Submitted by PrincessFig t3_ye00rr in providence
Hey everyone! I have to go into Boston in a few days and plan on taking the MBTA rail to and from. This will be my first time on this particular rail. Any tips beyond the usual common sense? Anything to avoid? Safety concerns? I hear the Amtrak is far superior but unfortunately the time doesn't line up with my schedule.
TIA
It can be a very pleasant trip when nothing is delayed. The operator’s accent over the PA usually gets a laugh or two out of me. Watch a tv show or get a chance to read that book you’ve been putting off.
Getting off at Back Bay is my favorite stop. Only because there are usually pigeons at the back of the Dunkin Donuts line inside.
I always bring my knitting or embroidery with me. That’s an hour of uninterrupted crafting time.
The occasional free ride is glorious.
The "free rides" on the MBTA commuter rail are coming to an end soon: https://www.mbta.com/projects/commuter-rail-station-fare-gates
Fuck that. Nearly $30 for a roundtrip is not affordable for public transit
Ruggles better not pull this shit
> Always check the Amtrak schedule because the trips can get down to $9
Where would this be posted? I was looking into traveling to and from on a Friday and it looks like it's about $25 per person round trip.
I’m sure you were at the right site, amtrak.com.
It may be flexible or last-minute pricing they do the day of the trip? I’m not sure. But since I don’t buy a MBTA/Amtrak ticket until I actually get on the train, I usually check the amtrak website for cheaper tickets the day/or a few hours before I’m getting ready to head to the train station. Believe it or not, there have been times where there is an amtrak regional line leaving around the same time as the MBTA, and at a cheaper price. I’d say it happens maybe 1/5 trips I take.
Generally you’ll only get that kind of pricing at off peak times. If you can book out Amtrak a few weeks in advance, you’ll get the best price.
Source: been doing this commute for 10 years and still salty they got rid of the 5:35 Amtrak out of south station.
>5:35 Amtrak out of south station.
Is it never coming back??!
I don’t know. But it’s made my commute a whole lot worse. How is there no providence express train?
I’m only going in 2-3 days a week now but I’ve either got yo leave work early to catch the pre-5:00 train or the 5:40 commuter rail which doesn’t get me back home until around 7:00.
I know, it's awful! I assumed it was cancelled bc of staffing issues and that it would come back at some point - it has messed up so many people's commutes :-(
Ah, I was looking at the MBTA commuter rail specifically I think. So the Amtrak to Boston is actually cheaper at times? The MBTA looked like it was $24.50 round trip permanently, if it was during the week.
I've seen tickets get down to $6 if you book far enough in advance!
This probably falls under common sense, but it was a rookie mistake I made:
If it can be avoided, don't sit on the eastern facing side of the train in the morning, unless you enjoy intense strobing direct sunlight for the duration of your commute.
Made this mistake once and it actually managed to make me ill, despite closed eyes, sunglasses, and a hat.
Some folks aren't sensitive to it so YMMV.
I actually didn’t even think about this! Thanks that’s a great tip!
I’m assuming purple line? We shit on MBTA but the lines that actually go outside of greater Boston aren’t bad and fairly reliable. It’s really the in-Boston lines (Orange, Red in particular) people advise you to avoid
Edit: realized this was the PVD sub not BOS, I take it all the time you’re fine. It’s cheaper than amtrak
Thanks! Just out of curiosity, should you avoid the in-Boston lines because of reliability?
Yes. 110%. If you can walk it then walk (ex. North to South Station). They shut down all the time, are late, and generally a bit sketchy to ride on. It still depends on the line color but still, I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody not looking for a very uh “Bostonian Experience”
100% agree. If you’re not in a rush, and looking to get across to Cambridge or something lackadaisically, it’s fine, but you cannot schedule around in-Boston lines anymore. The city is very walkable if you’re only needing to go around back bay, south end, north end areas.
They’re badness is exaggerated. They usually work just fine. Occasionally they don’t. If you take it every day, you will inevitably be screwed once in a while—that leads to a lot of frustration which we vent on the internet. But on any given trip, you are very likely to have a normal subway ride.
One KEY item - make sure when you leave Boston you get on a train going to/through Providence. The line splits at Canton Junction, some trains go to Stoughton, others to Providence or Wickford Junction. You want a Providence or Wickford train. It is very clear on the schedule. And absolutely use the app for tickets and schedules. Have fun!!
