Editing MBTA Commuter Rail (section)

== Service ==
===Lines===
The system consists of twelve lines – four of which have branches – radiating from [[downtown Boston]]. Eight "southside" lines terminate at [[South Station]], with four (Framingham/Worcester, Needham, Franklin/Foxboro, and Providence/Stoughton) also running through [[Back Bay station]]. Four "northside" lines terminate at [[North Station]]. The lines vary in length from the {{convert|9.2|mile|adj=on}} Fairmount Line to the {{convert|62.9|mile|adj=on}} Providence/Stoughton Line, with typical lengths in the {{convert|25-40|mile|adj=on}} range.<ref name=bluebook /> The system has {{convert|429|mi|km|-1}} of revenue trackage and covers roughly the eastern third of Massachusetts plus central Rhode Island.<ref name=bluebook /><ref name=mbtaptc />
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Line
! Boston terminal
! Outer terminal(s)
! Stations<ref name=schedules />
! Length<ref name=bluebook />
! Daily boardings<br />(October 2022)<ref name=oct2022ridership>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-10/GM%20Report%20to%20Board%2010.27.2022.pdf |title=GM Report |page=6 |first=Steve |last=Poftak |date=October 27, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>
|-
|[[Greenbush Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Greenbush}}
|10
|{{convert|27.6|miles}}
|2,691
|-
|[[Kingston Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Kingston|Plymouth}}<br />''{{bts|Plymouth}} (indefinitely closed)''
|11 (1 closed)
|{{convert|35.1|miles}} – Kingston<br />{{convert|35.6|miles}} – Plymouth
|4,171
|-
|[[Fall River/New Bedford Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Fall River}}<br />{{bts|New Bedford}}
|15
|{{convert|56.6|miles}} – Fall River<br />{{convert|60.0|miles}} – New Bedford
|5,261
|-
|[[Fairmount Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Readville}}
|9
|{{convert|9.2|miles}}
|2,843
|-
|[[Providence/Stoughton Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Wickford Junction}}<br />{{bts|Stoughton}}
|18
|{{convert|62.9|miles}} – Wickford Junction<br />{{convert|18.9|miles}} – Stoughton
|17,648
|-
|[[Franklin/Foxboro Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Forge Park/495}}<br />{{bts|Foxboro}}
|18{{efn|group=linetable|This count does not include the 7 intermediate stations on the Fairmount Line, which are served by some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains.<ref name=schedules />}} (1 closed)
|{{convert|30.3|miles}} – Forge Park/495<br />{{convert|22.6|miles}} – Foxboro
|8,771
|-
|[[Needham Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Needham Heights}}
|12
|{{convert|13.7|miles}}
|4,881
|-
|[[Framingham/Worcester Line]]
|South Station
|{{bts|Worcester}}
|18
|{{convert|44.2|miles}}
|10,606
|-
|[[Fitchburg Line]]
|North Station
|{{bts|Wachusett}}
|19 (1 closed)
|{{convert|53.7|miles}}
|4,829
|-
|[[Lowell Line]]
|North Station
|{{bts|Lowell}}
|9 (2 closed)
|{{convert|25.5|miles}}
|6,485
|-
|[[Haverhill Line]]
|North Station
|{{bts|Haverhill}}
|15 (1 closed)
|{{convert|32.9|miles}}
|5,806
|-
|[[Newburyport/Rockport Line]]
|North Station
|{{bts|Newburyport}}<br />{{bts|Rockport}}
|19 (1 closed)
|{{convert|36.2|miles}} – Newburyport<br />{{convert|35.3|miles}} – Rockport
|11,333
|}
{{notelist|group=linetable}}

Most lines do not share trackage outside the Boston terminal areas, with several exceptions. The Providence/Stoughton Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line both use the [[Northeast Corridor]] between {{bts|Readville}} and South Station, with the Needham Line also sharing the tracks between {{bts|Forest Hills}} and South Station. The Fall River/New Bedford Line, Kingston Line, and Greenbush Line all use the Old Colony mainline between South Station and [[Braintree, Massachusetts|Braintree]]. The Haverhill Line and Newburyport/Rockport Line share tracks between North Station and near {{bts|Sullivan Square}}.<ref name=bluebook /> A small number of Haverhill Line trains use the inner Lowell Line and the [[Wildcat Branch]], while some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains (including all weekend trains) use the Fairmount Line rather than the Northeast Corridor. Several [[Amtrak]] intercity routes run on MBTA tracks: the {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}} and {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}} over the Providence/Stoughton Line, the {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}} over the Framingham/Worcester Line, and the {{lnl|Amtrak|Downeaster}} over portions of the Lowell and Haverhill lines.<ref name=schedules>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/schedules/commuter-rail |title=Schedules: Commuter Rail |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |access-date=February 17, 2025}}</ref> Private companies also operate freight service over much of the system (see {{section link||Freight service}}).

