Commuter Rail Fare Gates Open at South Station in Boston

Commuter rail fare gates have been activated at South Station in Boston. The fare gates are designed to limit the practice of some passengers receiving free rides to the suburbs on crowded trains, which curtails conductors' ability to walk from car to car to verify tickets.

The MBTA and rail operator Keolis said in a media statement that the fare gates would be phased in at the station on Tuesday, Dec. 30. Officials stated that passengers will be required to tap or scan their tickets or passes to exit and enter the track area. Conductors will continue to check tickets on trains to verify travel zones. These zones have different fare rates for a ride home, depending on the journey's duration.

Officials stated that the new layout features 40 gates around the concourse area, 11 of which are wider, more accessible gates that provide room for wheelchairs, scooters, bicycles, luggage, and strollers.

According to an NBC10 Boston report, passengers can use the mTicket app, CharlieCards and CharlieTickets with printed zones, $10 weekend paper tickets, Amtrak tickets, and active military IDs at the gates. Reduced-fare passengers must still purchase a ticket at the reduced fare.

“The new fare gates at South Station — one of the busiest travel hubs in the Northeast — is another demonstration to our riders that we are committed to ensuring fares are collected and reinvested into the transit system to better serve the public,” said the T president and interim MassDOT Secretary Phillip Eng in a statement shared with The Boston Globe.

Eng also explained that the fare gates “allow the T and its operating partner to more consistently collect fares and ensure our riders pay.”

Fare gates opened at North Station in 2022, with additional gates planned for Back Bay and Ruggles in 2026 as part of a broader modernization and reinvestment plan for the transit system.