In the section from Reading to Wilmington Junction became freight-only, and Haverhill commuter trains as well as intercity service from New Hampshire and Maine were rerouted over the Wildcat Branch and the lower Lowell Line. The Wakefield Junction stop on the Reading Line was discontinued at this time. The Salem Street stop was discontinued at this time.
Pearl Street station in Malden closed on December 27, concurrent with the opening of the Orange Line's Malden Center station; a commuter platform at Malden Center - the first high-level platform on the commuter system - opened on May 1, but closed again in September In November , North Andover and Andover declined to renew their subsidies.
Service to North Andover station ended on November On April 7, , town residents voted "overwhelmingly" to reimburse the commuters and subsidize service for an additional year. Despite the passenger cutbacks, the upper Western Route remained in use by freight. During the energy crisis , the MBTA restored service to much of the outer northside lines, including trains to Fitchburg and for a time Gardner on the Fitchburg Line , and short-lived service to Concord via the Lowell Line.
On January 20, , a fire destroyed the wooden trestles approaching the Charles River Bridge. Oak Grove was discontinued as a regular stop when North Station and the drawbridges reopened on April 20, , but the platform at Malden Center was permanently reopened for transfer purposes. Brennan Jr. Daily ridership on the line increased from 2, in to 4, in Around this time, some rush-hour Haverhill trains began using the Wildcat Branch to avoid interference from Reading local trains.
Due to the Reading line being single-tracked along the Orange Line corridor in the s, and most double track removed north of Wilmington after the discontinuation, the Haverhill Line has the most single track on the MBTA system.