===Stations===
{{See also|List of MBTA Commuter Rail stations}}
[[File:Outbound train entering North Scituate MBTA station, North Scituate MA.jpg|thumb|right|A train at {{bts|North Scituate}} – a typical suburban station with a full-length high-level platform]]
{{As of|March 2025}}, there are [[List of MBTA Commuter Rail stations|142 active stations]] – 55 northside and 87 southside. One other station, {{bts|Haverhill}}, is temporarily closed due to reconstruction of an adjacent bridge. Five additional stations ({{bts|Prides Crossing}}, {{bts|Mishawum}}, {{bts|Hastings}}, {{bts|Plimptonville}}, and {{bts|Plymouth}}) are indefinitely closed due to service cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=schedules /> Several other stations are planned. South Station, North Station, and Back Bay all have [[MBTA subway]] and Amtrak connections; nine other stations have subway connections, and six others have Amtrak connections.<ref name=schedules />

Stations range in size from small platforms like {{bts|North Wilmington}} to the sprawling downtown terminals. Most stations outside downtown Boston have one or two [[side platform]]s or a single [[island platform]].<ref name="trackchart">{{cite web |url=http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/movies/MBCR+Maps+(2010).pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008000656/http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/movies/MBCR+Maps+(2010).pdf |archive-date=October 8, 2013 |title=Massachusetts Bay Colony Railroad Track Charts |date=2010 |author=Held, Patrick R. |publisher=Johns Hopkins Association for Computing Machinery}}</ref> Standard MBTA platforms are about {{convert|800|feet}} long – enough for a nine-car train – and a minimum of {{convert|12|feet}} wide for side platforms and {{convert|22|feet}} wide for island platforms.<ref name=winchester15>{{cite web |url=https://www.winchester.us/DocumentCenter/View/1605/Winchester-Center-Station---15-Design-Report-PDF |page=13 |title=Winchester Center Station Renovation Project: 15% Preliminary Design Report |author=Jacobs |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=December 2015}}</ref><ref name=contextreview>{{cite book |url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdot-nsrl-context-review-part-1/download |chapter=Appendix 2 |title=Context Review Technical Memorandum |series=North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment |date=January 18, 2018 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation}}</ref> 119 active stations are [[accessible]], including all terminals and all stations with rapid transit connections; 23 are not.<ref name=schedules /> The MBTA uses {{convert|48|in|adj=on}}-high platforms for accessible level boarding, as is [[Railway platform height#United States|standard in the northeastern United States]].<ref name=winchester15 /><ref name=contextreview /> Some accessible stations have full-length high platforms for accessible boarding on all cars; others only have "mini-high" platforms about {{convert|40|feet}} long – which allow for level boarding on two cars – with the rest of the platform length not accessible.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/18508/Study_Platform_Gaps.pdf |page=9 |title=Report to the House and Senate Authorizing Committees: Study of Methods to Improve or Correct Station Platform Gaps |date=October 2010 |publisher=Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/accessibility/commuter-rail-guide |title=Commuter Rail Access Guide |access-date=November 4, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

===Operations===
The MBTA Commuter Rail system is operated by Keolis Commuter Services – a subsidiary of French company [[Keolis]] – under contract to the MBTA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Keolis, MBTA Commuter Rail Operator, What We Do And Do Not Do |url=https://www.keoliscs.com/keolis-mbta-commuter-rail-operator-what-we-do-and-do-not-do/ |newspaper=Keolis Commuter Services |date=February 22, 2017 |archive-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203011337/https://www.keoliscs.com/keolis-mbta-commuter-rail-operator-what-we-do-and-do-not-do/}}</ref> The MBTA owns all passenger equipment and most stations.<ref name=roster /> Most trackage is also owned by the MBTA. The [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] (parent agency of the MBTA) owns several portions of the Framingham/Worcester Line as well as the [[Grand Junction Branch]], which is used for non-revenue equipment moves between the northside and southside lines. [[Pan Am Southern]] owns the section of the Fitchburg Line between {{bts|Fitchburg}} and Wachusett, while Amtrak owns the section of the [[Northeast Corridor]] (used by the Providence/Stoughton Line) in Rhode Island.<ref name=2018railplan />{{rp|21}}

