BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its contract operator, Keolis, will expand planned fare reductions on the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line to help address the upcoming Sumner Tunnel reconstruction project, the MBTA announced on Thursday.
From July 1 through Aug. 31, the fare for the entire line will be $2.40, the equivalent of a subway fare. Previously, the fare reduction had been planned only for the Salem and Swampscott stations, as part of a broader program that will also include free service on the Blue Line subway [see “MBTA to offer free or reduced-fare rail service …,” Trains News Wire, June 12, 2023]. The new plan means the discount will be available at 13 more stations to the north and east.
“We hope the public takes advantage of this excellent mitigation and considers Commuter Rail not only as a travel alternative this summer, but as the best means of travel even after the tunnel reopens,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said in a press release. “I thank our partners at Keolis for their support.”
The Sumner Tunnel project will close the 90-year-old highway tunnel that makes up part of State Route 1A, connecting Boston with Logan Airport and East Boston. It’s the first of two summers of planned closures.
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