If you drive one of the 40,000 cars that pass through the Sumner Tunnel every day, the MBTA wants you to “ditch the drive” for the duration of the tunnel’s shutdown from July 5 to Aug. 31.
Because the tunnel’s shutdown is expected to cause drivers’ commutes to increase by an hour, the MBTA suggests those on the North Shore take the Commuter Rail, and even dropped ticket prices to $2.40 on the Newburyport/Rockport Line for the duration of the closure.
I’m a twice-daily Commuter Rail passenger with more than a year’s worth of MBTA experience. If you’re planning to follow the MBTA’s advice, here is my roadmap for Commuter Rail rookies:
Step 1: Find your local Commuter Rail station.
If you’re like me, your local Commuter Rail station is Lynn, which has been closed for eight months. Before it shut down in October 2022, posters told Lynn riders a temporary platform would be “coming soon.” The temporary platform is not scheduled to be in service until mid-2024. Lynn station is not scheduled to be completed until 2030. What an inspiring timeline.
Lynn riders will still find themselves taking the “Purple Line,” or more specifically, a series of subcontracted Yankee shuttle buses to Swampscott station. I suggest getting to the bus stop 10 minutes early, as posted departure times are often just a suggestion.
Step 2: Be nice to your shuttle bus driver.
You’re in this together. They won’t leave without you if you are friends. I promise whatever inconvenience you have experienced due to the tunnel closure has nothing to do with them. They are, in fact, the unsung heroes of this whole debacle.
Step 3: So, you’ve finally made it to a Commuter Rail station.
There will be some delays. Now is the time for the most fun part of your journey: guessing which of the train’s doors will open. You might think, “Well, there are a lot of doors. Surely, they will all open.” No, silly. The conductors will choose one set of doors on the train to open. If you guess wrong, you will be forced to run either up or down a platform while an MBTA conductor yells at you like you’re the problem. (It’s not their fault. They’re just trying to make up for the delays.)
Step 4: You’re on the train.
The journey will depend on whether there are speed restrictions in place that day. According to the MBTA, a speed restriction is an area in which trains are required to run at slower-than-normal speeds because of track wear and tear or other problems. They are there to keep us safe and for that I am grateful. However, I should note that a 25-minute ride can take 45 minutes on a speed-restriction day.
If you’re like me, you will experience the distinct pleasure of watching the train crawl past your local closed station while a robotic message on the loud-speaker taunts you with, “Now approaching Lynn,” because it still hasn’t been changed.
Step 5: Arrive at your destination.
Immediately prepare for your commute home. If you have a question, the MBTA information and help kiosk will not be staffed. Your best bet is to ask a conductor, but be warned, they might laugh in your face. Not out of spite, but rather, because they also do not know.
If you’re wondering if there is another way to traverse the 13 miles to Boston from Lynn, there is. You could also take a bus to the Blue Line, or a bus to the ferry, but those are commutes for another day.
Rachel Barber is The Item‘s news editor. Her column will appear every other week.
