MBTA Commuter Rail

MBTA Commuter Rail
A Fairmount Line train at Morton Street in 2024
Overview
Owner	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Locale	Eastern Massachusetts and central Rhode Island
Transit type	Commuter rail
Number of lines	12
Number of stations	142 active; 6 currently closed
Daily ridership	98,500 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[1]
Annual ridership	30,343,900 (2024)[2]
Website	mbta.com/schedules/commuter-rail
Operation
Began operation	1834 (first lines open) 1965 (beginning of MBTA subsidies) 1973 and 1976 (MBTA asset purchases) 1977 (full consolidation)
Operator(s)	Keolis Commuter Services
Reporting marks	MBTX
Number of vehicles	110 diesel locomotives, 475 coaches
Technical
System length	429 mi (690 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Top speed	79 mph (127 km/h)
MBTA Commuter Rail system maps Show interactive map Show static route diagram

The MBTA Commuter Rail (reporting mark MBTX) 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 429 mi (690 km) of track on 12 lines to 142 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis.

In 2024, the system had a ridership of 30,343,900, or about 98,500 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025, making it the fifth-busiest commuter rail system in the U.S., behind the three New York-area systems and the Chicago-area system. The line's characteristic purple-trimmed coaches operate as far south as North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and as far north as Newburyport and as far west as Fitchburg, both in Massachusetts.

Trains originate at two major terminals in Boston – South Station and North Station. The only connection between the two halves of the system is the non-revenue Grand Junction Branch. The North–South Rail Link is a proposed tunnel between North Station and South Station to allow through-running service.