The past couple of days, they've had a new "alert" message on the North Station train boards. It reads:

Please purchase tickets prior to boarding. and avoid paying the On-Board Service Fee.

Wonder how much the T paid their 'image consultant' to come up with that gem?

Some of them, anyway, the Globe reports:

... At North Station, where MBTA officials have spent more than $262 million renovating the station, water poured in through the ceiling. ...

At North Station, however, T official say the problem is due to ongoing construction of a nearby building.

It's code red across the board on commuter rail right now, thanks to signal problems (every train out of South Station), a medical emergency in Newton and a downed tree somewhere in Hamilton or Wenham:

For those of you who have been wondering what the current bit of construction going on in the ever shrinking North Station waiting area is, the banner posted today answers the question.

This latest retail establishment will be yet another Dunkin Donuts.

Good news for those of you who can't bear to walk the 25 feet or so from the commuter rail platforms to the existing Dunkies located at the west entrance of the Garden building.

You can feel the intense MBTA love radiating from Ryan McGee as he counts the ways he adores the service out of North Station. Especially this past Friday on the Lowell Line.

Some trains delayed two hours yesterday when a train driver ran a signal and broke some equipment.

Lori Magno sighs:

... Yes, we really did need a bar at North Station because nothing soothes the oft-delayed Zone 6 monthly passholder like a shot of something at the station. It is AWESOME to have fans of the Celtics/Bruins/Justin Timberlake blocking all entrances to "North Station" at twice a week during commuter rush hour. The addition of a news stand that has taken up a huge amount of waiting space is a fine thing. Well, it's really rather ugly, but at least you can buy gum. Hey, BankNorth - thanks for the giant ATM thingy that required the removal of the electronic track listing sign. No more rushing into the station to find your track - but for a small fee you can withdraw cash! ...

Maybe the T thought eeka was a spy who needed to escape pursuers: When she asked the T trip planner how to get from North Station to Brookline Village, it recommended taking commuter rail north to Malden, where she could start the first of several bus trips through Everett, Charlestown, Somerville, Cambridge, Brighton and Roxbury.

Earlier:
Moronic MBTA trip planner.
When the Orange Line disappeared from the trip planner.

JK Brown reports North Station was so mobbed with people after yesterday's rally that officials shut the station until overcrowded trains left and more people could shoehorned in, leaving a growing mob of people waiting in the street outside:

... When they finally let us inside, I thought the worst was over. I saw trains stopped along the docks, and there were signs indicating which commuter rails to board. However, there were plenty of MBTA "officials" blocking would be passengers from leaving the station. It took another 45 minutes before I was on my train (which also apparently was only going as far as one stop from where I needed -- I had to call for a ride)! While waiting for this train we (all 500 or so of us) were subjected to the incessant repetitive pleas from the intercom lady to "Please be patient, trains are running late due to the large numbers of passengers." Plus there was a near fight amongst some drunken, meat-head Red Sox fans. A cop finally responded to this, and dragged one of these winners outside by his shirt collar. ...

Come on, this cow at North Station is just asking to be tipped: