Commuter Rail special $10 weekend fare begins next week

BOSTON — Commuter Rail passengers are in for a treat this summer!

The MBTA announced on Monday a special $10 summer weekend fare on the rail, beginning on June 9.

The special fare will be valid for unlimited travel through all zones on Saturdays and Sundays until Sept. 2.

“We look forward to testing this pilot program as we work to determine if there is an untapped market for weekend commuter rail service,” said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez. “There is plenty of capacity on our weekend trains, and we’d be happy to fill those seats with families and others traveling in and out of Boston this summer.”

According to MBTA officials, the $10 weekend fare will be valid for all zones from the first scheduled Saturday trip through the last scheduled Sunday trip.

Passengers will be able to purchase the special fare via the mTicket app, onboard trains and at ticket windows at Back Bay, North and South stations. The special fare applies to riders 12 or older, and paying adults can bring up to two children on board with them for free.

Unlike weekdays, weekend Commuter Rail service is not on high demand, which is what prompted the MBTA to launch this pilot program. According to the MBTA, the summer pilot program will help MBTA staff learn more about weekend Commuter Rail ridership demand, receive customer feedback and evaluate the pilot's overall impact on ridership and revenue.

With the exception of the CapeFlyer, operated through a partnership with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, this pilot applies to all MBTA Commuter Rail services.

For more information on this program, you can visit mbta.com or follow them on twitter @MBTA and @MBTA_CR