North Shore Commuter Rail Station To Reopen In December

LYNN, MA — North Shore commuters using the Swampscott and Salem train stations will likely have a little less company competing for seats and parking spots in December when the MBTA reopens the Lynn station at its temporary loading platform on Silsbee Street.

The MBTA, in partnership with Commuter Rail operator Keolis Commuter Services, said on Wednesday that it was able to accelerate the construction of the platform to reopen the station nine months earlier than previously planned. The new platform is about three blocks from the previous station — which remains under construction.

"Finally, Lynn residents will have commuter rail access back," U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) said. "While it is simply unacceptable that Lynn residents have been without a safe, reliable, and affordable public transit option for this long, today's announcement marks a positive step in the right direction."

Lynn Station was closed last October as part of the Lynn Commuter Rail Station Improvements Project. Since then, the alternate travel option for passengers has been utilizing existing area bus routes and a free shuttle bus from Lynn to Swampscott station, as well as driving to the Salem station on Bridge Street, until the temporary platform was built.

The MBTA drew criticism for both the timing of the closure and the long delay before the station reopened but officials said they were able to expedite the construction of the temporary platform.

"The legislative delegation, (Lynn) Mayor (Jared) Nicholson, and local officials have long fought for service to be preserved while our new station is being built, and we are pleased that this administration felt the same sense of urgency and expedited the construction of a temporary platform," State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said.

The temporary platform will be fully accessible for all riders and include emergency generators, wayfinding, and variable messaging systems. The location of stops for connecting bus routes is still being determined.

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