MBTA Commuter Rail

MBTA Commuter Rail COMMUTER RAIL
MBTA Commuter Rail provides commuter service from Boston as far north as Newburyport and Haverhill, as far south as Wickford (Rhode Island), as far west as Fitchburg and Worcester, and as far east as Rockport and Greenbush. A train idles in Route 128 Station on the Providence/Stoughton Line.
Reporting mark	MBTA, MBTX
Locale	Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Dates of operation	1973–present
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (Standard gauge)
Length	394 miles (634 km)
Headquarters	Boston, MA, USA
Website	MBTA.com

The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation, and Alternate Concepts, Inc. which is a Boston-based firm. The current operating contract expires in July 2013.

The commuter rail system is the fifth-busiest commuter rail in the country, after New York, New Jersey, and Chicago area systems, when measured by weekday passenger boardings. The line's characteristic purple-trimmed coaches run as far south as North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and as far north as Newburyport and as far west as Worcester, both in Massachusetts. The trains have two terminal stops in Boston—South Station and North Station—both transportation hubs offering connections to Amtrak, local bus and subway lines. As of Q4 of 2011, daily weekday ridership was 130,600.

Current lines

See also: List of MBTA Commuter Rail stations

Diagram of the MBTA Commuter Rail system (2012).

The following lines terminate at South Station (listed from southeast to west):

• Greenbush Line
• Old Colony Lines consisting of:
  • Kingston/Plymouth Line
  • Middleborough/Lakeville Line
• Fairmount Line
• Providence/Stoughton Line
• Franklin Line
• Needham Line
• Framingham/Worcester Line

The CapeFLYER service runs over the Middleborough/Lakeville line from Memorial Day through Labor Day using MBTA equipment.

The following lines terminate at North Station (listed from west to northeast):

• Fitchburg Line
• Lowell Line
• Haverhill Line
• Newburyport/Rockport Line

Operational history

Consolidation under MBTA control

Boston & Maine Railroad

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts's involvement with the operating facets of commuter rail began in 1967 when the Boston & Maine Railroad petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to discontinue all passenger services. All service north of the state line was discontinued, but most service in Massachusetts was preserved through a contract between the Commonwealth and the B&M, at this time still an independent railroad company. The Commonwealth and MBTA began to purchase some lines, like the Lowell Line between Somerville and Wilmington, from the B&M. The B&M filed for bankruptcy protection in 1970. All remaining B&M commuter assets with the exception of yard tracks and freight-only branches were sold to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on December 14, 1976, though B&M was contracted to operate the service using its existing fleet of diesel railcars.

New Haven Railroad

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H, or simply "New Haven"), the long time owner-operator of most South Station commuter trains, filed for bankruptcy for the last time in 1961.^{[citation needed]} Just two years earlier in 1959, the New Haven had discontinued passenger service on the Old Colony division in southeastern Massachusetts. The New Haven was included in the Penn Central Transportation Company merger in 1968, which itself filed bankruptcy in 1970.^{[citation needed]} The MBTA bought most of the Penn Central southside commuter lines on January 27, 1973. This included the Providence/Stoughton Line as far as the Rhode Island border plsu the branch to Stoughton, the Franklin Line and Needham Line and the Framingham/Worcester Line from Riverside to Framingham, as well as a number of abandoned lines and lines without passenger service including the Old Colony mainline from Boston to Braintree and the Plymouth/Kingston Line which were later restored. Penn Central merged into Conrail on April 1, 1976; the MBTA bought the equipment but Conrail took over operations of the southside lines. The MBTA also purchased the Fairmount Line to restore it for passenger service as a bypass during Southwest Corridor (Boston) reconstruction.

New York Central

The Framingham/Worcester Line, historically part of the Boston & Albany Railroad (B&A), was merged into the New York Central System and its ownership subsequently passed to Penn Central in 1968. As part of the Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension's construction in the 1960s, the Worcester Line's right of way between Route 128 and Boston was sold to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, with the proviso that the control of the railroad remain with New York Central. Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), Penn Central's successor, inherited the rail line which forms a vital freight artery between Boston's Beacon Yard and Conrail's Selkirk Yard. The section of the line from Riverside to Framingham was sold to the MBTA in 1976 as part of their larger acquisition of Penn Central commuter assets, but the section past Framingham remained in Conrail control. In September 2009, CSX Transportation (the private successor to Conrail) and the Commonwealth finalized a $100 million agreement to purchase CSX's Framingham to Worcester tracks, as well as the Grand Junction Railroad plus lines which will be part of the South Coast Rail project, to improve service on the Framingham/ Worcester Line. After several years of construction and negotiations, ownership of the line from Framingham to Worcester was transferred to the state on October 4, 2012, with increased service on the outer section of the line beginning several weeks later.

