Commuter Rail Fares | Fares Overview (2024)

FAQs

How much does the MBTA collect in fares? ›

In the second quarter alone, the MBTA collected $94.3 million in fare revenue — far below the $179.4 million generated during the same period in fiscal year 2020 for a total difference of $85 million.

Use Your CharlieCard on the Commuter Rail

You can use your CharlieCard to pay for travel within Fairmount Line Zone 1A. Tap your CharlieCard at the fare validators on the platform.

$10 Commuter Rail Weekends

Enjoy unlimited travel on the Commuter Rail for just $10 every weekend. Passes are valid on all lines and zones, Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays.

If you don't have a CharlieCard, you can also pay your fare with: CharlieTicket, a tappable ticket that can be loaded with subway, bus, Commuter Rail, and ferry tickets or passes. mTicket, an Android and iPhone app for Commuter Rail and ferry tickets or passes.

Per the T, the spike is driven by more widely evaluating the assets under its control that need to be repaired, inflation and supply chain impacts on construction costs, and the fact that the MBTA's assets are aging faster than they are being replaced due to years of underinvestment.

According to the Commonwealth Beacon, the MBTA spent $532 million on bus service and collected $55 million in fare revenues in 2022.

CharlieCards are hard plastic reusable cards that serve as a convenient way to pay bus and subway fares. Value can be reloaded with cash or credit card at the fare machines at all subway stations. CharlieTickets resemble a regular ticket and can be reloaded up to 18 months after the purchase date.

Food and drink must remain in closed containers. Please be considerate and avoid eating or drinking on MBTA vehicles and in stations. Food and drink must remain in closed containers. Please be considerate and avoid eating or drinking on MBTA vehicles and in stations.

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 394 mi (634 km) of track to 135 stations.

Can I buy a train ticket on the train? ›

Buying tickets

Like all train companies*, you must buy a ticket before you board, or risk getting a penalty fare. Only undiscounted Anytime fares will be available from the conductor** - note that these are more expensive than purchasing before you travel.

MBTA Commuter Rail on X: "@ashmarie716 All trains have a bathroom on board!

Cards or Tickets Loaded with Cash Value. CharlieCards include up to two free or discounted transfers within two hours of the first tap.

The Charlie Card actually gets its name from a 1949 campaign song about a man named Charlie who was eternally stuck on the T when he couldn't pay his exit fare (a concept that no longer exists). In New York City, phone, or credit card "tap in" has been the way of life through the city's OMNY system for years.

You'll “store value” (put money) on your CharlieCard. Your fare will be deducted each time you ride the bus, allowing you to pay as you go. For example, a $20 stored-value CharlieCard is good for $20 worth of travel. You can store up to $100.

The FY23 operating budget shows an imbalance of $255.7 million, or 10% of expenses. Revenues are projected at $2,297.8 billion and expenses at $2,553.5 billion. To fill this gap, the MBTA proposes to transfer $256 million from its deficiency fund.

Fare recovery ratio has steadily declined since the pandemic. The pandemic low in FY21 was 10.2%. Just before the pandemic, for instance, FY19's fare recovery ratio was 42.7%. FY25 projects the second lowest fare recovery ratio since at least FY10 (and likely long before that) at 15.8%.

A huge proportion of the MBTA's funding comes from the state budget. Doubling the state's total appropriations would have been a huge windfall for the state's biggest transit agency. On Wednesday, Governor Maura Healey unveiled the details of her administration's $56.1 billion state budget proposal.

These improvements are funded through the MBTA's capital program, which is primarily funded by two major sources: federal grants and revenue bonds; other sources include project financing and state appropriations.