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South Station fare gates are scheduled to go live in December. Here’s what to know.
The fare gates have been in use at North Station since 2022.
Three years after North Station, South Station is set to get fare gates in December.
Commuter rail riders at South Station will need a ticket to get in and out of the station starting next month, although no specific start date has been set, according to the MBTA.
The fare gates will have “little impact” on passenger trips, the MBTA said.
MBTA news:
“These fares support our operations budget and are important to continuing the delivery of safe, reliable and more frequent rail service,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng in the August fare gates announcement. “The public has a right to expect us to do our part and to ensure revenue is collected. These gates, including fully accessible ones, are another step towards delivering a best-in-class transportation system that the public deserves.”
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The installation of the fare gates started around the same time as the MBTA began its crackdown on fare evasion. South Station will have 40 fare gates total, including 11 wider and accessible gates, the MBTA said in August.
Fare gates will also be installed at Ruggles station this winter and at Back Bay station in early 2026, according to the agency’s website.
Once the fare gates are in use at South Station, passengers will need to verify their ticket by tapping, swiping, or scanning at the fare gate to enter and exit the commuter rail concourse, according to the MBTA.
The fare gates accept mobile mTickets, paper tickets, Charlie Cards and tickets with the printed zone and date, student M7 passes, Blind Access cards, Amtrak tickets, and active military IDs. However, stored-valued Charlie Cards, link passes, and contact payment methods are not accepted at commuter rail fare gates.
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Passengers traveling inbound to South Station from a station without fare gates must purchase a ticket through the mTicket app or onboard from a conductor to be able to exit South Station.
Although the fare gates will eliminate ticket checks on train platforms, conductors will still check passenger tickets on board to ensure their ticket zone matches their trip.
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