Combined operations

The Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 compelled Conrail to transfer operations of all passenger and commuter services to local transit authorities, resulting in Conrail ceasing all subsidized passenger rail services. The Boston & Maine won the contract for the southside lines; for the first time, all Boston commuter service was operated by one entity. After bankruptcy, the B&M continued to run and fulfill its contract under the protection of the federal bankruptcy court, in the hopes that a reorganization could make it profitable again.^{[citation needed]} It emerged from the court's protection when the newly formed Guilford Transportation Industries (GTI) bought it in 1983. GTI let the contract expire in 1987, after a strike had shut down most of the northside lines for two months in 1986.

The logo of current operator Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), which appears on train schedules and personnel uniforms

From 1987 to 2003, Amtrak managed all of Boston's commuter rail. The relationship between the MBTA and Amtrak was often rocky, and Amtrak did not submit a bid when the contract expired in 2003. MBTA observers saw Amtrak as having been a reliable manager and operator, but Amtrak sometimes experienced strained relations with the MBTA. Quibbles centered on equipment failures, crewing issues about the number of conductors per train, and responsibility for late trains. Because of these issues, and Amtrak's repeated statements that the MBTA contract was unreasonable, few were surprised at Amtrak's decision not to bid again. Two tenders were submitted, one from Guilford Rail System and another from the newly formed Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), the latter of which won, taking over the MBTA Commuter Rail operation from Amtrak in July 2003. The MBCR contract originally expired in July 2008 but had an additional five-year option; it was later extended three years to July 2011 and then another two to July 2013. After concerns about on-time performance, the 2011 extension increased the fine for late trains from $100 to $300.

MBCR partners Bombardier Transportation and Alternate Concepts have other ties to the MBTA. Bombardier is the manufacturer of much of the rolling stock operated by the railroad, while Alternate Concepts is majority owner of Paul Revere Transportation, which operates some bus lines under contract from the MBTA.

Service changes since MBTA takeover

Expansions

Many improvements have been made to the Boston Commuter Rail system during MBTA's period of stewardship which started circa 1973. However, the Commonwealth's support for rail operations began long before it owned the infrastructure, in the 1950s with contracted operations and subsidies to railroads providing commuter service.

• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts pioneered the concept of "Park and Ride" by providing funds to construct the Route 128 Station station on the New Haven Railroad's Providence Line, at a location where the radial line intersected with the Massachusetts Route 128, locally thought of as the Boston Beltway. Route 128 Station was established 1953 by New Haven President 'Buck' Dumaine. The initial station was simple in design, built as a parking lot located next to the tracks.

• During the 1980s reconstruction of the Southwest Corridor along MBTA's Providence/Attleboro Line, Amtrak trains between Boston and New York were diverted over the New Haven's Fairmount Branch. As part of this project, MBTA allowed Centralized Traffic Control to be installed on this branch, greatly increasing its signal capacity. Regular service was kept on the Fairmount Line after 1987 because the relocated service was popular with residents of Dorchester and Roxbury. Today, MBTA is in the process of constructing 4 in-fill stations to better serve the urban neighborhood through which it passes. The first of these, Talbot Ave, opened on November 12, 2012.

• B&M's Eastern Route formerly operated across the bridge at Merrimack River and as far north as Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the former Eastern Railroad alignment. Service past Ipswich to Newburyport was limited to a single daily round trip after 1967, and cut entirely in April 1976. Freight service to Newburyport lasted until 1984, and the line was formally abandoned in 1994 even as preparations began for restored service. After "one of the briefest abandonments on record", commuter rail service to Newburyport resumed on October 26, 1998, with an infill stop at Rowley.

• As part of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Program II (NECIP II) of the 1990s, MBTA's Providence Line was electrified using Federal funds provided to Amtrak for its Acela Express project. However, the MBTA does not operate electric equipment on the Providence Line, as such equipment would be unusable on other lines.

