Man Walking on Bridge Causes Evening Train Delays

Hundreds of MBTA commuter rail passengers were delayed on their way home Wednesday night because someone was walking across the train trestle between Beverly and Salem.

The search for the man began at about 5:30 p.m. By about 6 p.m. police and train workers determined the man was off the tracks, but the delays had already been felt during the peak of the evening commute. Nobody was injured and no arrests were made.

The railroad drawbridge carries two railroad tracks across the Danvers Rivers. The nearby highway bridge - known as the Beverly-Salem Bridge or Veterans Memorial Bridge - has a sidewalk where pedestrians can safely pass between the two cities.

At least four outbound trains were delayed, ranging from 15-25 minutes, on Wednesday.

The delays started with outbound train 129, which typically leaves North Station in Boston at 5 p.m., headed for Rockport. Riders headed for Beverly Depot, Montserrat, Prides Crossing and Beverly Farms were affected.

The delays continued with train 181, which leaves North Station at 5:15 headed for Newburyport; train 131, which leaves North Station at 5:30 p.m. headed for Rockport and train 183, which leaves North Station at 5:40 p.m. headed for Newburyport.

In addition to Beverly Depot, riders on the Newburyport train headed for North Beverly were also affected by the delays.

Riders on train 131 had the lengthiest delays, and riders on train 181 headed for Salem station (that typically arrive there at 5:46 p.m.) were also delayed.

Inbound train 68, an "express" train from Beverly that doesn’t make any stops on its way to Boston, was also delayed.