Woburn Reps Call For Mishawum Station Commuter Rail Service

WOBURN, MA — Woburn's state legislative delegation has called for service to be restored to the city's Mishawum Station on the Lowell Commuter Rail Line.

The station had three rush hour stops each weekday prior to the pandemic, but has been out of use since Dec. 19, as part of broad service reductions.

"Despite an increase in congestion and commuter travel in recent months, the Mishawum Commuter Rail station in Woburn remains closed," state Rep. Richard Haggerty said in a Facebook post Monday.

According to a letter to the authority's general manager from Haggerty, state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo and state Sen. Cindy Friedman, there is "no plan in place to restore service to this location."

Patch has reached out to the MBTA and will update this story when we hear back.

"Reliable, accessible, and affordable public transportation access for our constituents is always a priority of our delegation, and we hope to work with the MBTA to ensure that full Commuter Rail service is restored in Woburn," Haggerty wrote on Facebook.

The Mishawum Station was a relatively little-used stop prior to the pandemic, with just 32 people boarding in an average day in 2018.

"While we understand that the global pandemic caused a significant drop in public transit MBTA ridership, we believe that the areas served by the Mishawum Commuter Rail Station are vital to the Woburn community and surrounding residents," the legislators said in the letter. "The station is also the most accessible way for residents and visitors community from Woburn Center, surrounding neighborhoods, and those staying at the various hotels found along the Lowell line to access the commuter rail and region at large."

"We are particularly concerned about the disproportionate impact that this station shuttering will have on lower-income residents, many of whom are essential workers, persons with disabilities and small businesses," they added.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.