• At one time, MBTA's service reached only as far as Framingham, a suburb just beyond Route 128 about 20 miles from Boston. However, services on other lines reached exurbs more distant from Boston than Framingham. During the 1990s, an agreement was reached to extend MBTA's service out to Worcester, Massachusetts, making the line today's MBTA Framingham/Worcester Line. During the early 2000s, trains only served Amtrak's Worcester Union Station beyond Framingham. Over time, Ashland, Southborough, Westborough, and Grafton stations were added in the MetroWest region. The service was successful, resulting in relative de-emphasis of Amtrak and commuter bus services operating in the same corridor.

• During the 1990s, MBTA invested heavily in the Commuter Rail system by restoring New Haven's Old Colony division abandoned in 1959. The two main Old Colony Lines were re-opened in 1997, and the Greenbush Line opened in 2007.

• Agreement with the State of Rhode Island allowed MBTA's Attleboro Line to extend to Providence, Rhode Island during the late 1990s. At first, only weekday service was provided. In the mid-2000s, a new agreement with RIDOT provided funding to allow the service to operate on weekends also. Service was extended further south to T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island in December 2010 and to Wickford Junction in North Kingston in April 2012. This represents the first commuter service in Rhode Island south of Providence since 1981.

Contractions

During the period of MBTA control, services have also been curtailed:

• All former B&M service that extended north of the Massachusetts border were curtailed by 1967, except for a brief period of experimental service from January 28, 1980 to March 1, 1981. Since then, restoration and extension of the Lowell Line to Nashua, Manchester, and Concord, New Hampshire and the Haverhill Line to Portland, Maine have been repeatedly discussed. In 2001 Amtrak commenced operation of the Downeaster between Boston's North Station and Portland under the auspices of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority. The Nashua service discussion is continuing in the context of the widening of Interstate 93 in New Hampshire.

• Passenger service on the Arlington-Lexington-Bedford Line ended on January 10, 1977. The Alewife Extension of the MBTA Red Line replaced the service as far as Alewife in West Cambridge. No commuter rail service reaches the towns of Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford, Massachusetts. Today, the rail-banked line forms the Minuteman Bikeway and is a linear park in the vicinity of Davis Square, Somerville.

• The Fitchburg Line under B&M operations terminated at Ayer, Massachusetts, but was subsequently extended as far as Gardner, Massachusetts in January 1981. However, the service between Gardner and Fitchburg was ended at the end of 1986 after the parallel Massachusetts Route 2 was upgraded to expressway standards, reducing travel time between these cities.

• The southern half of the Woburn Loop still operated when the MBTA took over control, joining the Lowell Line at Winchester. Half the Lowell Line services terminated at Woburn Heights (10.0 miles from Boston), while the others stopped at North Woburn (today's Anderson RTC) and continued to Lowell. Weekend service ended on September 7, 1980, and all service on the branch stopped on January 30, 1981.

• B&M operated one daily round trip to South Sudbury (19.7 miles from Boston) over the former Central Massachusetts Railroad until its discontinuation on November 26, 1971.

Equipment

Typical Commuter Rail train, consisting of one diesel locomotive and six coaches, at Anderson Regional Transportation Center.

Boston Engine Terminal, the main northside maintenance facility, located in Somerville

Engine 011 shortly after its acquisition from UTA

All MBTA commuter rail service is provided by push-pull trains powered by diesel locomotives with a cab car on the opposite end. The current fleet of diesel locomotives comprises a mix of purpose-built passenger locomotives (such as the EMD F40PH) and freight locomotives rebuilt for passenger use (such as the GMD GP40MCs, which were originally GMD GP40-2LWs). All passenger locomotives are equipped with head end power (HEP). MBTA's locomotives were manufactured between 1978 and 2009 (excluding an EMD GP9 built in the late 1950s), with the newest locomotives being a pair of NRE 3GS21Bs used for switching duties. Twenty new MPI HSP46 locomotives are on order.

The current fleet of active passenger coaches numbers 410 ranging from 1978 to 2005, with an additional 75 on order from Hyundai Rotem. Passenger coaches are designated as either "Blind Trailer Coaches" (BTCs), which have no cab controls, or "Control Trailer Coaches" (CTCs), which have cab controls. All MBTA Kawasaki coaches are bi-level, as are the new Hyundai Rotem coaches. The first new coaches entered service on April 24, 2013.

Locomotive fleet

As of February 2012 MBTA operates a fleet of ninety diesel locomotives, including five leased from MARC, one under repair and three undergoing overhauls. An additional two locomotives are rostered but out of service. Forty new locomotives are on order with the first units scheduled to arrive in June 2013.

