Editing Transportation in Boston (section)

=== Common user rail network ===
Unlike the subway, which is owned and operated by the MBTA, the common user network is owned and operated by a mixture of various public and private sector bodies. In the Boston area, trackage is owned by a mixture of the MBTA and several freight railroads. Commuter rail services are operated by the [[Keolis]] Commuter Services (KCS)<ref>http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442451214&month=1&year=14 MBTA press release on Keolis Commuter Services award</ref> under contract to the MBTA, intercity passenger services are operated by [[Amtrak]], and freight services are operated by the various freight railroads. [[Trackage rights]] allow trains of one operator to make use of tracks owned by another.<ref name=sppnemc>{{cite book | publisher = Steam Powered Publishing | title = Comprehensive Railroad Atlas: New England & Maritime Canada | isbn = 1-874745-12-9 | year = 1999 }}</ref>

==== Commuter rail ====
{{main|MBTA commuter rail}}

[[Image:Wellesley Hills station.jpg|thumb|right|Commuter Rail train at Wellesley Hills]]
The MBTA commuter rail system brings people from as far away as [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence (Rhode Island)]] into Boston. There are approximately 125,000 one-way trips on the commuter rail each day, making it the [[List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership|fifth-busiest]] commuter rail system in the country, outranked only by the various systems serving New York and Chicago suburbs.

There are two major [[rail terminal]]s in Boston: [[North Station]] and [[South Station]]. Commuter rail lines from the North Shore and northwestern suburbs begin and terminate at North Station; lines from the South Shore and the west start and end at South Station. There is no direct rail connection between North Station and South Station, so that interchange between the two stations generally requires the use of two different subway lines (Red/Orange or Red/Green).  However, passengers on commuter lines serving [[Back Bay (MBTA station)|Back Bay Station]] can interchange directly from there to North Station using the Orange Line, and passengers on the [[Fitchburg Line]] can interchange directly from [[Porter (MBTA station)|Porter]] to South Station using the Red Line.

==== Intercity rail ====
[[File:Amtrak 623 & Acela 2007 at South Station 2019 jeh.jpg|thumb|''Acela'' (left) and ''Northeast Regional'' (right) locomotives at South Station in 2019]]
Boston is served by four intercity rail services, all operated by [[Amtrak]]. The ''[[Acela]]'' and ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' services both operate on the [[Northeast Corridor]] to and from [[Washington, D.C.]], with stops in places such as [[New York City]] and [[Philadelphia]]. A branch of the ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'' service operates to and from [[Chicago]]. The ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' service operates to and from [[Brunswick, Maine]].<ref name=amra>{{cite web | title = Routes - Northeast | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Page/Browse_Routes_Page&c=Page&cid=1081256321410&ssid=134 | publisher = Amtrak | access-date = June 13, 2008}}</ref>

The Northeast Corridor services terminate at South Station, as does the ''Lake Shore Limited''. The ''Downeaster'' service terminates at North Station, primarily because the ''Downeaster'' Amtrak line is intended for points north of downtown. The Northeast Corridor and ''Lake Shore Limited'' services also stop at [[Back Bay station]]. The lack of a direct rail connection between North Station and South Station means that passengers transferring to and from the ''Downeaster'' are faced with a transfer between stations. Although most such transfers can be achieved using the [[Orange Line (MBTA)|Orange Line]] between Back Bay and North Station, Amtrak recommends passengers with luggage to use a taxi.<ref name="amra"/><ref name=amrade>{{cite web | title = Routes - Northeast - Downeaster | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321869&ssid=134 | publisher = Amtrak | access-date = June 13, 2008}}</ref>

Within the Boston area, most Amtrak services operate over commuter rail track owned by the MBTA, who also own the Northeast Corridor track as far as the [[Rhode Island]] state line.<ref name="sppnemc"/>