Red Line service improved enough for MBTA to end extra commuter rail, agency says

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will stop running extra commuter-rail trains as of Tuesday from the South Shore to South Station to make up for service disruptions due to the June 11 derailment of a Red Line train just south of JFK/UMass.

The agency said in an update on Tuesday afternoon that it “has seen the length of passenger trip times from Braintree to downtown Boston decrease and more trains are running per hour.”

The MBTA said per-trip times from Braintree to downtown Boston have dropped 10 to 15 minutes since Sunday, and the Red Line is now averaging 10 trains an hour. Due to this, fewer T riders are taking the extra commuter rail anyway, the MBTA said.

“Since last week, ridership on the extra commuter-rail trains has dropped significantly as many of our customers have returned to the Red Line, where service has steadily improved in terms of trains running per hour and the length of passenger trip times,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in the update. “We want to thank riders for taking advantage of the extra service and for their continued patience as crews work around the clock to restore power and make signal repairs.”

Riders through Friday can still use their CharlieCards and CharlieTickets to board regular commuter rail. For more updates on the Red Line restoration, check out this MBTA website, and follow the agency on Twitter @MBTA and @MBTA_CR.