Haunted Happenings events in Salem drive highest ridership in over a decade 

November 5, 2026 (BOSTON) – The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the T’s operations and maintenance partner for Commuter Rail, recorded over 580,000 passenger trips on the Newburyport/Rockport Line in October. This represents the highest monthly ridership on the line since Keolis began operating the Commuter Rail in 2014. 50,000 passenger trips were recorded at Salem Station on Halloween alone.

“A record number of passengers chose to leave their cars at home and take the train to Salem this month,” said John Killeen, CEO and General Manager of Keolis. “It’s clear that more riders are choosing the Commuter Rail for leisure travel both on weekdays and weekends. I’d like to thank all of the crews who ensured that our expanded weekend service went smoothly throughout the month.”

The MBTA and Keolis operated 15 additional trains on the Newburyport/Rockport Line on each Saturday and Sunday throughout the month, in addition to 30-minute service between Salem and Boston on throughout most of the day on weekdays. Passengers were able to utilize the unlimited $10 Weekend Commuter Rail Pass for their journeys, as well as a special $5 round trip ticket between Beverly and Salem every weekend.

Keolis Commuter Services has operated and maintained the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, the sixth largest commuter rail operation in North America, for over ten years. KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America (KNA), both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 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 14 countries.

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