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Weekend commuter rail disruption will now leak into Fridays
Regular service will run during the Boston Marathon weekend, according to the MBTA.
The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services is extending planned weekend commuter rail shutdowns at North Station into several Fridays as crews work to upgrade signals, officials announced.
Commuter rail trains will not serve North Station on March 20-22, March 27-29, April 10-12, and April 24-27, transportation officials said in a statement Monday.
Regular service will run during the Boston Marathon weekend, according to the MBTA.
Service impacts by line
Lowell Line: Local and express shuttle buses will replace train service between North Station and Anderson/Woburn Station.
Newburyport/Rockport Line: Shuttle buses will run between North Station and Swampscott, with local buses stopping at Wonderland for a Blue Line connection. Busing services will be extended to Beverly Depot instead of Swampscott April 11-12.
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Haverhill Line: Orange Line service will replace trains between North Station and Oak Grove.
Fitchburg Line: Riders can use the Red and Green lines to travel between North Station and Porter.
Travel time and rider guidance
MBTA officials urged riders to plan for delays when using shuttle buses.
Trips between Anderson/Woburn and North Station may take up to 15 minutes longer on express shuttles and up to 40 minutes longer on local buses, the MBTA said.
Travel from Swampscott could take up to 40 minutes longer on express buses and up to 70 minutes longer on local service, according to the MBTA.
Additionally, riders traveling to North Station from Porter should budget at least 20 minutes of additional travel, the MBTA advised.
Project details
The service changes are part of an ongoing signal modernization project at Tower A, which controls all train movements in and out of North Station, transportation officials said. The project works in conjunction with a future project that will replace the drawbridge over the Charles River.
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Looking to be completed this summer, the project aims to improve reliability and resiliency of North Station service, with enhanced efficiency and safety, according to the MBTA.
The project has been ongoing since January, and Friday shutdowns were added to make up for delays caused by recent winter storms, officials said.
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