MBTA Delays Closure Of Busy North Shore Commuter Rail Station

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A busy North Shore commuter rail station that was scheduled to close indefinitely for renovation on Monday will instead stay open a few more months.

The MBTA said earlier this month it was moving up the Lynn station closure — originally set for Spring 2023 — to this week because of deteriorating conditions of the station and associated infrastructure, and to accelerate the station rehabilitation project.

But after an outcry from public officials and commuters, the MBTA pushed the pause button on the shutdown on Monday.

"Due to its critical role in the community, and after working closely with the (Lynn) Mayor's Office and state delegation Lynn Station will not close on July 25 as was previously planned," the MBTA said in a statement. "The station will tentatively remain open until demolition begins in the fall. In the interim, the MBTA will increase station and infrastructure inspections. Should conditions worsen at any time, the MBTA will close the station to ensure safety."

The eventual closing of the station is expected to impact Swampscott and Salem commuters with some of the displaced Lynn riders looking for alternatives into and out of Boston.

The MBTA said the closing is indefinite and is part of the $74 million Lynn Commuter Rail Station Improvements Project. The MBTA was set to hold a virtual public meeting to discuss further details of the station closing on Aug. 3 with details available here.

While the MBTA outlined several bus and subway alternatives for typical Lynn boarders, one of them is the Swampscott station, which MBTA officials note is about 1.5 miles (or ideally a five-minute drive) from the Lynn station.

"Riders should not that Swampscott is a Zone 3 station," the MBTA noted, meaning it will cost more to travel into North Station from Swampscott than it would from Lynn.

The Salem station, which provides substantially more parking, is about five miles away from the Lynn station.

The parking garage at the Lynn station will be demolished as part of the renovation but will remain open until Spring 2023.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)