Halloween visitors were asked to take the train to Salem, so why were so many canceled?
SALEM, MA -- Salem is an October fright fest. There are paths full of ghouls and causeways covered in clowns, but they aren't the city's greatest terror. It's finding a way to get there. The city and the MBTA have been pushing people to use public transit, but on Sunday, nearly a dozen trains bound for Salem were canceled.
"The scariest part of Salem is the parking. It really is! We're not saying it as a joke. It's true!" says Kathryn Horrigan, communications manager at Destination Salem. "We don't want people to be shaken by this, and we don't want people not not use public transportation."
Salem draws thousands of people to the streets and even more people to the road. Traffic over the weekend was two to three hours just to get here. Keolis says the Commuter Rail trains bound for Salem were canceled due to staffing issues. The trains were additional routes planned for Salem due to the October foot traffic. Forty-five other trains still made it to Salem on Sunday, and the added service resumed later that day. Horrigan says the city and the MBTA believe these staffing issues are an isolated issue and shouldn't impact future weekends.
"Those hourly trains are still consistent and have never changed even with the cancellation that happened this past Sunday. There are also more cars in each train," explains Horrigan.
So how do people feel now? Do they comfortable hopping aboard? Ilona Yukhayev and her family felt daring enough to drive on Monday.
"With small kids, it's kind of, if we were a little closer to the train, we would have taken the train," explains Yukhayev.
If you too feel averse to taking the train in, what are other options? During weekends only, Salem does offer free parking and shuttle service from three satellite parking locations.
"I would take the ferry from Long Wharf," says Horrigan, discussing alternate options, "It's beautiful, such a gorgeous ferry ride, and there's extended seating now."
