Photo: Madison Rogers/WBZ News Radio
LYNN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was a celebration Wednesday in Lynn after State Transportation officials announced the temporary Lynn Commuter Rail Station Platform should be ready to open in December, nine months ahead of their previous timeline.
“We all understand the holistic impact of a project like this in terms of how it will expand access to the entire public transportation network, lead to more business for local retailers, and be an incentive for the creation of new housing nearby,” said Acting Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We’re grateful the MBTA found a way to build a temporary platform months earlier than previously announced because people in the Lynn area are eager to use Commuter Rail if they can do so conveniently.”
“In partnership with the MBTA, Keolis looks forward to delivering the temporary platform for the residents of Lynn by the end of this year,” said Abdellah Chajai, CEO and General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services. “As operators of the Commuter Rail, we understand the important connections that our service enables each and every day for riders and we are eager to restore that service for the City of Lynn.”
The station was closed more than a year ago on Oct. 1, 2022, to allow for improvements and modernization of Lynn station. Since it's closure, the MBTA has been providing a free shuttle bus from Lynn to the Swampscott station.
The temporary station will be on Silsbee Street, just three blocks from the original station. It will be accessible for all riders and include system messaging, emergency generators and wayfinding. It remains undecided where the temporary stop for connecting bus routes will be, but the MBTA will announce it's location at a later date, closer to the platform opening.
“Lynn has a bright economic future ahead, and the MBTA is a vital partner to local businesses and residents,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “By ensuring Lynn is connected to Boston and other major cities, it increases job opportunities, access to essential services like medical institutions, and the vibrancy of its downtown area. As the MBTA continues to tackle years of disinvestment, we are committed to a new way of doing business: delivering service and projects in a more timely manner wherever possible. By accelerating the reopening of Lynn Station, we are reconnecting communities and the public we serve.”
“Finally, Lynn residents will have commuter rail access back,” said Congressman Seth Moulton. “While it is simply unacceptable that Lynn residents have been without a safe, reliable, and affordable public transit option for this long, today’s announcement marks a positive step in the right direction. I am grateful to the MBTA and General Manager Eng, Mayor Nicholson, and the State delegation for their work in expediting the return of this essential service to Lynn. Next, we need to find a workable long-term solution so that the hard-working people of Lynn are never without transportation options again.”
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports:
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