Most lines operate on [[Clock-face scheduling|regular headways]], though some have additional service at peak hours. Service levels vary by lines: the Greenbush and Kingston lines have 13 round trips on weekdays, while the Providence/Stoughton Line has 37.<ref name=schedules /> Running times vary from 30 minutes on the Fairmount Line to nearly 120 minutes for some Providence/Stoughton Line trips, with 60–75 minutes typical.<ref name=schedules /> Most trains stop at all stations on the line; some stations have limited service, and peak-hour express trains operate on several lines. Several lines additionally have some [[short turn]] service.<ref name=schedules /> The [[CapeFlyer]], a seasonal weekend-only service to [[Cape Cod]], operates using MBTA equipment over the Middleborough/Lakeville Line plus the Cape Main Line (which is not otherwise used by the MBTA). Special express service to Foxboro station is operated during [[New England Patriots]] home games and some other events at [[Gillette Stadium]]. It runs from South Station via the Franklin/Foxboro Line, and from Providence via the Providence/Stoughton Line. During the winter, one "ski train" round trip of the Fitchburg Line operates with a bicycle car on weekends and Wednesday evenings, with a shuttle bus to [[Wachusett Mountain (ski area)|Wachusett Mountain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://massbytrain.com/special-service/ |title=Special Service |work=Mass by Train |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907203744/https://massbytrain.com/special-service/ |archive-date=September 7, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2022-11-28/updated-schedule-released-fitchburg-line-ski-train-returns-the-season |title=Updated Schedule Released for Fitchburg Line: "Ski Train" Returns for the Season |date=November 28, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

All MBTA commuter rail service is provided by [[push-pull train]]s powered by [[diesel locomotive]]s (see {{section link||Rolling stock}}). Maximum speed for trains is {{convert|79|mph}}, though some lines have lower limits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luttrell |first1=Aviva |title=Electrified, faster and more trains; 7 ways TransitMatters says the MBTA's Commuter Rail Service could be a lot better |url=https://www.masslive.com/worcester/2019/09/electrified-faster-and-more-trains-7-ways-the-mbtas-commuter-rail-service-could-be-a-lot-better.html|newspaper=MassLive |date=September 18, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> The entire system is [[railway signalling|signalled]] and operates with [[Positive Train Control]] using the [[Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System]]. All lines have [[cab signal]]s for [[automatic train control]].<ref name=mbtaptc /><ref name=ptc2025>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2025-01-28/mbta-successfully-completes-installation-positive-train-control-automatic-train |title=MBTA Successfully Completes Installation of Positive Train Control / Automatic Train Control on All Commuter Rail Lines |date=January 28, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The MBTA is a member of the [[Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee]] (NORAC) and uses its operating rules. Most portions of the system operate under NORAC rules 261 and 562, which allow bidirectional train movements on every track (such as an express train passing a local train in the same direction).<!--PTC seems to have eliminated Western Route and Eastern Route, leaving just Fitchburg--><ref name=ptcplan /> Most lines are either [[double track]], or single track with passing sidings; portions of the Northeast Corridor have three or four tracks.<ref name=trackchart />

==== Freight service ====
[[File:CSX L010 at Framingham station 1.jpg|thumb|left|A CSX freight train at Framingham station]]
Freight service is operated over most of the MBTA Commuter Rail system by several private railroads. [[CSX Transportation]] operates freight on most southside lines, of which the outer portion of the Worcester Line has the most freight traffic. [[Massachusetts Coastal Railroad]] operates south of Middleborough on the Fall River/New Bedford Line. The [[Fore River Railroad]] operates between Braintree Yard and East Braintree on the Old Colony mainline and the Greenbush Line. The [[Providence and Worcester Railroad]] shares tracks with Providence/Stoughton Line trains between Providence and Wickford Junction; it uses a freight-only track between Providence and Central Falls.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hartley |first=Scott A. |date=April 2016 |title=The key to Providence & Worcester's success: Reinvention |magazine=[[Trains Magazine]] |pages=50–57}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rhode Island Department of Administration |date=March 13, 2014 |title=Rhode Island State Rail Plan 2014 |url=https://planning.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur826/files/documents/trans/Rail/RI_State_Rail_Plan_2014.pdf |access-date=October 18, 2022 |pages=74–75}}</ref> No freight operates on the Needham Line, the Northeast Corridor between Readville and Back Bay, the Old Colony mainline between Boston and the Greenbush Line junction in Braintree, the Kingston Line, and most of the Greenbush Line.<ref name=2018railplan>{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/01/26/2018PubComm_1.pdf |pages=31–43 |title=Massachusetts State Rail Plan |date=January 2018 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation}}</ref>

