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SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Salem is already bustling with visitors as the spooky season is upon us and to help with the crowds, the MBTA is adding more October service to and from the Witch City.
“Salem is the place to be this Halloween season for Haunted Happenings, and we’re ready to bring you there with more weekend Commuter Rail trips this October than we’ve ever offered before to and from Salem,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “Mass transportation is a great way to travel, so leave the driving to us and enjoy Salem’s festivities in Witch City. Thank you to our partners at Keolis for their ability to provide more convenient service for the public with this great fall schedule.”
Through out the month of October, the MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services will add an extra two trains an hour to and from Salem. It's the most weekend Commuter Rail Service in MBTA history.
Last year, Salem's Haunted Happenings broke a record for weekend ridership on the Newburyport Rockport Line. The MBTA said ridership was more than 400 percent higher than pre-pandemic ridership.
“Salem is a fun and vibrant city,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. “Because we don’t have enough parking to accommodate the number of visitors who visit, though, we strongly encourage visitors to consider alternative ways to travel to our city. There will be an increase in Commuter Rail trains throughout the month of October, as well as passenger capacity on our ferry to and from Boston. So, this October, take the train, take the ferry, come by bike, or come by broom – but leave your car at home. You’ll have a much more enjoyable visit!”
“Commuter Rail is a safe, fast, and reliable alternative to driving. We invite everyone to take their journey to Salem on the Commuter Rail this Halloween season,” said Abdellah Chajai, CEO and General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services. “For Haunted Happenings, passengers will have four weekends of added service throughout October, in addition to the extended late-night service provided in the 2023 Fall/Winter schedule. Commuter Rail is the best option for arriving to Salem’s festivities and we encourage passengers to arrive early for boarding.”
Along with the existing all-day service, this year also brought back late-night service with the final weekday train to Salem, leaving North Station at 11:50 p.m. The final weekend inbound trail from Salem to North Station pulls away at 12:35 a.m.
Just a head's up, on Indigenous People's Day, Monday, October 9th, the MBTA and Commuter Rail will operate on a regular Monday weekday schedule.
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