MBTA Extends Commuter Rail Savings Through November
The summer travel season is ending, but two popular MBTA Commuter Rail discounts will continue through the fall.
Which Discounts Continue Through November
Following strong participation in its summer fare promotions, the MBTA has extended two savings programs through November 30, 2026.
Riders can continue buying monthly Commuter Rail passes for 50% off in September, October, and November. The discount applies to full-fare and reduced-fare monthly passes for Zones 1–10 and Interzones 1–10, as well as monthly ferry passes. It does not apply to Zone 1A or non-monthly products such as single-ride tickets, 5-Day Flex Passes, or $10 Weekend Passes.
Discounted passes are available through mTicket, fare vending machines, ticket windows, and monthly Autopay.
The MBTA has also extended its $1 Weekend Companion Fare through November 30. On weekends, monthly Commuter Rail passholders can bring one companion on a trip covered by their pass for just $1 each way. Riders can buy the companion ticket through the mTicket app.
Which Discounts Have Ended
Two other parts of the MBTA’s Summer Savings program ended as scheduled on August 30.
Free Summer Fridays provided free regular Commuter Rail service every Friday in June, July, and August. The promotion covered 13 Fridays but excluded Boston Stadium Trains, the CapeFLYER, and other special-event trains.
The MBTA also offered expanded weekend travel for monthly passholders. During the summer, Zone and Interzone passholders could travel to the system’s maximum zone on weekends without paying an additional fare. Riders must now again follow the normal zone limits of their passes.
Strong Participation Drove the Extension
The discounts appear to have changed how riders used Commuter Rail.
The Boston Globe reported that monthly pass sales increased by as much as 200% through the mTicket app, fare vending machines, and ticket booths. MBTA officials also reported that monthly passholders used bus and subway services about 10% more often during the promotion.
The MBTA separately reported a roughly 50% increase in Friday Commuter Rail ridership in June compared with May. Riders also took more than 6,200 companion trips during the program’s first six weekends.
Learn more: Healey Administration press release → | MBTA Commuter Rail Summer Promotions → | Boston Globe coverage →