Year built	Builder	Model	Numbers	Notes	Image
2009	MP	MPI MP36PH-3C	010-011	Purchased from Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner.
1995	MK	M-K GP40WH-2	51,59,61,66,67	Former MARC engines leased from MotivePower on a month-to-month basis All retired in late 2012 due to various issues with some of the units.
1957 - 1960	EMD	EMD GP9	902,904	Not used for passenger service; 902 is now stored and inoperable.
1978 - 1980	EMD	EMD F40PH	1000-1017	Rebuilt by Bombardier 1989-1990. 1016 is now stored and inoperable.
1991 - 1993	MK	M-K F40PHM-2C	1025-1036	Rebuilt by MPI 2003-2004.
1987 – 1988	EMD	EMD F40PH-2C	1050-1075	Rebuilt by MPI 2001-2003. 1073 scrapped after 1990 collision.
1973 – 1975	GMD	GMD GP40MC	1115-1139	Rebuilt by AMF in 1997.
2013 - 2014	MP	MPI HSP46	1200-1239	On order; expected delivery 2013-2014.
1971	EMD	EMD GP40	3247	Not used for passenger service.
2009	NRE	NRE 3GS21B	3248-3249	Not used for passenger service.

Bilevel coach cars at Wellesley Hills

CTC-5 coach on the first revenue round trip

EMD FP10 locomotive in 1981

EMD GP9 work train locomotive at South Station. This now-retired locomotive (No. 902) was transferred from the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority when the commuter rail operations were abandoned in Detroit. It still sports SEMTA colors

Coach fleet

As of January 2013 the MBTA operated 410 coaches, with 75 new coaches on order. Those whose designations start with BTC are conventional coaches, while those starting with CTC are cab cars. Cab cars will occasionally also appear in the middle of a consist.

Year built	Builder	Model	Fleet ID	Seats	Notes	Image
1978–79	Pullman	BTC-1C	200–258	114	Coaches 203 and 215 have been retired. Coach 219 is modified to fit skis. Rebuilt 1995–96
1987	Bombardier	BTC-1A	350–389	127
1987–88	MBB	BTC-3	500–532	86	These, and their CTC-3 counterparts, are the only rail vehicles produced by the company, which was an aerospace firm.
1987–88	MBB	CTC-3	1500–1533	96
1989–90	Bombardier	BTC-1B	600–653	122
1989–90	Bombardier	CTC-1B	1600–1652	122	Coach 1648 has been retired. Cab controllers have been deactivated in coaches 1600–1624 making them BTCs.
1990–91	Kawasaki	BTC-4	700–749	185
1990–91	Kawasaki	CTC-4	1700–1724	175
1997	Kawasaki	BTC-4A	750–766	182
2001	Kawasaki	BTC-4B	767–781	182
2005	Kawasaki	BTC-4C	900–932	178
2012	Hyundai Rotem	BTC-5	800–846	179	47 on order for delivery through 2013. The first coaches arrived for testing in November 2012. The first units entered service in April 2013.
2012	Hyundai Rotem	CTC-5	1800–1827	173	28 on order for delivery through 2013.The first unit entered service in April 2013.

Retired equipment

As the Commonwealth assumed the control of the Commuter Rail during the 1970s, it inherited various non-standard equipment from predecessor railroads. These included:

• Numerous Budd Rail Diesel Cars, including a total of 86 from the B&M, New Haven Railroad and SEPTA. The RDC fleet was de-powered in the 1970s and turned into locomotive-hauled coaches by Morrison Knudsen. These became known as "Boise Budds", after the location of the MK shop where the work was done. The RDC fleet was phased out during the 1980s and completely replaced with conventional coaches by 1989. Remaining examples of these units now serve on the Grand Canyon Railway and Hobo Railroad; a derelict pair sit on a disused track near North Station, and a single unit has been restored and is displayed at Bedford Depot.
• In 1978-80 MBTA acquired 19 rebuilt EMD FP10 units which were later transferred to Metro North Railroad in 1991-1993. EMD GP-9s were also operated in Boston suburban service. One of the EMD GP9's is still retained as a work engine (MBTA #904),one of the six GP-9s received from SEMTA in 1987.
• Ex-GO Transit stainless steel coaches were operated as an interim solution pending delivery of the CTC-1/BTC-1 order.
• From 2002 to 2004, MBTA leased some retired Amtrak F40PH's while the F40PHM-2Cs were getting rebuilt.

