LYNN — Commuters have been left out in the cold since Thursday’s nor’easter. The record high tides that crashed over the North Shore communities have soaked the signal switches in saltwater, causing many train delays.
As a result of the historic tidal surge that damaged track circuits in Saugus on the Newburyport and Rockport lines, the MBTA commuter rail will operate a modified schedule on those lines for the remainder of the week through Jan. 12, according to Keolis Commuter Services, the company which operates the MBTA’s commuter rail system.
“It is what it is, you have to expect it if you are taking public transportation,” said Brian Latter, a Chelsea resident who commutes every day from his job in Lynn. “There is nothing anyone can do about it, it’s Mother Nature and you just have to go with it, so if you dress appropriately and are prepared, then you’ll be fine.”
Keolis and MBTA teams have worked to rectify the issues that are affecting signals on this section of the track since the surge impacted the system. However, salt water, which has frozen into the track bed, contaminated a significant and expanding portion of the system starting on Jan. 4, Keolis said.
New England weather is known for its unpredictability, which is why MBTA operations should have more strategies in place before storms occur, according to travelers enduring the cold for their ride home.
“I was here on Friday and it was really bad because everything got canceled that night, so my husband had to come and pick me up,” said Robin Winter of Beverly. “It’s disappointing that they didn’t get everything fixed over the weekend because they have to know this stuff is going to happen and how much those switches are susceptible to situations like this.”
This new schedule was implemented because the trains on the route are subject to delay because of damage to the signaling system. By slightly reducing service, the commuter rail team can prevent those delays from compounding on the line and reduce the overall impact on passengers.
“The rush hour train schedules, for this line in particular because of all the flooding, have had more trains that have been canceled,” said Ben M. of Boston. “The train riding times have been about double, from 25 minutes to 50, but thankfully the transit app is about as up to the minute as you can get and it’s actually been helpful.”
While most commuters have grown annoyed with the delays, they acknowledge there is not much anyone can do but wait it out. Other commuters remain bothered by the commuter rail’s miscommunication of information on their website, compared to at each stop regarding arrival times, departure times, and cancellations.
“Everything has been running somewhat fine since the storm and I use the commuter rail every day,” said Norah Sullivan of Ipswich. “What’s not helpful is the train information here on the tracks and the information online is never the same.”
