Newburyport/Rockport Line saw the highest weekend ridership ever last October

September 23, 2024 (BOSTON) – The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the agency’s operating partner for Commuter Rail, have announced significantly increased train frequency to and from Salem during the month of October. Several extra trains will run on Saturdays and Sundays, and more coaches will be added to trains on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The increase in service is to accommodate visitors to Salem during Haunted Happenings. The schedule is available at mbta.com/cr.

“Salem is the place to be all year round for happenings, but it’s a must see every Halloween season. We’re ready to bring passengers to Haunted Happenings with more frequent Commuter Rail trips on weekends this October to and from Salem,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “We encourage the public to leave their cars at home and enjoy Salem’s festivities in Witch City by taking mass transit. Thank you to our partners at Keolis for providing more frequent scheduled service. As we saw last year, the convenient service for this special month-long event through this great fall schedule was a preferred choice to thousands.”

“Taking the Commuter Rail is the safest and most reliable way to travel to Salem for the Halloween season,” said Abdellah Chajai, CEO and General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services. “Keolis is pleased to offer expanded service on the weekends, along with several new pass options. Leave the driving to us, buy a $10 weekend pass, and enjoy a smooth trip to the festivities on the Commuter Rail.”

“Salem is a fun and vibrant city,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, “However, because we don’t have enough parking to accommodate the number of visitors who come to Salem in October, we strongly encourage visitors to consider alternative ways to travel to our city. There will be an increase in commuter rail trains throughout the month of October, as well as passenger capacity on our ferry to and from Boston, and a new ferry to and from Hingham. So, this October, take the train, take the ferry, come by bike, or come by broom – but leave your car at home. You’ll have a much more enjoyable visit!”

Last year during Haunted Happenings, the Newburyport/Rockport Line saw the best overall October on-time performance and highest levels of weekend ridership ever, with over 110,000 passengers traveling to Salem during October weekends.

Extra trains from North Station to Salem will run throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays. Keolis will operate even more service during the most popular travel times, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. from North Station and between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. from Salem.

On Halloween, trains will operate to and from Salem every 30 minutes throughout the day.

Passengers can utilize the $10 Weekend Commuter Rail Pass for their journey to and from Salem. Riders can also utilize a special $5 round trip ticket from Beverly to Salem to take advantage of extra parking at Beverly Station.

On Monday, October 14, we will operate regular weekday service, and $10 weekend passes will be extended for that day.

Keolis will also be offering a special $10 Halloween ticket that will be valid for unlimited travel on Thursday, October 31.

Passengers should be aware that full-sized bicycles and scooters will not be allowed on any weekend trains on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

Passengers can stay connected with Commuter Rail by calling customer service at 617-222-3200, following @MBTA_CR on X (formerly known as Twitter) or signing up for T-Alerts at mbta.com/alerts.  

Keolis Commuter Services has marked its tenth year operating and maintaining the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, the fifth largest commuter rail operation in North America. KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America (KNA), both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,400 people throughout the region. KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group, an innovative global leader in transit services with more than a century of passenger transportation experience and operations in 13 countries.

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