Marblehead Man Struck, Killed by Commuter Train

An MBTA spokesman has identified the man involved in Monday's railway death in Lynn.

A local man was hit and killed by a commuter train in Lynn early Monday morning - an incident that caused extensive train delays up and down the North Shore. An MBTA spokesman has announced that Gary Lee, 54, of Marblehead, was killed just after 6 a.m. on the tracks north of the Lynn station in Central Square, according to a report in the Daily Item of Lynn. Lee was described as a Lynn resident who was currently living in Marblehead. MBTA Superintendent and Chief Joe O'Connor told the Daily Item that the man appeared to have stepped out on to the tracks and was struck and killed. Train service was interrupted shortly after the accident and delays lasted into the afternoon. At 6:30 a.m., the T sent out an alert advising trainriders toseek …

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Extensive Train Delays After Man Struck and Killed by Train in Lynn

MBTA commuter rail trains were delayed Monday morning after a man was struck and killed by a train in Lynn on Monday morning.

A man was hit and killed by a commuter train in Lynn on Monday morning caused extensive train delays all morning up and down the North Shore, including train from Hamilton-Wenham station. The incident occurred just after 6 a.m. on the tracks just north of the Lynn station in Central Square, according to a report in the Daily Item of Lynn. MBTA Superintendent and Chief Joe O'Connor told the Daily Item that the male victim, who was not identified, stepped on to the tracks and was struck and killed. Train service was interrupted from shortly after the accident. At 6:30 a.m., the T sent out an alert advising trainriders toseek alternatiuve transportaion. Train service was halted until about 7:30 a.m., when train riders were bussed between …

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Only Two Bids For Railroad Contract

Few bids could eventually translate into higher prices years from now.

Only two companies are interested in bidding for the MBTA state rail contract. According to a Boston Globe story, twenty-five companies from all over the world initially expressed interest in competing for what is believed to be the most lucrative rail contract in North America, and one of the biggest state contracts of any kind in Massachusetts history. But only the French company Keolis and the firm that currently runs the rail system filed the necessary paperwork to bid. The T had hoped for at least half a dozen competitors to help sharpen bids for a multiyear contract that currently pays the operator nearly $300 million a year. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad currently holds the contracts and some say, has first dibs on the new…

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MBTA Fare Hikes and Service Cuts Take Effect Sunday

It will cost more to ride the T starting this weekend — and some routes will have decreased service.

On Sunday the MBTA's fare increases start. They're being imposed — along with service cuts — to close the transit agency's $160 million budget gap. Those service cuts also begin Sunday. There are other changes, like an increase in the surcharge for getting your Commuter Rail ticket on the train (if the station where you board has ticket machines). THE RIDE will add a more expensive $5 zone starting Oct. 1. For a complete list of changes taking place on the MBTA system beginning Sunday, visit this T link or check out the PDFs attached to this post. Here's a look at the new costs:

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On-Board Train Tickets to Cost $3 More Starting July 1

In addition to the MBTA commuter rail rate hikes that start July 1, riders will have to pay $3 more for a ticket to Boston if they do not buy a ticket in advance or use a pass.

Commuter rail riders getting onboard at Hamilton-Wenham station will pay an additional $3 for a ride to Boston unless they buy a ticket or pass ahead of time, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority announced on Tuesday. On July 1, the rate for a one-way trip to Boston from Hamilton-Wenham station, in Zone 5, will go from $5.75 to $8. But the same ride will cost $11 if a rider does not get on board with a ticket or pass in hand - even though there's nowhere to buy a ticket in either town. The move is designed to reduce the amount of time that conductors spend collecting fares. Previously, the T charged $1 more to buy a ticket onboard during off-peak times and $2 during peak times if riders did not purchase a ticket beforehand. But that fee…

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Bill Bowler

3:45 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012

I don't understand why they can't put a ticket dispenser, similar to the ones for Charlie cards, at each of the commuter rail stations. This is how you buy tickets on the Metro North line in New York.   more ›

T Spending $3 Million on Rail-Contract Search

The MBTA is looking far and wide for a company to run its commuter rail service.

