By Will Broaddus
Staff Writer
—
Temporary schedule changes to the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, which serves Cape Ann, were announced yesterday by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.
Delays in departure and arrival times of between two and 10 minutes each will go into effect Monday.
The changes follow the recent discovery of structural problems in the Saugus drawbridge during a routine inspection.
The problems were addressed last weekend, but travel across the bridge is currently approved on only its outbound track, at 30 mph.
The resulting conflict between trains required an adjustment to service schedules. No projected date for the resolution of these conflicts has been given.
The line, which has tracks that begin and end separately in Rockport and Newburyport but converge in Beverly, serves most of the North Shore.
It has stops in Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester, Beverly Farms, Prides Crossing, Ipswich, Hamilton/Wenham, North Beverly, Beverly, Salem and Swampscott.
For exact departure and arrival times at each of these stations, a temporary schedule is now available at the MBTA's website, www.mbta.com.
Staff writer Will Broaddus may be contacted at wbroaddus@gloucestertimes.com.
