Regional rail
News topics:
Boston’s Big Bet On Battery-Powered Trains
A new fleet of battery-powered trains will test whether transit agencies can ditch diesel without installing miles of overhead wires.
October 7, 2026
MBTA Reveals Its Plans For ‘Phase 1’ of New Widett Circle Rail Yard
The planned facility will include charging facilities for electric trains and the first phase is expected to be operational by 2030.
September 3, 2026
MBTA Wins $140 Million to Run More Trains to Lawrence and Haverhill
The grant funding will finance double-tracking along most of the line to support more frequent train service, plus new high-level boarding platforms at Reading, North Wilmington, Ballardvale, and Andover stations.
August 21, 2026
New ‘Fair Share’ Funding Gives A Down Payment For MBTA’s Regional Rail Vision
A new supplemental budget law will give the MBTA an extra $60 million to pay for previously-unfunded capital projects, with a $1 million earmark for the agency to prepare a detailed implementation plan for its "regional rail" initiative.
July 16, 2026
Some Commuter Rail Riders Will Face Longer Waits, Slower Rides During World Cup
Moving 20,000 fans to and from Foxboro for seven World Cup matches will reduce regional rail service to other parts of eastern Massachusetts this summer.
April 6, 2026
Fares, Frozen: South Station’s New Fare Gates Are Already Out of Service
Snow and cold temperatures have sidelined the new fare gates at South Station out of service barely a month after their installation.
February 3, 2026
MBTA Projects Get A $850 Million Boost From Fair Share Funds
The new funding will pay for backlogged "state of good repair" projects, accessibility improvements, and new maintenance facilities for electric buses and trains.
October 17, 2025
A New Fence Welcomes T Riders To Worcester’s Union Station
A multi-year station renovation project will eliminate access between trains and the passenger boarding platform that enters directly into the city's historic Union Station.
October 7, 2025
2026 World Cup Puts Foxboro Station Upgrades on the Fast Track
Most MBTA station renovations take years to complete, but the World Cup is coming to Foxborough in just 55 weeks.
May 22, 2025
MBTA Regional Rail Service Has Arrived In Fall River and New Bedford
"The platform was packed. A lot of people were taking pictures and videos. And then there were some people for whom it was just another workday," a rider on the first train told StreetsblogMASS.
March 24, 2025