Thursday, 4:30 PM
Horns blasting for Halloween, Greenbush train makes first regular run
(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
Dr. Andreas Klein of Duxbury rode the Greenbush train this morning on his commute to New England Medical Center.
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
ABOARD THE GREENBUSH TRAIN -- After a bevy of test runs and a ceremonial ribbon cutting, the Greenbush commuter rail began its first regular day of service this morning, bringing South Shore commuters into Boston on smooth diesel-powered locomotives.
The cars glided past yellow and auburn foliage, lush green golf courses, and over marshes, carrying working people in business suits, nostalgic old timers, and giddy children taking their first train ride. Halloween inspired seasonal accessories, with some riders wearing black witches' hats and orange pumpkin earrings. Most passengers were just excited that the Greenbush was finally running after 25 years of talk, controversy, and planning.
"I'm delighted," said Jay Silva, 50, a salesman from Scituate who road a Greenbush train this morning. "I've been waiting ... two decades for it to get here."
As it passes today through five towns -- Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate -- it will blow its horn for Halloween, warning trick-or-treaters with four toots at street crossings that there is a new train rolling on the tracks. On Thursday, the horns will go silent as a horn-free zone goes into effect, one of many controversies to dog the Greenbush.
The $513 million train line will make two dozen trips a day between Scituate and South Station with regular stops at North Scituate, Cohasset, Nantasket Junction, West Hingham, East Weymouth, Weymouth Landing, and Quincy Center. Each run takes just under an hour.
Fares are set by zones and range from $6.75 one way to Boston from the Greenbush station to $4.75 from the two Weymouth stations. Monthly passes range from $223 from the Greenbush station to $151 from Weymouth.
