Weekend Commuter Rail Service Has Come Back to Concord

Did you hear that train a comin’, rollin’ round the bend into Concord this past weekend? 

Yes, regular weekend train service on the Commuter Rail line has resumed through Concord following a series of MBTA improvement projects that had shuttered Saturday and Sunday service since September. 

In fact, after months of construction-related closures, the rail is back online full-time , from North Station all the way to Fitchburg, a recent press release said. 

After Labor Day weekend, commuter rail service headed only as far west as the Brandeis/Roberts station in Waltham, closing under plans for a major improvement project along the Fitchburg line.

The weekend service suspension cleared the way for work on MBTA improvement projects along the line, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company(MBCR).

According to the MBTA website, the commuter rail improvement project is a corridor-wide series of projects meant to enhance safety and reduce transit times along the 50-mile rail line.

Among the benefits envisioned include:

• Modernized infrastructure allowing 80 mph travel speeds
• Increasing service reliability from 83 percent to 95 percent on-time performance
• Replacement or repair of eight bridge structures
• Reduced operating and maintenance cost while attracting new riders