Commuter Rail ridership up

“Seeing ridership on Commuter Rail return and grow consistently to reach this milestone demonstrates that safe, reliable, and more frequent service can bring riders back to mass transportation,” MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said.

In a statement , the MBTA said ridership levels last month surpassed 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Ridership was high across the system and especially strong on three lines: Newburyport/Rockport, Fairmount, and Franklin.

Ridership on the MBTA’s commuter rail reached a new “post-pandemic peak” in October, officials said Friday , a sign that more workers have returned to public transportation as COVID-19 fears subside.

Eng credited rail operator Keolis Commuter Services for “providing more frequent and convenient train service, making it easier and more attractive to the public to choose this option.”

“We look forward to continuing to build upon this success to identify new ways to improve service, get more people out of cars, and protect our environment by reducing our carbon footprint,” he said.

The Franklin line, which runs from Franklin to South Station, saw ridership increase 20 percent last month, which MBTA officials attributed to an increased service schedule.

Ridership on the Fairmount line, which runs from Readville to South Station, rose 35 percent from September, which MBTA officials linked to construction on the Red Line’s Ashmont branch and Mattapan line .

The Newburyport/Rockport line, which runs to North Station, attained record ridership last month with some 400,000 passengers, many of whom were bound for Salem and its Haunted Happenings festivities , officials said.

During the height of the pandemic, when virtually all office employees worked at home , ridership on the commuter rail plummeted to roughly 10 percent of previous levels, officials said.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we have worked closely with the MBTA to adapt our service to meet the changing needs of our passengers,” said Keolis CEO Abdellah Chajai. “These latest ridership trends are proof that the all-day service, and more flexible fare products are meeting our passenger’s needs.”

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