CSX also operates on most northside lines; prior to its 2022 purchase by CSX, [[Pan Am Railways]] operated over these lines. The [[Berkshire and Eastern Railroad]] (formerly [[Pan Am Southern]]) operates over the Fitchburg Line west of Ayer. Their combined Freight Main Line between [[Mechanicville, New York]], and [[Mattawamkeag, Maine]], shares tracks with sections of the Fitchburg, Lowell, and Haverhill lines. No freight service is operated over the Newburyport/Rockport Line north of {{bts|Salem}}.<ref name=2018railplan />

Weight limits and [[loading gauge]] vary across the system. The full Framingham/Worcester line is rated for car weights of {{convert|315000|lb}}, sections of lines that are part of the Freight Main Line for {{convert|286000|lb}}, and other lines for lower weights. The western portion of the Framingham/Worcester Line and the southern section of the Providence/Stoughton line can accommodate cars up to {{convert|20|ft|8|in}} ([[Loading gauge#North America|AAR Plate H or Plate K]]). The Fitchburg Line west of Ayer can accommodate cars up to {{convert|19|ft|0|in}} (AAR Plate J), while most of the other northside lines can accommodate up to {{convert|17|ft|0|in}} (AAR Plate F). The inner Fitchburg and Newburyport/Rockport Lines, and the southside except for the outer Framingham/Worcester Line, have height restrictions smaller than Plate F.<ref name=2018railplan />
{{clear left}}

=== Fares ===
[[File:MBCR tickets.jpg|right|thumb|Commuter Rail tickets in the form of CharlieTickets purchased at fare vending machines and ticket booths (left) and paper tickets purchased on-board (right).]]
MBTA Commuter Rail uses a [[fare#Zone-based fare|zone fare system]], with fares increasing with distance. Zone 1A includes the downtown terminals and other inner core stations up to about {{convert|5|miles}} from downtown. Ten additional zones, numbered 1 through 10, extend outwards from Boston. Each zone is about 5 miles, with most outer terminals in zones 6 through 8. Only two stations use further zones: {{bts|T.F. Green Airport}} in Zone 9, and {{bts|Wickford Junction}} in Zone 10. Zone 1A fares are identical to MBTA subway fares (though subway passes on [[CharlieCard]]s are not accepted, except for Fairmount Line stations that have CharlieCard validator machines). {{As of|2024}}, one-way fares within Zone 1A are $2.40, while fares between further zones and Zone 1A range from $6.50 for Zone 1 to $13.25 for Zone 10. Trips that do not enter Zone 1A have less expensive interzone fares; {{as of|2024|lc=yes}}, these range from $2.75 for travel within a single zone to $7.25 for travel between Zone 1 and Zone 10.<ref name=zones>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/fares/commuter-rail-fares/zones |title=Commuter Rail Fare Zones |access-date=November 9, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

Fares can be purchased on the MBTA mTicket app, at automatic vending machines located at major stations, from businesses near some stations, or from conductors on board trains. Discounted passes include monthly passes (with or without free transfer to other MBTA services), "flex passes" valid for five 24-hour periods, and $10 passes offering unlimited travel on a single weekend.<ref name=fares>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/fares/commuter-rail-fares |title=Commuter Rail Fares |access-date=November 9, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> As with other MBTA services, discounted fares and passes are available for several groups including disabled passengers, passengers over age 65, and students attending certain schools.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/fares/reduced |title=Reduced Fares |access-date=November 9, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> Foxboro special event services and the CapeFlyer have separate fares; regular MBTA fares and passes are not valid.<ref name=zones /> Fares are collected by train conductors; while [[fare evasion]] is explicitly illegal under state law, it is not criminal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter159/Section101 |title=Section 101: Evasion of payment of toll or fare |work=Massachusetts General Laws |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts}}</ref> Faregates have also been installed at North Station, with plans for installation at Back Bay and South Station.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2022-09-23/commuter-rail-begin-operating-fare-gates-north-station-october-1 |title=Commuter Rail to Begin Operating Fare Gates at North Station on October 1 |date=September 23, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> The second-generation MBTA fare collection system, planned for completion in 2025, will standardize fare media across modes and allow uses of CharlieCards for all commuter rail trips.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/fares/fare-transformation |title=Fare Transformation |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>