Ideas from Everyone: MBTA Commuter Rail and Other Mainline Rail

The “Ideas from Everyone” series is a collection of proposals and fantasy maps contributed by other transit fans that I personally find interesting. For a full index with ideas on all topics, see here.

This post includes proposals for any mainline rail in Massachusetts. The majority of such proposals focus on railroads and routes served by the MBTA Commuter Rail system. However, other mainline rail activities such as Amtrak (including East-West Rail), CapeFLYER and even freight trains may also be included.

Note: If a proposal is largely about a commuter rail line but also has a particular focus on a region that it serves, it may be listed in both this page and another relevant “Ideas from Everyone” page, with a brief note.

Last updated: April 13, 2024 (page created)

Table of Contents

System Operations

Fares and Zones

Commuter rail fare restructuring proposals (Koopzilla24 and TheRatmeister, Apr 2024)

Some ideas for redrawing commuter rail fare zones and changing the fares for each zone.

New England Mainline Rail

[Crosslink] In this discussion on the official Northern Tier Passenger Rail Study (which I documented here), RailsRoadsRiverside included a brief crayon map of his New England rail network, also mentioned in this blogpost.