Commuter rail honors Marblehead Olympic judo champion Harrison

Passengers on the Newburyport-Rockport Commuter Rail line might recognize the name of a North Shore Olympic standout on one of the train cars.A banner reading “CONGRATULATIONS KAYLA HARRISON!” – honoring the Marblehead resident who became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo at London in August – was spotted on the fourth car of the six-car Newburyport train as riders filed in to North Station in Boston shortly before its 4:20 p.m. departure on Monday.Accompanying the banner were images of a gold medal and confetti.The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) unveiled the banner on Aug. 28, along with another banner on the Needham line saluting fellow London Olympian Aly Raisman, a Needham resident who won two gold medals and a bronze in gymnastics. The reaction to the banners seems to have exceeded expectations.?We had originally planned on displaying the banners on the coaches for a week, but with such a positive response from our riders we?re happy to display them for as long as they hold up,” spokesperson Rhiannon D?Angelo wrote in an email.?The banner was just a simple gesture of congratulations to a local Olympic hero,” D?Angelo added.Asked whether Harrison has ever ridden on the train, D?Angelo responded, “I?m not sure on that.”The train stops at two Lynn stations, GE/River Works and Central Square, as well as the Swampscott station.Perhaps honoring athletes makes sense for the commuter rail. After all, the Newburyport/Rockport outbound trains leave out of North Station/TD Garden, the home of the Bruins and Celtics. And a TV in the terminal showed footage of the New England Patriots? 52-28 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.?With the banner, our riders on the Newburyport/Rockport line can show a little hometown pride riding in a coach that celebrates the accomplishments of an Olympic gold medalist,” D?Angelo wrote.Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].