Thanks to school vacation week, ridership was lower Thursday than the approximately 40,000 passengers the commuter rail typically sees traveling to South Station each weekday morning, officials said in the MassDOT statement.
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And Friday may not be any better.
The issue involved the failure of a switch control and resulted in all but one Commuter Rail train being able to arrive at South Station during the morning commute.
Transportation officials say commuters should expect delays in the morning and allow for extra time to reach their destinations.
After Amtrak notified the Massachusetts Department of Transportation that the South Station signal tower would not be fixed in time for the evening commute, the MBTA rushed to post new schedules for trains that would depart from alternative stations, including JFK/UMass, Back Bay, Forest Hills, Quincy Center and Braintree. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and commuter rail operator Keolis Commuter Services will have workers at key stations to help guide passengers.
Amidst another day of chaotic commutes for public transit riders, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday delivered a forceful defense of proposed MBTA fare hikes as he tried to empathize with the frustration of the riders struggling to navigate through cancelled commuter trains and overcrowded T cars.
Amtrak says it’s expanding a pilot program permitting travelers to bring aboard small pets on many Northeast Corridor trains serving Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington and other cities. Amtrak has also warned travelers of potential 1-2 hour delays. Engineers are working to fix the malfunction, significantly limiting the number of trains entering and leaving Boston, according to Amtrak.
The MBTA said they would be offering free transfers for Commuter Rail passengers to Orange and Red Line trains while Amtrak works to fix the problem. Other lines would begin their trips from other Boston-area stations.
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“I left a little early, because I thought it might be crowded”, she said.
