MBTA, Commuter Rail Overwhelmed By 'Historic' Ridership

BOSTON, MA — The Commuter Rail and MBTA struggled to keep up with a "historic" rush of passengers - many of them Patriots fans - who blitzed Boston to celebrate the six-time Super Bowl champions Tuesday morning.

Huge lines spilled out to the street at North Station during the commute home. North, South and Back Bay Stations got the worst of the rush.

The MBTA called the mass of riders "historic." Keolis, which operates the commuter rail, said Tuesday's ridership is "almost certainly" the most it has ever seen.

>>>Read: MBTA Trains An 'Embarrassment' On Peak Days, Conductor Says

"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.

There were delays on most of the commuter rail lines earlier in the day - including the Franklin Line, which struck and killed a man in Norwood. Roughly double the normal ridership for a weekday used the commuter rail Tuesday.

Transit officials can partially blame Julian Edelman for this quagmire: The Super Bowl MVP had hoped this parade would be the "biggest one yet."

>>>Watch Live: Patriots Super Bowl Parade Kicks Off In Boston.

Meanwhile, parking MBTA and Commuter Rail stations was hard to come by. Many of the most popular lots were at full capacity by 9 a.m.

Just before 11 a.m. the Green D line derailed at Beaconsfield, prompting a shut down of the line in both directions between Kenmore and Reservoir.

Do you have a transit photo or story to share with Patch this morning? Email patchyphotos@gmail.com with the details.

Photo by @tanyaalala via Twitter