Amenities

• Free wi-fi is provided on all trains. The program started with a $262,000 pilot on the Worcester Line in January 2008.
• Ski Train to Wachusett Mountain is equipped to carry skis and snowboards.
• Bathrooms are located on MBB cars (which are usually behind the locomotive), BTC-4C Kawasaki cars, and the new Rotem cars.

Fare policy

Commuter Rail tickets in the form of CharlieTickets purchased at fare vending machines and ticket booths (left) and paper tickets purchased on-board (right).

The MBTA Commuter Rail uses a fare zone policy whereby origin and destination stations are not individually priced, but assigned a zone based on distance from Boston. There are a total of eleven zones (1A, then 1 through 10) with an increasing fare to or from Boston the higher the zone number. Zone 1A fares are the least expensive and cost the same as rapid transit ($2.00), while the highest priced Zone 10 fares are $11.00 per ride. Travel between suburban zones without going to Boston is charged an "interzone" fare based on the number of zones traveled. Seniors, those with a disability, and middle and high school students with proper identification receive a 50% discounted rate; children under eleven travel free with a paying adult. Fares are collected by train conductors and while fare evasion is explicitly illegal, it is not criminal.

Tickets may be purchased at automatic vending machines located in principal stations and at suburban stations from nearby businesses and vendors. Stations without ticketing machines or vendors can purchase tickets on board. Travelers can purchase tickets as a one-way, round trip, twelve ride (no discount), or monthly pass (substantial discount over daily round-trip purchase).

Ridership

Ridership levels on the Commuter Rail have grown since the MBTA's involvement began in the late 1960s, with overall average weekday ridership growing from 29,500 in 1969 to 76,000 in 1990 and 143,700 in 2008. This was accomplished by a series of rationalizations, such as closing lightly used lines, concentrating service on heavily utilized lines, and re-opening formerly abandoned branches with high traffic potential, such as the Old Colony Lines. A general growth of transit usage in the Northeastern United States also contributed. Growing ridership in this way required substantial capital investment, which was provided by a mixture of Federal mass transit funds and Commonwealth transportation bond issues.^{[citation needed]}

Train operations

An MBTA train at Campello station inbound to South Station.

Like most commuter railroads in the Northeastern United States, MBTA is a NORAC Railroad and uses the Rulebook promulgated by that organization. Much of MBTA Commuter Rail is Rule 251 territory, as the tracks are signalled for movement in one direction of travel only. During the 1990s, parts of the system, such as the Framingham/Worcester Line, were re-signalled to allow a more advanced mode of operations known as NORAC Rule 261, which allows trains to operate in either direction on both tracks where double track is available. During the morning rush hour, both tracks can be simutaneously used for inbound traffic, allowing one train to make local stops while an express train overtakes the local train.

On each train, the cab car is attached at the end closest to the downtown Boston terminal station for the particular line (either North or South Station), and the locomotive is attached at the end farthest from the terminal station. On each train serving the North Station lines, the "ADA" coach used to carry mobility-limited persons is attached right behind the locomotive, allowing level boarding at all suburban stations featuring mini-high platforms. On the other hand, on each train serving the South Station lines, the cab car also serves as the "ADA" coach. (The "ADA" coaches support compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.)

Trainlined doors that open automatically via central control are available on some equipment, but at low level platforms the conductor in each car must manually open a trap to allow passengers to descend via stairs onto the platform.

Proposed expansions

Several extensions of and improvements to the MBTA Commuter Rail network are in debate or under way.

South Station lines

Littleton/Route 495 station in Littleton

An extension of the Stoughton Line known as South Coast Rail is set to break ground to bring service to Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Routes through Attleboro and Middleboro were considered for the service but rejected. Critics argue that building the extension does not make economic sense.

In September 2010, the MBTA completed a study to determine the feasibility of extending regular commuter rail service to Foxboro via the Franklin Line. Currently, the station is only served during special events at Gillette Stadium. The study looked at extending some Fairmount Line service to Foxboro, running shuttle trains from Foxboro to Walpole, or a combination of both. No determination has been made as to if or when this service would begin.

A Providence Line extension to Wickford Junction, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island opened on April 23, 2012. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is also studying the feasibility of serving existing Amtrak stations in Kingston and Westerly as well as constructing new stations in Cranston, East Greenwich, and West Davisville. Federal funding has also been provided for preliminary planning of a new station in Pawtucket.

