LYNN – Commuters will get a boost next month when the Lynn MBTA Commuter Rail station’s temporary platform opens nine months ahead of schedule.
In a Monday interview with The Item, Gov. Maura Healey said that the temporary platform at the Lynn station would open on Dec. 18. MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston confirmed the opening date on Tuesday.
“Lynn has a bright economic future ahead, and the MBTA is a vital partner to local businesses and residents,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement Tuesday. “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,” Eng said.
Mayor Jared Nicholson welcomed the news.
“We are excited that the temporary platform for the commuter rail will be available for residents in early December,” Nicholson said. “This platform will provide the necessary transportation our residents deserve, and it couldn’t have happened without the collaboration of the city, state delegation, and the Healey-Driscoll administration. I sincerely appreciate the MBTA’s response to our advocacy to accelerate the construction of this station.”
The station has been shut down since Oct. 1, 2022, for a $72 million renovation project. The entire renovation is currently expected to be completed in 2030.
During the shutdown, commuters could use existing bus routes, take a shuttle bus from the Lynn station to the Swampscott Commuter Rail station, or take a ferry between Lynn’s Blossom Street Pier and Boston’s Long Wharf. The ferry service ended on Oct. 31.
In September, The Item reported that an MBTA project update listed the expected completion of the temporary platform as March 2024 instead of September 2024, as previously estimated.
However, in October, the MBTA announced that the temporary platform would open in December, although no specific date was announced until this week.
