Update (1/10/14, 1:00 pm): I’ve been informed by state that the schedule begins 1/27. (Don’t ask my why the date at top of their schedule says effective 1/13!)
Next week, the MBTA will follow a new schedule for the Framingham-Worcester commuter rail. The schedule will be effective Monday, January 13, 2014.
I pulled out the sections that I assume readers will care about most – the commute into and out of Boston during peak times.
I noticed that we lost one train in the morning, but perhaps it wasn’t needed. Meanwhile, it looks like there’s more options for fewer stops between here and Boston.
It looks like we gained trains in the evening commute home.
For the full new schedule, click here. Want to revisit the old schedule for comparison? Click here.
This fall, I shared the MBTA’s call for feedback on schedule adjustments and additions. Some of you planned to follow through on that.
So, did they listen to you? Is the new schedule an improvement over the old one?
(Photo from MBTA’s October 2013 presentation to the 495/Metrowest Partnership)
huge fan of this! i can now start taking the train again. the 6:15 express home was definitely needed.
Make sure you wait until the 27th. As I just updated, the state informed me that the new schedule won’t start until then.
FYI…they announced today that the schedule changes are cancelled due to Yawkey construction and “customer feedback”…..my guess is Newton/Wellesley people whining about the change…they didn’t give a timeframe as to when a new schedule will take effect.
I have a feeling that the crowded trains now will get even more packed with Yawkey added as a stop. For whatever reason, no existing stops were removed (do we really need 3 Wellsley stops) except for one train, which means a longer commute. If you compare the times, the “express” trains are barely faster than the local trains. It doesn’t look good now with the helpful conductors NOT opening addditional doors to let people board and actually closing doors passengers opened and forcing people to move to the remaining doors, as evidenced this week on the 527 train when they were short one conductor. They did something similar last Thursday at Back Bay during the snowstorm. There was clearly room in the train where the doors were closed for more people to board. Instead, the two remaining conductors closed the remaining open doors and stranded people at the station. Are conductors allowed to open additional doors or are they mandated to stay where they’ve opened a door? I only ask becauase I’ve seen conductors in the past open additional doors to expedite the boarding process. I, for one, am very happy Keolis won the contract and am looking forward to some hopefully welcome changes.
I am very happy with the new schedule – love that there is added express trains! I also think that having multiple express trains at ~45 mins into/home from Boston will be great for property values (i.e. make Southborough a more viable alternative to people who work in the city and would otherwise be looking in Wellesley/Newton/Natick/Wayland/Sudbury )!
I am so happy the outbound 6:15pm is back. And my understanding of the delay with implementing the new schedule is due to related delays with the inspections of the new Yawkey station