Prides Crossing

Oho, a microstation! How many trains per day does Prides Crossing get? Three in the morning and five in the evening. Unlike your typical Hastings, though, Prides Crossing actually has itself some amenities. Let's see what they are...

Okay, then. Huh.

Well, it certainly wasn't a good start to get let out in the middle of a level crossing. Josh and I headed out here in mid-December (although I still have a lot of summer backlog to get to, don't get excited), so getting led out into the cold in the middle of a level crossing was a big shock, to say the least. But I'm sure the rest of the station is better!

Hey, it's something.

Okay, obviously there are some drawbacks to Prides Crossing's platform arrangement. For one thing, it's not accessible. For another, there's only one of them. Yes, people have to cross the tracks on an asphalt slab in order to board inbound trains in the morning. But hey, the platform has some degree of shelter and some benches and wastebaskets. There's even a motion-sensored light that was very helpful for taking these night pictures!

The building, seen from across the street.

The reason Prides Crossing has the shelter and the light is because the station building is actually a private business: Prides Crossing Confections, a candy shop. And sure, that means that there's no station parking here (it's reserved for the shop), but overall the arrangement seems to work pretty well. It even has those famous Democrat and Republican benches, that most classic feature of Prides Crossing!

A train blazing across the level crossing.

Station: Prides Crossing

Ridership: Obviously, this one doesn't get very high ridership. In fact, it's the third least-used station on the Commuter Rail, getting just 20, count 'em, 20 inbound riders per weekday. Only Silver Hill and Plimptonville get worse ridership.

Pros: You know what, it has a building. It has some benches. For a microstation, this is leagues above the norm!

Cons: Obviously there's the schedule: eight trains per day is awful. The reason it gets such limited service is because it's less than a mile - a mere three-minute drive - away from the next stop, Beverly Farms. I mean, if that's the case, I guess the schedule makes sense, but it's still a very limited service.

Nearby and Noteworthy: Prides Crossing Confections has the best candy ever according to the majority of its Google reviews, so give it a shot, I guess. You'll probably have to walk from Beverly Farms because of Prides Crossing's schedule, but don't worry - it's less than a 15-minute walk.

Final Verdict: 3/10
Obviously it wasn't going to score too well. The schedule is limited, the station is incredibly close to the next one, and despite having a lot of amenities for a microstation, there's only one platform and no parking. Like any microstation, though, it was great fun to visit! Also, on a completely random note, did you know that it actually has a bus connection? The CATA Beverly Shuttle runs past this station on Saturday mornings only! Believe me, we will look at that crazy route soon.

Latest MBTA News: Service Updates