GUSTO TO OLD MAN WINTER

Expect cold-weather delays for MBTA morning commute

MBTA officials are warning riders to plan for delays and an extra 20 minutes during their morning commute today, as they try to steel the system against another round of frigid temperatures.

General Manager Luis Ramirez said the T plans to post extra staff at key points in its subway and commuter rail system to fix any coldrelated problems.

The Red and Orange subway lines were marred by delays at different points last week, and with temperatures expected to hover in the single digits again today, officials are bracing for malfunctioning equipment as many people return to work after the holidays.

The T said it’s also “temporarily” suspending ferry service to and from Hingham because of ice damage to the dock. Boat commuters can use their passes to shuttle from the terminal to a nearby commuter rail station.

“Our first priority is to run a safe system for all of our riders. We will continue to address any issue that happens along the way,” Ramirez told reporters yesterday. “We think it’s prudent to anticipate we will face some delays.”

Jeff Gonneville, the T’s deputy GM, said officials will be swapping out trains at different ends of the system — a process that helps guard against breakdowns but also adds anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to commute times.

In the meantime, T officials say they’re storing trains in tunnels overnight and running others in rail yards to help protect them from freezing up ahead of the morning rush.

“We are encouraging all of our customers to expect 20 minutes longer for their commute,” Gonneville said.