington Station two miles away plus Woburn/Anderson just five and a half miles down I-93, I can see it being redundant. It had only 57 boardings and 85 alights.
On this thread, someone made some compelling arguments to close Melrose/Cedar Park, Wedgemere, Canton Center, Hyde Park, and Norwood Depot due to their proximity (about 1/2-mile) to other stations, as well as relocating Islington and West Roxbury.
Interestingly, under Option 6 of their Rail Vision plan (although I don't know how serious I should take it), all of the stations that were closed during the pandemic were slated to be closed under that plan, plus North Wilmington, which would be replaced by a new station at I-93 and Kendal Green, which would be replaced by a new station at I-95. It also adds new stations at Riverside, West Station, Kendall/MIT, and Wonderland. I don't know where these stations would be built, and the one at I-93 would seem redundant as the tracks go under the highway near the Route 129 interchange, which is just one exit and just over two miles north of Anderson/Woburn. It also doesn't include all of the new stations proposed under South Coast Rail or Pawtucket/Central Falls.
If Rhode Island ever gets their intrastate commuter rail service running, I don't see any reason they should go all the way to Wickford Junction. Pawtucket/Central Falls, Providence, and T. F. Green Airport are sufficient for Boston-bound travel from Rhode Island.