Boston Commuter Rail Recovering Rapidly

Boston’s commuter rail system has recovered as much as 96 percent of pre-pandemic ridership, reports Daniel C. Vock in Route Fifty, far outpacing most commuter rail agencies around the country.

“There are a lot of factors at play, but one that sets Boston apart is the extent to which it has reworked its service to better serve people traveling in the middle of the day, in the evening and on weekends.” Boston’s success validates the growing movement to readjust transit schedules and routes to better serve post-pandemic transportation needs. In many cases, these needs were already there, borne by largely ignored groups such as transit-dependent working women with children.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) owns 12 commuter rail lines that span almost 400 miles. “Significantly, it owns most of those tracks, while many other commuter rail agencies have to use tracks owned by freight railroads for all or most of their routes.”

According to the MBTA, “The goal is to get trains on a clock-face schedule, so people know what time their trains will leave—say, 10 minutes past the hour—without having to look it up.” The agency is also adding more trips, particularly during midday and nights and weekends.