How are you getting to the train station? If you’re driving, you’ll be able to park at the PPM lot on Hayes St and walk over. There’s a parking lot closer to the train station but it feels up quickly.
If you’re biking, the train station is where everyone gets their bike stolen so either bring it with you (if you’re not on peak commuter hours) or lock it down Fort Knox style.
Some booths have outlets for chargers so you can get some work done. You’ll probably loose signal somewhere around Sharon though.
Rush hour is a lot. Train fills up fast on the BOS > PVD route.
Thanks for the input! I was considering biking but I'll grab a ride instead. Good to know about rush hour, too. I'll keep that in mind and do my best to be early.
As a counterpoint, I left my bike at the downtown train station every day from 7-ish in the morning to 6-ish at night for about a year and never had a problem. Normal commuter hybrid bike, normal u-lock, just locking back wheel and frame.
You can take your bike on the train with you for some of the trains between Providence and Boston. Basically, if you are headed inbound other than the main commuter morning commuter rush, or outbound other than the afternoon rush. If you check the schedule, you’ll see a bike symbol at the top for the times when you can bring a bike. If you’re going on the weekend, you can take a bike anytime.
Another tip for the weekend: be sure to scroll a little lower on the app for the $10 unlimited rides ticket. It’s a big savings over the $12.25 one-way!
>If you’re biking, the train station is where everyone gets their bike stolen so either bring it with you (if you’re not on peak commuter hours) or lock it down Fort Knox style.
Can confirm. Got one bike stolen in that area. Had it tied to a pole, and the guy took the pole and the bike.
I ride the PVD-Boston line every.single.day. It really isn’t bad though. The trains that leave at 7:15am or 7:40 from PVD are ok as you’ll get a nice seat. Pro tip: choose a three seater as you will likely only have one person join you as the train fills up, with a space between you. Try for the top of a double level car for the best views.
The commuter rail really isn't bad. Make sure you know your train's schedule, and either buy a ticket in advance or have money with you.
While in Boston, the trains are fine (except maybe the orange line? Not sure what its status is right now), though they're generally packed (green line) and very noisy (red line). It's honestly easier to walk most places if it's close enough. Make sure you don't miss the last commuter rail train.
Oh, I don't know when they added these, but there are these kiosks where you can rent portable batteries to keep your phone charged. Saved my butt the last time I went into Boston
Should be quite straightforward. The Providence line is probably the best CR line. Fairly punctual, no safety concerns at all, easy to purchase tickets on the app. Just make sure you board the right train and don’t miss your stop.
When choosing a seat, make sure you pick an empty one and don't sit on top of a random stranger. I've made that mistake more times than I care to admit and only once did the experience lead to a new friend.
Sounds on purpose
You sound like them
This just make me lol!
If you need to drive to the station, think about driving to Attleboro instead, parking is WAY cheaper if you need to leave your car there.
Lol If you nap set an alarm for like 10min before your stop
If you're going on the weekend, make note of the $10 weekend pass. It's good for the weekend and cheaper than even a one-way to Boston.
leave from the attleboro stop instead of prov if you can
If you have some flexibility with your end-of-day working hours, make use of the 24hr unlimited pass!
(Ex: One night I'll take the 6:27pm from Back Bay, the next morning I'll take whatever, and that evening I'll take the 5:45pm, which is within 24hrs. You have to buy these unlimited passes in 5-packs, but it's ~$24 per pass and I get 3 rides out of it, so cheaper than the $12.50 x 3 = $37.50)
GoGatorsMashedTaters t1_itv6kdg wrote
Man, I take this all the time to go to BOS and back. It’s incredibly convenient, especially looking at the rest of the country’s options.
No safety concerns, but please pay attention to the stops and train schedule. Use the MBTA app. Don’t be the guy getting on a train that doesn’t go to your stop. You can pay on the app on your train.
Activate your ticket right before they come to collect. Sometimes they are understaffed or striking by not collecting, and you got yourself a free trip and you can save your digital ticket for later.
Always check the Amtrak schedule because the trips can get down to $9, and cheaper than the T. As you said though, that schedule is harder to line up.
Edit: edited for grammar