BOSTON — Spring-like weather remains elusive for much of the northern U.S. But operationally, summer has arrived for commuter rail systems.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its contract commuter operator, Keolis, on Friday (May 23) launched the seasonal CapeFlyer train between Boston and Cape Cod. The first day of Friday-Saturday-Sunday-holiday service came a day after the Long Island Railroad initiated its own summer operation to the Hamptons [see “A sign of summer: LIRR launches …,” Trains News Wire, May 23, 2025].
The CapeFlyer is a partnership of Keolis, the MBTA, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. This is its 13th year of operation.
“With amenities like a café car, first-class seating, and a dedicated bike car, the CapeFlyer delivers a comfortable and convenient experience that keeps riders coming back year after year,” said Kathleen Jensen, acting administrator of the CCRTA, in a press release. “… What began as a seasonal pilot has grown into a valued transportation option, and we look forward to another successful season.”
The service offers one round trip daily between Boston’s South Station and Hyannis, Mass., with six intermediate stops. Round trip tickets are $40, with a $10 round trip fare available in June. Schedules and additional ticket information are available here.
“The return of the CapeFlyer every year is a great reminder that public transit supports all kinds of travel, including to summer fun and recreational activities to the Cape and Islands every season,” said MBTA CEO Phillip Eng. “We look forward to offering CapeFLYER service again this year that so many residents and visitors have enjoyed in the past.”
ROFL! How would you propose this train serve other locations, Mr. Landey? Magic?
The rails past Hyannis to Provincetown were abandoned and torn up in 1960, and the line was cut back to Hyannis, which is the only large town on the Cape (and it only has 14,000 people).
Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are islands. The state also runs ferry services to those places from Falmouth. There is private ferry service to Provincetown to serve the Upper Cape. There are still active rails to Falmouth (on the bay facing Rhode Island) but no passenger service. That might make sense since it could connect to the ferries to the islands. I don’t know the condition of that line, but I suspect it’s a very low speed operation. The New Haven was in financial distress for a LONG time and those light branch lines were not given much attention.
Cape Air (aka Cape Fear) runs tiny planes to Provincetown and the islands from Logan. Weirdly it also runs hopper service in the Caribbean (among the USVI for one).
If you’ve ever tried to drive over the Bourne Bridge (over the Cape Cod Canal) in the summertime you know what an ordeal this can be.
And it’s a vacation service FOR vacationers who want to go for a weekend. That’s how vacation destinations work.
The population of Barnstable County is 232,000, of whom 50,000 live in the so-called “Town” of Barnstable which is actually a city. (Hyannis forms most of the city, or town, of Barnstable, whichever it is.) Seems as if this is almost enough to support a year-round daily train. But there isn’t a year-round train, only a summer weekend vacation train.
Obviously there is a market for this vacation train, or it wouldn’t run. I’m curious how many people want to vacation on Cape Cod without their own car. The distance from Boston is far enough to be very annoying, as are the crowded roads. But it’s also annoying to have to rent a car, or engage an Uber or taxi, or be picked up. It’s also very annoying to schedule a trip around a train that runs only weekends and holidays. Hyannis, the train’s terminus, is less than half way to the outer Cape. (Back in the day, the New Haven Railroad rans an RDC all the way to Provincetown, but the track is long gone.)
FWIW, Massachusetts, one of the smaller states by area, has a surprising range of scheduled intrastate air routes …. Logan, Provincetown, Hyannis, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard all have intrastate flights. I haven’t looked up the schedules but as a guess they’re more frequent than this train, which only serves Hyannis, not the other locations,
How does Keolis keep T&E crews qualified?
The perfect way to start your Cape Cod adventure!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün