LYNN — The Commuter Rail is coming back to the city this spring.
According to an MBTA project update in August, the long-awaited temporary Commuter Rail platform is currently slated to open in March 2024.
State Sen. Brendan Crighton and Mayor Jared Nicholson both said that although they had not heard specific dates, they had been notified that work would be expedited for a spring opening.
In a statement, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng would not confirm the March 2024 date found in the update, but said the MBTA will provide an update to the public shortly.
“We’re working collaboratively with the Lynn delegation, and we are pleased to report that work is progressing well toward restoring service to the city of Lynn as quickly as possible,” Eng said in a statement. “We want to thank the community for their patience.”
The platform will allow for Commuter Rail service to the city for the first time since Lynn’s station at Central Square was shut down on Oct. 1, 2022 for a $72 million renovation project.
“The loss of train service to Central Square has been a burden, so we are eagerly awaiting the restoration of service when the temporary platform opens,” Nicholson said. “I appreciate the T’s recent response to our advocacy to accelerate the construction and the whole team involved in this effort.”
According to a previous project timeline, the temporary platform was set to be completed by September 2024, with the entire renovation project for the station scheduled to be completed in 2030.
In July, Crighton said the temporary platform’s scheduled opening for September 2024 was “unacceptable.”
In an interview with The Item this week, Crighton said he was excited about the MBTA’s expedited timeline.
“The delegation was very proactive,” Crighton, who serves as chairperson on the Joint Committee on Transportation, said. “We are excited to have service restored.”
“Building a better T” reads the banner at the entrance to the construction site where crews are already working on the stairs to the temporary platform, which will sit near Silsbee Street next to the Ellis Street parking lot.
The MBTA advised that construction will be audible in the area, with work primarily taking place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with weekend work as necessary.
Shuttle busing between the Lynn and Swampscott Commuter Rail stations will continue through the opening of the interim station, while the T’s ferry from Blossom Street Pier in Lynn to Long Warf in Boston will make its last voyage until spring on Oct. 6.
