Changes to the Fitchburg commuter rail line may add three new times the train will stop at Brandeis/Roberts station while taking away two old times, according to a new schedule proposed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The inbound line toward North Station in Boston will gain stops at 6:24 p.m. and 10:34 p.m. while losing the stop at 8:41 p.m. Meanwhile, the outbound line will gain a stop at 3:57 p.m. and will lose a stop at 9:19 a.m.

The proposed changes are set to go into effect on May 23, but the MBTA is holding a period of public input on the new schedules until Feb. 12. MBTA officials are holding town halls throughout the Greater Boston area for residents to air concerns and questions about the new train schedule.

The changes come after an earlier proposed schedule released in November was met with vocal backlash from the Greater Boston community. A Nov. 25 Boston Globe article details that commuters spoke out against the November timetables’ eliminating trains that are used heavily during rush hour, and that eleven state legislators met with MBTA officials to advocate for revising the schedule changes. According to the Globe, the changes were first proposed to address “scheduling anomalies,” and the MBTA claimed the changes would reduce delays and improve service.

Vice President for Operations James Gray wrote to the University community on Friday, “For our many students, staff and faculty who rely on the commuter rail to get to campus, this new plan is a meaningful improvement on the first proposed changes. We are grateful that the M.B.T.A. officials listened to our concerns and took our comments into consideration.”

The MBTA is also proposing fare increases to balance its projected $242 million budget deficit next fiscal year, according to a Jan. 4 WBUR Boston report. The two proposals for these hikes would increase fares by averages of either 6.71 percent across the board or 9.77 percent. The MBTA is hosting one of several forums about the fare hikes on Feb. 4 at Bigelow Middle School in Newton, which is seven miles from campus.

—Max Moran