Company Won't Cancel North Shore Bus Service After All

PEABODY, MA — Good news for North Shore commuters, unless you live in Newburyport. Coach Co. will continue to run its North Shore commuter bus service to Boston. The company had previously announced it would end the service in the middle of the month, citing lower state subsidies and overcrowding at a parking lot in Newburyport.

But the Newburyport stop on the line that also stops in Peabody, Boxford, Topsfield and Georgetown will be eliminated after the last run on April 19. The service will continue to make three stops daily in Peabody at the McVann-O’Keefe Skating Rink off Lowell Street.

Earlier this month, Coach Co. said that it had run the route for 40 years but was forced to end service because of cuts in states subsidies.

"We had always been subsidized by the State to help operate the commuter service but, in the Deval Patrick era, we and all the other commuter transportation providers had our subsidy cut," the company said. "We did what we could to try and make it work but unfortunately we have reached the point where we can longer afford to operate the commuter service."

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).