Commuter Rail Riders Greeted with Higher Fares, New Operator

MBTA commuter rail passengers were greeted with some changes on Tuesday, with July 1 marking the first day of higher fares along with a new rail operator.

Fares went up, on average, 5 percent. The one-way fare increase to and from Boston is 25 cents for most stations close to the city and 50 cents for outer stations.

It went up from $7.25 to $7.50 in zone 4, which includes Abington, Beverly, Ballardvale in Andover, Lincoln, Natick, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole and West Natick. In zone 7, for example, the one-way fare went from $9.25 to $9.75. That includes stations in Attleboro, Gloucester, Littleton and Westborough.

The cost of a monthly pass went up from $9 to $17, depending on the zone.

The subway fare and local bus fare also both went up, from $2 to $2.10 and $1.50 to $1.60, respectively.

The full details of the rate hike and all the new fares can be found on the MBTA website.

A new operator for the commuter rail, Keolis Commuter Services, also took over on Tuesday. Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. had operated the trains for the T for the past 10 years, but lost out in the latest round of bidding to the French company, which was awarded an eight-year contract.