Local News

The MBTA is changing Commuter Rail schedules next week. Here’s what you need to know

More travel options for those in Dorchester, Brockton, Lynn, Framingham, Worcester, and Providence.

By Mark Gartsbeyn

October 26, 2020

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If you’re one of the few travelers who have returned to the MBTA Commuter Rail, be prepared for schedule changes starting Monday, Nov. 2.

The changes will reflect changing ridership patterns amid the coronavirus pandemic, said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak in a September press release. As workplaces experiment with staggered work times, the MBTA will distribute service more evenly throughout the day.

There will be 39 more trains in service than last fall. Most of the new trains will serve Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park on the Fairmount Line, Brockton on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line, and Lynn on the Newbury/Rockport Line.

Mid-day service in Fairmount will operate every 45 minutes. Brockton mid-day trains will operate every 60 to 70 minutes, and Lynn mid-day trains will come every 30 minutes.

Service to Providence will also see more service during off-peak hours, and express trains will return to the Framingham/Worcester Line. The “Heart to Hub” service, a daily non-stop train from Worcester and Framingham to Boston and back, will also resume.

A couple Commuter Rail service pilots that began last fall will be suspended. Weekday trains to Foxboro will be paused until next spring, and late-night service to the South Shore on the Greenbush, Kingston/Plymouth, and Middleboro/Lakeville lines will be cut.

Only 7 percent of morning peak ridership has recovered since March, according to the September press release, while 11 percent of all-day ridership has returned.