Newburyport/Rockport Line | Commuter Rail (2025)

FAQs

How long is the commuter rail from Newburyport to Boston? ›

Services depart every two hours, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 1h 7m.

Newburyport/Rockport Line | Commuter Rail | MBTA.

Salem Station is on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

Beverly Depot is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Beverly, Massachusetts. Located in Downtown Beverly, it serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line.

Also known as the Dinky, or the Princeton Junction and Back (PJ&B), the branch is served by special shuttle trains. Now running 2.7 mi (4.3 km) along a single track, it is the shortest scheduled commuter rail line in the United States. The run takes approximately 5 minutes in each direction.

Use Your CharlieCard on the Commuter Rail

You can use your CharlieCard to pay for travel within Fairmount Line Zone 1A. Tap your CharlieCard at the fare validators on the platform.

Merrimack River at Newburyport, MA - USGS Water Data for the Nation.

Hours of Operation

Most bus and train service starts at 5 AM and ends at 1 AM, with some bus service on busy routes starting as early as 3:30 AM. Schedules depend on the type of transportation and day of the week. The service runs more frequently during weekday rush hours (7 – 9 AM and 4 – 6:30 PM) than at other times.

And 35% said the quality of bus service was at least good. Meanwhile, the commuter rail had more positive ratings — 42% rate it as good to excellent. MassINC Polling Group surveyed 1,000 residents in the 175 communities served by the MBTA. Those surveyed included regular riders, former riders and non-riders.

The average trip from Salem MA to Boston MA using the Uber app is about 19 miles.

Who owns the commuter rail in Massachusetts? ›

Operations. The MBTA Commuter Rail system is operated by Keolis Commuter Services – a subsidiary of French company Keolis – under contract to the MBTA. The MBTA owns all passenger equipment and most stations.

There are restrooms on Commuter Rail trains, and they are accessible to people with disabilities. They are located at the ends of some cars. Please note that on some trips, the car with a restroom may be closed, but you can ask the conductor for access.

MBTA operates a train from Chelsea to Salem hourly. Tickets cost $3–8 and the journey takes 19 min. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Hawthorne St @ Broadway to Washington St @ New Derby St via Wonderland in around 1h 38m.

Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford are the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston that do not currently have commuter rail access to Boston.

The Clipper City Rail Trail (3.3 miles, paved) connects the MBTA commuter rail station to the Harborwalk along the waterfront. A newer section follows the bank of the Merrimack River to Water Street and connects through the South End under High Street to Parker Street in Newbury.

The North–South Commuter Railway (Filipino: Daambakal Pangkomyuter na Hilaga–Timog; NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a 147-kilometer (91-mile) commuter rail system under construction on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.