Commuter rail discount returning as MBTA considers making it permanent

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and operating partner, Keolis Commuter Services, on Wednesday announced that the popular $10 Commuter Rail weekend fare pilot will resume this weekend.

Starting on Saturday, January 5, the special $10 all-weekend fare will once again be available on the mTicket app, onboard trains — cash or credit — and at North, South and Back Bay stations. The fare allows adults to travel with two children under age 12 at no additional cost.

"Resuming this pilot allows our customers to continue taking advantage of Commuter Rail as a travel option on weekends, while we study the potential for making this program permanent," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said. "I want to thank our partners at the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) for working with us to resume this pilot and also acknowledge the enthusiastic response we received from our customers to this initiative."

The special fare is available from the first train on Saturdays to the last train on Sundays and is valid on all Commuter Rail lines and zones with the exception of the CapeFlyer and special event trains like those that go to Gillette Stadium.

"The MBTA's reduced weekend fare initiative gives passengers a convenient and affordable option to visit a number of great destinations across the greater Boston area," Keolis General Manager and CEO David Scorey said. "We're pleased to partner with the MBTA to continue this initiative that encourages new passengers to try Commuter Rail, helps to grow ridership and promotes an environmentally friendly transit option."

Background information from the MBTA:

First piloted during the summer of 2018, the promotional fares were launched with the goal of increasing Commuter Rail ridership and revenue on the weekends when trains have additional capacity. During the six-month period these fares were available, 180,000 tickets were sold. This represents 23 percent of weekend sales and a 4.6 percent increase in weekend revenues compared to the same time period in 2017. While weekend construction impacted direct year-over-year analysis, passenger feedback throughout the summer pilot was very positive.

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Cox Media Group