The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over 394 mi (634 km) of track to 135 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis,which took over operations on July 1,2014,from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police is a police force which has primary jurisdiction on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) property and vehicles in each of the 177 cities and towns within the MBTA. The department has grown to an authorized strength of 266 officers and 10 civilians. The majority of the MBTA Police Department's efforts are focused on patrol in Boston and surrounding communities,particularly around heavy rail The department patrols and protects the 5 subway lines to include the Silver Line,13 commuter rail lines,4 passenger ferry routes,181 bus routes and The Ride paratransit system in Massachusetts communities.
The Framingham/Worcester Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system runs west from Boston,Massachusetts to Worcester,Massachusetts through the MetroWest region,serving 17 station stops in Boston,Newton,Wellesley,Natick,Framingham,Ashland,Southborough,Westborough,Grafton,and Worcester. It is the third longest and third busiest line in the MBTA Commuter Rail system. Service on the line is a mix of local and express trains serving Worcester plus short-turn Framingham locals.
The CharlieCard is a contactless smart card used for fare payment for transportation in the Boston area. It is the primary payment method for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and several regional public transport systems in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is used on the MBTA's subway and bus services,but is not currently accepted on the MBTA Commuter Rail and ferries.
Fenway station is a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch,located under Park Drive near the Riverway in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood of Boston,Massachusetts. It opened along with the rest of the D branch on July 4,1959,when trolleys replaced Highland branch commuter rail service. The station is fully accessible from Park Drive via the Landmark Center parking lot,as well as from Miner Street. Named after the Fenway neighborhood rather than Fenway Park,it is slightly further from the stadium than Kenmore,though still heavily used during events.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads,public transit,aeronautics,and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1,2009,by the 186th Session of the Massachusetts General Court upon enactment of the 2009 Transportation Reform Act.
Newton Centre station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch,located in the Newton Centre village of Newton,Massachusetts. A former commuter rail station,it was converted for light rail use and reopened on July 4,1959,along with the rest of the line. The 1891-built station and express office are part of the Newton Railroad Stations Historic District,which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Lansdowne station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Boston,Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. Lansdowne is located next to the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood near Kenmore Square,below grade between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue.
The history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its predecessors spans two centuries,starting with one of the oldest railroads in the United States. Development of mass transportation both followed existing economic and population patterns,and helped shape those patterns.
Ashland station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Ashland,Massachusetts. It serves the Framingham/Worcester Line. It has a long driveway leading from the south parking lot to the intersection of West Union Street and Voyagers Lane. Like the other stations on the line west of Framingham,Ashland serves as a park-and-ride station with 678 parking spots.
Southborough station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line,located near the intersection of Cordaville Street and River Street in the Cordaville section of Southborough,Massachusetts. The parking area is located off River Street adjacent to the inbound platform. Passengers use ramps and stairways to access the sidewalk along River Street to cross under the tracks.
Union Station is a railway station located at Washington Square in downtown Worcester,Massachusetts. It is the western terminus of the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line and a stop for the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited service. A bus terminal adjacent to the station is the hub for Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) local bus service;it is also used by PVTA,MART,Peter Pan,and Greyhound intercity buses.
Wachusett station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line. It is northwest of the intersection of Massachusetts Route 2 and Route 31 in Fitchburg,Massachusetts. It serves as the northwestern terminus for Fitchburg Line trains. The opening of Wachusett extended service 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west from Fitchburg on the Pan Am Southern main line,lengthening the Fitchburg Line to 54 miles (87 km). The station was expected to draw 400 daily riders;by 2018,daily ridership was 132.
Richard A. Davey is an American attorney and transportation executive. He was the Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation from September 2011 to October 2014 and previously the General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority from March 2010 to September 2011. He was also the President of the New York City Transit Authority from 2022 to 2024.
Medford/Tufts station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located off Boston Avenue near College Avenue in Medford,Massachusetts,adjacent to Tufts University. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12,2022,as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX),which added two northern branches to the Green Line,and is the northern terminus of the E branch.
Magoun Square station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located at Lowell Street south of Magoun Square in Somerville,Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12,2022,as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX),which added two northern branches to the Green Line,and is served by the E branch.
East Somerville station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located in southeastern Somerville,Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12,2022,as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX),which added two northern branches to the Green Line,and is served by the E branch.
Gardner station is a former station stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line,located in Gardner,Massachusetts. Passenger service to Union Station ran from 1851 until 1960,and commuter service also briefly ran from 1980 to 1986. Restoration of passenger service was considered in the early 2000s,but was rejected due to low cost-effectiveness.
Beacon Park Yard was a CSX Transportation rail yard in Allston,Boston,now owned by Harvard University. The yard opened in 1890 on the site of a former trotting park,from which it took its name. It was closed in 2013 following the relocation of the yard's container operations to Worcester,Massachusetts and opening of a transload facility in Westborough,Massachusetts. Plans for the yard include relocation of the Massachusetts Turnpike Allston exit,construction of a new MBTA commuter rail station,a major real estate development,and possibly a rail layover yard.
Thomas P. Glynn III is a senior official at Harvard University overseeing the Harvard Allston Land Company,a new entity to develop commercial real estate in the Allston land owned by Harvard. He is the former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority,former general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and United States Deputy Secretary of Labor. Since May 2023,he has served as chair of the MBTA's board of directors.
