T Backs Down on $3 On-Board Ticket Surcharge

Days before the MBTA's new fares went into effect, the T said it will not impose a $3 surcharge on on-board ticket purchases for inbound riders that get on at a station without a fare machine.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has backed down on a plan for a $3 surcharge on commuter rail tickets purchased on board Boston-bound trains. Last month, the MBTA began publicizing its new fare structure, which included an additional $3 surcharge, per-person, for tickets bought onboard commuter rail trains. But at dozens of stations, including Hamilton-Wenham station, there is nowhere to buy a ticket in advance at a retail outlet or fare machine. “For inbound trips, the MBTA will follow its current policy of charging an on-board surcharge for customers who do not purchase tickets before boarding at stations where fares may be purchased before boarding,” T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an e-mail statement announcing the …

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On-Board Train Tickets to Cost $3 More Starting July 1

In addition to the MBTA commuter rail rate hikes that start July 1, riders will have to pay $3 more for a ticket to Boston if they do not buy a ticket in advance or use a pass.

Commuter rail riders getting onboard at Hamilton-Wenham station will pay an additional $3 for a ride to Boston unless they buy a ticket or pass ahead of time, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority announced on Tuesday. On July 1, the rate for a one-way trip to Boston from Hamilton-Wenham station, in Zone 5, will go from $5.75 to $8. But the same ride will cost $11 if a rider does not get on board with a ticket or pass in hand - even though there's nowhere to buy a ticket in either town. The move is designed to reduce the amount of time that conductors spend collecting fares. Previously, the T charged $1 more to buy a ticket onboard during off-peak times and $2 during peak times if riders did not purchase a ticket beforehand. But that fee…

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Bill Bowler

3:45 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012

I don't understand why they can't put a ticket dispenser, similar to the ones for Charlie cards, at each of the commuter rail stations. This is how you buy tickets on the Metro North line in New York.   more ›

Train Fares to Rise 20 Percent, Weeknight and Weekend Service to Remain

The MBTA's final plan to close its fiscal 2013 budget gap includes rate hikes for Hamilton and Wenham commuter rail riders but does not cut weeknight and weekend service, as was earlier proposed.

Regular commuter rail riders headed to Boston will pay 20 percent more for a monthly pass based on the MBTA’s latest – and final – plan to hike rates to close a budget gap. But a plan to cut weeknight and weekend commuter rail service on the North Shore has been dropped. The T’s final plan was unveiled on Wednesday and is headed for a final vote by the MBTA Board of Directors next week. If approved, the new rates would go into place on July 1. A monthly pass for service between Hamilton-Wenham station and North Station would go from $210 to $252. A one-way ticket would rise from $6.25 to $8, or 28 percent. The first proposal to close the estimated $185 million budget gap was presented in January, calling for rates hikes of up to 40 percent…

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 25

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 25. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Cooler: After amazingly beautiful temperatures well above 50 degrees on Tuesday, we’ll be back to “normal” on Wednesday. Sunny skies are forecasted with a high temperature into the low 40s. 2. MBTA: Do you have something to say about the MBTA’s plan to hike fares and cut service? There’s a public hearing planned for Wednesday night in Salem – the closest public hearing to Hamilton and Wenham in the process to collect feedback on the plan to balance the T’s 2013 budget. The hearing runs 6-8 p.m. at the Salem City Hall Annex at 120 Washington St. in Salem. 3. Name Calling: Wednesday has been declared “No Name Calling Day” by Gov. Deval Patrick. Students have been …

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Local Commuters Consider Options If T Fare Hike Comes True

Regular riders of commuter rail say they are considering looking at other options, while others say they will pay the increase fares being contemplated by the MBTA.

Local commuter rail riders are reacting to rate hikes being contemplated by the MBTA – with some saying they could change their commuting habits and others saying they’ll pay the higher fares. Under two rate hike proposals unveiled earlier this week, a monthly pass from Hamilton-Wenham station (zone 5) to Boston on commuter rail would go up either 23 or 34 percent. In addition to the rate hike, both scenarios propose service cuts. All trains would be eliminated on weekend and after 10 p.m. on weeknights. No increase has been proposad to parking rates at commuter rail stations. The T last raised rates in 2007. In addition to fares and other revenue sources, in fiscal 2010, Wenham paid a local assessment of $94,483 to the T while Hamilton …

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Robert Gates

12:48 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Reverse commute is different than off-peak, it would seem. With a reverse commute train, it needs to get back to where it came from to pick up more commuters. So if it will make the trip, with or without riders, it seems to make sense to lower the price a little bit in an attempt to entice a few more riders and a few more dollars. Mid-day, on the other hand, may be cheaper to keep the trains in …   more ›

POLL: T Riders Could Face Steep Fare Hike, Service Cuts

The MBTA on Tuesday unveiled a plan to balance the 2013 budget that would include fare hike and service cuts for commuter rail riders on the North Shore.

Commuter rail riders on the North Shore could be facing a 23 to 44 percent hike in fares later this year under a new fare structure proposed by the MBTA on Tuesday. The proposal also includes completing eliminating weekend commuter rail service as well as cutting all train service after 10 p.m. on weeknights. Salem and Beverly stations are the second and third most-used stations, respectively, across the entire commuter rail network in eastern Massachusetts. About 20 hearings have been scheduled in the coming weeks to hear feedback on the proposal. If approval by T leaders, the changes would go into place on July 1. Under the proposal, a one-way trip from Salem to North Station in Boston, for example, would go from $5.25 to either $7 or $7…

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POLL: How Would a T Fare Hike Affect You?

The MBTA is looking at fare increase that could send a commuter rail ride to Boston from Hamilton-Wenham as high as $9. How will it affect you?

Facing a mounting deficit and increased infrastructure needs, the MBTA is looking at several proposals that would increase fares between 20-50 percent, the Boston Globe reported this week.  In documents released to the Globe, one plan prepared for the MBTA shows monthly commuter rail passes increasing about 25 percent. For a monthly pass from Hamilton-Wenham station, that could increase the price from $210 now to $265. Individual tickets could increase 20-50 percent under the scenarios outlined by T officials. The existing $6.25 ticket at Hamilton-Wenham station could go up to anywhere from $7.50 to $9.25 for the 23 mile trip to Boston. The plan, as outlined by the Globe, says the T is looking to increase Charlie Card fares on the subway …

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Jennifer Flynn

9:08 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011

I think the fare should be supplemented by the state/govt (and tax gas more to pay for it)   more ›