LYNN — Local and state officials huddled on the Lynn Commuter Rail station’s temporary platform in freezing cold weather Tuesday morning, speaking to reporters before stepping aboard the 8:30 a.m. Lynn-to-Boston train.

Since the station closed in October 2022 for a $72 million renovation project expected to be completed in eight years, commuters relied on existing bus routes, shuttle buses from Lynn to Swampscott’s Commuter Rail station, or the Blossom Street ferry, which was open during the summer and early fall months of 2023.

Although commuters went more than a year without direct Lynn-to-Boston Commuter Rail service, the temporary platform’s opening in December came roughly nine months ahead of schedule. MBTA CEO and General Manager Phillip Eng said the support of Gov. Maura Healey’s office and the city’s legislative delegation significantly expedited the project.

“Without them, we would be standing here in September — it would be warmer — but we were able to accelerate this project because we challenged ourselves differently than we had before,” Eng said. “We’re really proud of our ability to restore service to Lynn earlier than planned.”

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll expressed a similar pride in the MBTA’s ability to swiftly open the station, saying that she sympathized with commuters’ burden of traveling north to Swampscott every time they wished to go south to Boston.

Driscoll added that she and Healey are working with city officials and members of the Lynn delegation to plan new strategies for accessible transit in Lynn.

“This is a huge opportunity here to do more. We’re really looking forward to partnering with the mayor and finding ways to ensure transit-oriented development in the city can happen easily, innovatively, and in a way that’s designed to impact the lives of those who use it,” Driscoll said.

Standing alongside state Reps. Dan Cahill, Jenny Armini, and Peter Capano of the Lynn delegation, state Sen. Brendan Crighton also expressed gratitude to the Healey-Driscoll administration for its work to ensure that the city would not be left without a functioning transit system.

The original Commuter Rail station was closed in 2022 due to structural deterioration that posed a safety threat.

When asked how the MBTA plans to ensure that similar deterioration would not occur at either the temporary platform or the new station, Eng said the agency is “ramping up” its inspectional department. He said the MBTA will create a new system for inspecting and repairing its structures in a timely manner.

“We’re always balancing the needs of maintenance, corrective repairs, and building for the future. But really, we have to focus on making sure that our existing facilities remain safe and reliable,” Eng said.

Mayor Jared Nicholson thanked Eng and the Healey-Driscoll administration for their collaborative effort toward the temporary station’s opening.

“The general manager came here and we showed him what was happening. We told him the the story about how the train was shut down without any alternatives, and I think he saw that it was unfair and not right,” Nicholson said. “I’m so grateful that General Manager Eng, working with the Healey-Driscoll administration, was able to bring some imagination and ingenuity, some commitment and follow-through to execute — and execute well — on delivering this interim station ahead of schedule, under budget.”