Event Recap: Better City’s Commuter Rail Modernization Roundtable Event
June 23, 2026
A Better City was honored to host the MBTA’s first external meeting on their Rail Modernization plans, which included many of our members. The MBTA leadership team of Mike Muller, Laura Gilmore, and Lynsey Heffernan presented their current strategy for advancing this multi-year initiative before answering questions from the audience.
The MBTA team explained that the top four priorities for the Rail Modernization plan are service frequency, reliability, accessibility, and decarbonization.
2019 MBTA Rail Vision – The Building Blocks
These priorities emerge as the MBTA is now looking to build upon the findings from the 2019 MBTA Rail Vision study and adapt to current conditions. When it was released, Rail Vision acted as the first step in reframing existing commuter rail service that primarily is focused on peak commute times in the morning and later afternoon into an upgraded “regional rail system” that operates with more service options throughout the entire day. This would offer greater mobility options throughout the region and lead to significant economic development across the Commonwealth. To achieve this comprehensive regional rail system, the study calls for electrification, greater frequency of service, accessibility improvements at stations, and changes in fare structure for riders.
MassDOT did not follow all recommendations from the 2019 MBTA Rail Vision report, but this study did lead to major changes in how the commuter rail operates in 2026. Over the past seven years, the MBTA improved rail service options by offering clockface scheduling, increased off-peak and weekend service, improved accessibility, and new fare options for riders (such as $10 weekend passes & income eligible reduced fares). The MBTA also expanded service on Southcoast Rail, and they are moving forward on electrification of the Fairmount Line.
Now, the MBTA hopes to continue advancing many of the goals described in Rail Vision through a revised plan that will be called the Rail Modernization Plan.
The Rail Modernization Plan
At the June 8th roundtable event at A Better City, Lynsey Heffernan, Chief of Policy and Strategic Planning with the MBTA, framed the need for an updated Rail Modernization Plan as a way of considering “with what we have, how can we do so much better?”
Many technologies have changed dramatically since 2019, and the MBTA wants to review the systems needed to support previously planned investments in infrastructure and the methods for decarbonizing the rail network. The MBTA is also currently overseeing a reprocurement of the rail operations contract. With these changes, the new plan aims to communicate the MBTA’s strategic direction to key stakeholders, document existing progress, define how the MBTA will make future decisions about investments with limited resources as well as better consider how the MBTA can support the Commonwealth in achieving broader goals such as those related to housing, economic development, sustainability, and mobility.
Next Steps
As mentioned, the June 8th event was just the first planned stop on the MBTA’s informational series which will aim to gather feedback through events at MBTA stations, public meetings, and virtual engagement. The MBTA plans to conduct these community engagement efforts throughout the next year, while also working on prioritizing urgent projects and future service improvements. The MBTA additionally plans to refine their decarbonization strategy, evaluate capital and operating costs, and develop a finalized plan by the end of 2027.
A Better City looks forward to further engaging on this topic and supporting efforts that lead to a modernized rail system that works for this region.
You can check out slides from this roundtable discussion here.
