What is Regional Rail, and What is the MBTA Doing to Get There?
September 14, 2026
This document was prepared by the author as part of a summer internship project. The views, findings, and opinions expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of A Better City.
What is Regional Rail?
Regional Rail is the concept where the Commuter Rail system is able to provide fast, frequent, reliable, and accessible service throughout the day. Today, the MBTA does not run a regional rail system, as it is currently focused on running trains for peak-hour service and commuters with 9-to-5 jobs. They are hoping to accelerate work to turn this vision into reality for this area.
As the MBTA continues advancing toward this goal, it is important to understand how individual projects can contribute to this long-term vision and the MBTA’s plans to move forward. Initiatives such as the Regional Rail Modernization Planning Process and a suite of ongoing “No-Regrets” capital infrastructure improvements support the transformation of the Commuter Rail system.
The MBTA’s Rail Modernization Planning Process
The MBTA’s Rail Modernization Plan will build upon the 2019 Rail Vision study, which laid out the goals for transforming the Commuter Rail from a system dependent on peak hours towards a more frequent, reliable, all-day service. The MBTA hopes to release this new plan in 2027 that will identify required investments and long-term needs necessary over the next 10-15 years to achieve its frequency, reliability, accessibility, and decarbonization goals. On June 8, 2026, A Better City hosted a roundtable discussion with MBTA leadership, discussing the goals and scope of this plan. This meeting kicked off a series of MBTA stakeholder engagement meetings seeking input on Regional Rail project priorities. For a recap of the June 8 meeting, you can read a summary here.
Current “No-Regrets” Capital Infrastructure Projects
The “No-Regrets” strategy, supported recently by a June 2026 policy report published by TransitMatters and Mass INC, is the concept of making near-term strategic capital investments that improve service, while incrementally making progress towards the long-term rail modernization and electrification of the Regional Rail system. Since the MBTA has limited funding to accomplish all of the capital work required for Regional Rail within a single 5-year Capital Investment Plan (CIP), “No Regrets” projects do the most with the funding available—prioritizing certain affordable improvements now that need to be done anyway in service of realizing the Regional Rail vision.
Fairmount Line BEMU Procurement & Zero-Emission Service
The most important goal for the Regional Rail vision is to upgrade the entire locomotive fleet to fully electrified vehicles that improve speed, frequency, reliability, and accessibility of the system. The Fairmount Line Zero Emissions Project is a “No Regrets” capital investment project geared around deploying Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs) that have motors and batteries distributed underneath the passenger cars and relying on discontinuous overhead wires at the Readville and South Station terminal stations recharge the electric-powered batteries. These BEMUs are organized to be four-car, bi-level trainsets that will reduce noise and vibration while achieving 20-minute frequency along the Fairmount corridor. The MBTA entered a $765.4 million contract with Stadler US Inc, the manufacturer, and Rock Rail, the financier, for the delivery, and 15-year lease of these vehicles. This strategic investment alone will not transform the entire Commuter Rail network immediately, but it will improve service on a key corridor while allowing for the MBTA to test the viability of the BEMU technology for use across the entire network. BEMU operations were originally scheduled to begin operations in early 2028 to start, however, they will not arrive until 2030 to accommodate the installation of all-accessible doors on every unit. The MBTA will release a mock-up of the BEMUs in 2028 and finally deliver the first BEMU for testing in 2029.
Station Accessibility Improvements & Mini-High Platforms
Accessibility is a key component of the MBTA’s Regional Rail strategy. To prioritize making Regional Rail service accessible to all riders, the MBTA has an ongoing accessibility initiative consisting of building-out “Mini-High” platforms as part of the MBTA Plan for Accessible Transit Infrastructure (PATI)—small level-boarding platforms installed at stations that previously had none—at eight different Commuter Rail stations. The Mini-High program allows the MBTA to make stations accessible in the near-term at a lower cost than installing full, 800-ft platforms across the entire system. These Mini-High platforms are essential to meet riders' mobility needs, create a more dependable rail system, and increase Regional Rail service frequency.
North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement
One of the MBTA’s largest investments is the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement. This bridge carries all north-side Commuter Rail lines and the Amtrak Downeaster to and from North Station across the Charles River. This section of the system supports around 11 million riders annually and 100,000 daily trips each weekday . The project will replace the existing bridge structure from the 1930s with new vertical lift spans while modernizing tracks that stretch roughly 1.5 miles north of North Station. Construction began in May 2026 and the project will be completed in Fall 2032 with a total budget of $1.286 billion. These improvements are helping accommodate frequent trains in the future by increasing platform capacity for greater Regional Rail service in and out of North Station.
What to Look Forward to in Regional Rail Modernization
These Regional Rail projects in the MBTA’s current capital pipeline—“No Regrets” projects to begin near-term improvements on the existing system, and larger capital projects that prepare for larger Regional Rail improvements and expansion—incrementally move the MBTA toward its Regional Rail vision. Meanwhile, the Rail Modernization Plan will set the groundwork for building on existing progress. A Better City looks forward to continuing to engage with the MBTA and tackle key challenges, such as funding constraints, infrastructural gaps in the system, and convening stakeholders, as it formalizes its Regional Rail Modernization Plans.
