Commuting on the Newburyport / Rockport Line - OK from Swampscott? (Boston: moving to, garage)

[brookliner1]

Hi, we're moving to Marblehead from Brookline and would love to hear from those of you who have commuted / commute regularly on the Newburyport / Rockport line into Boston, ideally hopping on the train at Swampscott or Salem.

How do/did you find it? Is the train reliable? Will there be parking and seats available during rush hour into North Station if you hop on at Swampscott, or do you end up fighting for limited parking and standing the whole way in on late trains? Is the Salem station any better? Lynn?

Thanks!

[cousinsal]

Originally Posted by brookliner1

Hi, we're moving to Marblehead from Brookline and would love to hear from those of you who have commuted / commute regularly on the Newburyport / Rockport line into Boston, ideally hopping on the train at Swampscott or Salem.

How do/did you find it? Is the train reliable? Will there be parking and seats available during rush hour into North Station if you hop on at Swampscott, or do you end up fighting for limited parking and standing the whole way in on late trains? Is the Salem station any better? Lynn?

Thanks!

I've ridden the commuter rail from Salem since 1982, and it's much more reliable than it was in the "old days". There are a few times a year when there's a problem, and usually, you can find out about it on the news in the morning before leaving the house. If there's a problem, I sometimes drive to Wonderland in Revere and take the blue line.

Getting on in Salem is no problem with getting a seat, and I don't think there's necessarily a problem from Swampscott or Lynn. Parking in Salem is difficult, because if you get there after 7:30 a.m., you probably won't find a spot. It must be worse in Swampscott because they only have a small parking lot - nothing like the big one in Salem. I think people either walk or park on the streets near the station.

Salem can be better in the sense that there are express trains from Salem in the morning, and to Salem at night. So, you have a few more choices in number of trains available each day.

By the way, there is lots of parking in Lynn - a huge parking garage if you'd prefer going there.

[brookliner1]

Thanks for the quick reply. Sounds great, except for the parking. So, you feel that unless I'm in the Salem lot well before 7:30, I won't find parking?

I suppose on most days I'd be in the lot to try and catch the 7:03 out of Salem, but would be a downer to have to fight for parking every day even for this train or the 7:29 express...

Thanks again...!

[cousinsal]

I take the 7:03, and it's great because it's before alot of people show up.

When I'm late and want to take the 7:30 or 7:35, I try to get there early, so I'll get a spot. There are two parking lots there - one for the train, and one for the city workers, but we use them both. And, they are filled up around 7:30. People park down the street, and walk into the station, but it's quite a walk.

It's especially bad in winter because some of the spaces are never plowed, so we lose those spaces.

[brookliner1]

cousinsal, thanks for the really valuable feedback. Just curious, I work in Back Bay - what is your average door to door time estimate if I catch the train at Salem?

Thanks again.