MBTA To Cut Lowell Train Service To Boston By More Than Half

LOWELL, MA — The number of commuter rail trains heading from the Lowell station to Boston will be cut dramatically beginning Monday. The transit agency announced Thursday the cuts were because of an uptick in the number of MBTA and Keolis employees testing positive for the coronavirus.

The Lowell Commuter rail usually begins service at 5 a.m. and has 27 trains start in Lowell and head into Boston until the last train leaves at 11 p.m. During reduced service nine trains will head to Boston, beginning at 5:30 a.m. and the last train will leave at 9 p.m.

The temporary cuts are part of a system wide temporary reduction the MBTA announced Thursday, in which rail service will be cut in half starting Dec. 14. On Dec. 27 officials will reassess, the MBTA said.

This is separate from a series of other deep cuts the MBTA is proposing.

Commuter rail trips have dropped significantly this year amid the pandemic as employees were forced to work from home. In turn, the MBTA has proposed a series of deep cuts to make up about $112 million in revenue, including eliminating weekend commuter rail service, closing several commuter rail stations, and 25 bus routes.

But amid pushback from the public, the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board postponed a vote and General Manager Steve Poftak signaled that the cuts may be scaled back from what was originally proposed.

Keolis CEO David Scorey said in a statement Thursday that commuter rail trains will continue to be cleaned during the two-week slowdown.