The New England Patriots’ record fifth Super Bowl win turned into a record-breaking day for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Keolis Commuter Services, operator of MBTA Commuter Rail, said Feb. 7 was the busiest day in the history of the system, as 215,000 passengers rode on the day of the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory parade, a 60% increase in ridership compared with a typical weekday.
To accommodate the additional passengers, Keolis deployed 15 additional trainsets and seven extra coaches for fans traveling to the parade and rally in downtown Boston.
Twelve extra trains were added post-parade on the Providence, Kingston, Worcester, Middleboro, Haverhill, Lowell, Beverly and Franklin Lines. More than 100 Keolis staff members volunteered to assist passengers at select stations throughout the network, including at Boston’s North, South and Back Bay Stations.
The system typically carries more than 127,000 passengers daily on 14 train lines throughout Greater Boston.
“Yesterday, we successfully ran more trains, operated more equipment and carried more passengers on the commuter rail network than has ever been done before in a single day,” Keolis Commuter Service General Manager David Scorey said. “This was the result of careful planning and preparation, and underscores our commitment to putting passengers first no matter what the occasion, including extraordinary weekday or weekend events.”
“The MBTA and its Commuter Rail partner worked very hard to meet yesterday’s ridership demands across all modes,” said Brian Shortsleeve, Acting General Manager of the MBTA. “When there are large events in Boston, the public understandably turns to the MBTA for transportation support, and we’re pleased that we were able to satisfy the needs of not only parade-goers but also our regular weekday commuters.”