Lawmaker slams MBTA’s 7-year timetable to reopen commuter rail station

The only MBTA Commuter Rail station in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been closed since last year, and the timetable has residents frustrated.

Officials say the project to repair Central Square Station could take seven years. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is calling for an improvement.

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"We just saw in Philadelphia that they replaced a highway bridge in two weeks," Moulton said. "Come on. We can do better, Massachusetts."

Moulton doubled down Friday on comments he made a day earlier on social media.

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A portion of I-95 near Philadelphia collapsed less than 2 weeks ago... it's re-opening this weekend.

Over in #Lynn in my district, there's absolutely no reason it should take *7 YEARS* to repair the critical MBTA commuter rail station -- the sole rail connection to Boston. https://t.co/xmR33fJ7xO
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) June 22, 2023

"Sure, I don't expect the Lynn station to be done in two weeks," Moulton said. "But I certainly expect it to be done within two years."

The MBTA closed the commuter rail station last fall, citing safety concerns. It's not expected to reopen for at least seven years, although work is underway to get a temporary platform in place by 2025. Right now, passengers are shuttled between Lynn and Swampscott.

"It's a huge hole for us to not have the trains stopping in Central Square," Mayor Jared Nicholson said. "Grateful for the shuttles that are happening, but that's not the answer.

The T says the project involves three different bridges intersecting at the station, all of them may need to be repaired or replaced.

"Historically, the city of Lynn has been overlooked by the commonwealth's transportation system, and we're really hoping that this administration, and this new leadership at the T, helps us address that," Nicholson said.

The agency says it's moving to get the project done ASAP. Nearby businesses hope that's the case.

"We are having less sales after they shut that down," said Martin Taveras at El Bodegon Market. "We used to have more people coming in and out, and now people disappear."

The MBTA is still looking at the scope of the project. A final determination on what needs to be done won't be made until later this summer.