MBTA Commuter Rail Service To Be Cut In Half Starting Monday

FRAMINGHAM, MA — MBTA commuter rail service will be more than cut in half beginning Monday, the transit agency announced today.

But the slowdowns aren't related to the MBTA's recent budget woes — it's because too many employees are absent due to coronavirus, according to Keolis, which manages commuter rail for the MBTA.

Starting Monday, the MBTA will run 246 trains each weekday, down from the 541 trains that typically run. New schedules were posted today on the MBTA website for each commuter rail line. The slowdowns will last until at least Dec. 27.

Commuter rail trips are down sharply compared to 2019 due to more employees working from home during the pandemic. In turn, the MBTA has proposed a series of deep cuts that could go into effect in 2021 due to revenue shortfalls.

Some of the proposed cuts include eliminating weekend commuter rail service, closing several commuter rail stations, stopping ferry service and cutting 25 bus routes. The cuts are supposed to save about $112 million.

The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board is set to vote on the cuts on Monday. General Manager Steve Poftak during a meeting on Monday signaled that the cuts may be scaled back from what was originally proposed. The agency has been holding public forums across the region in recent weeks to get feedback from the public.

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