Citing a rise in commuter rail ridership, the MBTA and partner Keolis have announced a fall/winter schedule that includes more Worcester-Boston trains that will stop at Natick’s two stations. The changes take effect Oct. 17 (schedule embedded below).
Indeed, during one of my rare appearances at work in Boston last Wednesday, there was a noticeable increase in commuters at the Wellesley Square stop on the 7:19am train (and trains were relatively timely).
“Trains that were temporarily removed from the schedule to accommodate ongoing construction related to the Worcester Union Station Improvements project are back in the Fall/Winter schedule as construction has progressed to a point where these trains can be restored,” according to the MBTA.
From what I can gather, new inbound trains at West Natick are scheduled for 10:45am, 12:45pm, 1:50pm (replacing the 1:45pm) 2pm, and 3:45pm. Add about 5 minutes onto those times for the Natick Center arrivals. In all, 24 trains are slated to stop on weekdays in West Natick and 21 in Natick Center, and you still won’t have a ton of choices at traditional morning commuting time.
Inbound from Boston, new trains are scheduled to arrive at 8:27am, 10:27am, and 1:32pm at Natick Center, with West Natick stops 5 minutes later.
We see no significant changes to the weekend schedule, which offers about half as many trains as during the weekday. If you’re staying out later than 11-11:15pm in Boston, depending on which stop you’re near, you’ll need another method home to Natick.
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