Before the T shells out billions on a new long-term, commuter rail-service contract, it’s first spending nearly $3 million on an international search to attract the best applicants, according to the Boston Herald. The T is looking for a company to run its commuter-rail-service operations over the next five to possibly 30 years, as its current, roughly $250 million-per-year contract with the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. (MBCR) expires June 2013. An average of 384 riders board commuter rail at Hamilton-Wenham station each weekday and for the past decade riders has ranged from 266 to 496 daily riders from Hamilton-Wenham, according to the T. MBCR plans to bid aggressively for the new deal, according to the Huffington Post. The …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know Today in Hamilton and Wenham: April 30

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Monday, April 30. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Wenham Town Meeting: If you have anything to say about the articles on the 2012 Wenham Annual Town Meeting warrant or have any questions, plan to be at the Buker Elementary School on Monday night. The Wenham Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee will be holding a warrant hearing at 7:30 p.m. The entire warrant is attached to this story as a PDF. 2. Positive Discipline: Cynthia Griffin and Evalyn Lawnsby of the Family Network present a free workshop on Monday night at Notre Dame Children’s Class in Wednesday called “Positive Discipline That Works.” It’s the first of a two-day workshop that continues on May 7 focused on encouraging appropriate behavior in toddlers …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know Today in Hamilton and Wenham: April 20

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Friday, April 20. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Earth Day: In honor of Earth Day, which is officially on Sunday, the Community House of Hamilton and Wenham is a getting a “mini landscaping makeover.” The volunteers will be there from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. planting flowers, mulching and cleaning up the grounds. Volunteers and donations from several local businesses will complete the work, including Linda Bangs of LB Designs, Hamilton Gardens, Corliss Wholesale Nursery and Shirts Illustrated. 2. Wenham Town Meeting Warrant: Boy Scouts of Troop 28 and the Cub Scouts of Pack 28 in Wenham will be delivering the Wenham Town Meeting warrant on CDs this weekend. Wenham Annual Town Meeting is May 5 at 1 p.m. at Buker Elementary …

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MBTA Approves New Fares, $8 Train Ride to Boston Starts July 1 [VIDEO]

The MBTA Board approved higher fares on Wednesday as it faces a budget deficit heading into the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

After all of the talk, public hearings, and protests over the past three months, the MBTA Board of Directors voted Wednesday afternoon to boost fares 23 percent and cut back service in an attempt to close a projected $161 million deficit in the next fiscal year. Board members approved a plan in a 4-1 vote that would raise most subway fares by 30 cents, bus fares by 25 cents, and commuter rail fares by at least $1.25. For commuter rail riders from Hamilton-Wenham station, that means a trip to Boston will go from $6.25 to $8. A monthly pass willl go from $210 to $252. Some cuts in service - mainly involving bus routes, The Ride, and weekend commuter rail to the west and south of Boston - were also approved. None of the service cuts will …

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Train Fares to Rise 20 Percent, Weeknight and Weekend Service to Remain

The MBTA's final plan to close its fiscal 2013 budget gap includes rate hikes for Hamilton and Wenham commuter rail riders but does not cut weeknight and weekend service, as was earlier proposed.

Regular commuter rail riders headed to Boston will pay 20 percent more for a monthly pass based on the MBTA’s latest – and final – plan to hike rates to close a budget gap. But a plan to cut weeknight and weekend commuter rail service on the North Shore has been dropped. The T’s final plan was unveiled on Wednesday and is headed for a final vote by the MBTA Board of Directors next week. If approved, the new rates would go into place on July 1. A monthly pass for service between Hamilton-Wenham station and North Station would go from $210 to $252. A one-way ticket would rise from $6.25 to $8, or 28 percent. The first proposal to close the estimated $185 million budget gap was presented in January, calling for rates hikes of up to 40 percent…

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