There are also proposals to extend the Middleborough/Lakeville or Plymouth/Kingston Line (on the Old Colony Lines) to Wareham and eventually to Buzzards Bay.

North Station lines

The Leverett Circle Connector Bridge passes over the North Station platforms; the Bunker Hill Bridge is behind

On October 18, 2010, MBTA broke ground on an extension of the Fitchburg Line 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to a new Wachusett stop beyond the current terminal at Fitchburg Station. This extension is part of a larger improvement of the line, including upgraded high level platforms at both South Acton and Littleton are also planned, as well as a second main track is planned between South Acton and Ayer Junction, eliminating one of the single-track bottlenecks on the line. These improvements will speed the line so that the Fitchburg to Boston trip would take only about an hour. The extension was funded by a $55.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant.

There is a proposal to build a South Salem station in Salem, Massachusetts, to improve access to Salem State University, as well as to extend Commuter Rail to Peabody, Massachusetts and Danvers, Massachusetts.

The former state Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi had also indicated support for commuter service from Worcester to North Station via Clinton and Ayer, presumably along the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad right of way, owned by Pan Am Railways as of 2009.

The state of New Hampshire has created the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority and allocated money to build platforms at Nashua and Manchester.

An article in the Eagle Tribune claims that Massachusetts is negotiating to buy property which has the potential to extend the Haverhill Line to Plaistow, New Hampshire. Funding is available, and Plaistow is potentially interested, but wants to better understand the potential drawbacks of being the location of the layover station.

North-South Rail Link

No direct connection exists between the two downtown terminals; to travel from one station to the other, passengers must use the MBTA subway or the street. While passengers using the Providence/Stoughton, Framingham/Worcester, Franklin, and Needham lines can transfer to and from North Station at Back Bay via the Orange Line subway, and passengers using the Fitchburg Line can transfer to and from South Station at Porter via the Red Line subway, all other passengers have to change subway trains at either Park Street or Downtown Crossing stations. A North-South Rail Link has been proposed to unite the two halves of the Commuter Rail system; but, because of the high cost, Massachusetts has, as of May 2006, withdrawn its sponsorship of the proposal. Meanwhile, for non-revenue transfers of equipment, the MBTA and Amtrak use the Grand Junction Railroad Company main line.

Freight service

Boston Sand and Gravel and tracks as seen from an MBTA train

On the North Side lines, as part of the original sale agreement, B&M and its successor Pan Am Railways (formerly Guilford Transportation Industries) retains 'perpetual and exclusive' trackage rights for freight service. Pan Am provides freight service on those lines.

Boston Sand and Gravel has an agreement with Pan Am to operate its shortline New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad trains from Conway, New Hampshire to just north of Boston's North Station to supply aggregates to its plant on the Boston/Cambridge border. An occasional move occurs with run-through power from Norfolk Southern Railway to supply coal to a power plant in Bow, New Hampshire, over the Fitchburg Line.

On the South Side lines, CSXT retains trackage rights over much of the former New Haven territory. Limited service is also provided by the Providence & Worcester Railroad on the Providence Line, principally from Central Falls (the intersection with its main line to Worcester) through Providence towards New Haven (although some freights go as far east as Attleboro before leaving the corridor). The Bay Colony Railroad provides a limited amount of service on some lines.

CSXT provides intermodal, autorack, and general merchandise over the Worcester Line, a part of CSXT's Boston Line. This part of the Commuter Rail network can host over 12 mainline freight trains per day, including descendents of Conrail's expedited intermodal Trail Van trains. Currently freight service runs east to Beacon Park Yard in Allston; however, CSX is scheduled to stop using the intermodal yard in 2013.

On its former Old Colony division, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H) essentially vacated its right of freight operations by abandoning the tracks in 1959. As MBTA rebuilt the tracks, it gained freight service rights, and those rights were franchised to Conrail (predecessor to CSX), which provided freight service on the former Old Colony division.

See also

• Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts)
• List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership

External links

• MBTA Commuter Rail
• Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR)
• MBTA Commuter Rail profile and photos
• How MBTA rebuilt ridership - Railway Age article from Nov 1991. Contains history of MBTA Commuter Rail system.
• MBTA daily rail operations visualized (Java applet, unofficial)
• MBTA Fleet Roster