BOSTON (WHDH) - More than a million jubilant New England Patriots fans descended upon Boston Tuesday for the team’s sixth Super Bowl championship parade, resulting in the highest-ever ridership on the Commuter Rail, officials said.
“We are seeing extraordinary ridership levels across the entire network, notably higher than seen for previous parades and almost certainly the highest ridership ever seen on the network,” Keolis said in a press release.
Officials say early estimates suggest ridership prior to the parade was “much more than double” a typical weekday.
The MBTA and Keolis deployed additional coach cars to increase capacity on the trains.
The additional capacity included seven more coach cars on select scheduled trains, as well as 16 extra trains on top of the normal schedule. The commuter rail capacity level was said to be more than ever before.
Passengers planning to take the Commuter Rail for their return trip after the parade should expect very long lines at major stations.
If possible, officials urged riders to take trains after 4 p.m. and to be patient.
Lines at North Station are expected to extend outside the building to allow for boarding inside the terminal to be as efficient as possible given the large crowds.
The highest number of customers are expected to arrive at North, South, and Back Bay stations within an hour after the parade. Please consider staying in town for an hour or two until the first wave of trains depart North, South, and Back Bay stations.
— MBTA Commuter Rail (@MBTA_CR) February 5, 2019
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