The bitter cold caused widespread delays on the MBTA’s commuter rail lines Tuesday morning, further frustrating passengers coping with a service that had already reduced its schedule because of the record-breaking snow.
During the morning commute, 12 trains were canceled and 58 others were delayed, according to figures provided by Keolis, the French company that runs the rail lines for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
On Monday, Keolis said it would not restore regular service until some point in March, when it expects all 65 trains required to keep a normal schedule to be back online. Currently, 46 locomotives are operating.
The commuter rail provides about 129,000 rides to people across the region daily, according to 2013 estimates from the MBTA.
Mac Daniel, a spokesman for Keolis, said Tuesday’s delays stemmed from a “myriad of issues,” such as frozen tracks and equipment problems. He also said the snow expected to fall overnight will affect service Wednesday morning.
But Keolis officials also announced their progress in recovering on Tuesday. The company said that workers had removed snow from all platforms and main rail switches and that they added extra trains to certain lines to relieve overcrowding. Officials also said they will try to put at least three more locomotives in service each week.
On Tuesday, delays on the commuter rails started early, with two trains canceled on the Newburyport/Rockport line.
The evening commute went more smoothly, with fewer delays and cancellations across the system.
Riders who use the city’s subway lines also experienced problems on Tuesday. The Orange Line had severe delays in the morning because of a switch problem; Green Line service for the E branch was suspended between Brigham Circle and Heath Street.
Extreme cold presents difficulties to both subway and railroad systems. Transit systems such as the MBTA typically deal with extreme cold by keeping locomotives idling and subway cars running overnight.
The commuter rail is also experiencing a number of mechanical issues. Keolis expects to receive a delivery of 10 new traction motors on Wednesday for some of the locomotives out of service.
For the entire week, the commuter rail will keep to its limited schedule. That includes temporarily replacing rail service with shuttle buses at the Plymouth, T.F. Green, and Warwick stations to keep the train runs “more compact,” according to Daniel.
The changes in schedules have confused and further delayed customers. Arlene Doherty, of Medway, missed one of her trains on the Framingham/Worcester line on Tuesday because she found out too late that the schedule had changed.
She drove to Walpole to catch another train, but still arrived at South Station about a half hour behind schedule. Even so, Doherty said she can’t blame Keolis or the MBTA. “There’s not a whole lot we can do,” she said. “It is what it is.”
Wes Del Col, who uses the Framingham/Worcester line to get from Wellesley to South Station, said he has gotten accustomed to being late.
He said he had started driving to his regular station at Wellesley Farms so he could keep warm in his car while he waits. He spent about 40 minutes waiting in his car Tuesday morning, he said. “You’d think they could run things on time with fewer trains,” he said. “I was thinking that on the ride over. Why is it still happening?”
Martin Finucane of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Aneri Pattani contributed to this report. Nicole Dungca can be reached at nicole.dungca@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ndungca.