PEABODY - Massport has indicated it will be seeking some sort of compromise regarding the Logan Express service between Peabody and Logan Airport, and has the goal of not disrupting service to the North Shore.

"This is a significant step in the right direction," said Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry of Peabody. "We have successfully conveyed to Massport the importance of maintaining service to Logan from the North Shore. Now they need to work out the details to make it happen."

Massport officials assured the Peabody delegation that Massport is making every possible effort to ensure there will be no disruption in service for North Shore commuters.

Last January, Massport announced plans to discontinue the service, citing the low number of users from the North Shore as part of the reason.

Berry, who had originally lobbied for the service, was upset by this and proposed legislation barring the sale of the Massport property on Route 1 South until an independent panel could review the port authority's decision. Berry's legislation also proposed increasing the Port Authority's Board of Directors, which is appointed by the governor, from seven to nine members, and have two North Shore representatives on that enlarged panel. That bill is now in the legislature's Committee for Public Transportation awaiting a public hearing.

The authority is currently in negotiations with more than one company to provide a modified transportation service for North Shore residents traveling to Logan Airport.

MassPort intends to implement the new service as a successor to the Logan Express.

More than 80,000 people used the express service between Peabody and Logan during 2005. In other cities, ridership was more than two or three times that number.

Last January, Berry explained that although Massport is serving a lower number of users in Peabody, he isn't trying to force the port authority to continue with a service that is losing money. However, he's not convinced that stopping the service altogether is the answer.

Earlier this year, Massport contracted with C&J Trailways, a tour bus company, to provide service to Logan Airport from Portsmouth, N.H.

In February, the senator said that adding a Peabody stop in that route may be one solution, as well as re-evaluating the location of the Logan Express station.

State reps. Joyce Spiliotis and Ted Spelioitis were also pushing for the port authority to reconsider stopping the express service to Logan Airport.