Officials Explore Bringing Commuter Rail Service To Cape Cod

BOURNE, MA — Regional officials have launched a study to explore the possibility of bringing year-round Commuter Rail service connecting Buzzards Bay to Boston.

Town officials said bringing train service to Bourne would help bolster the economy of the Buzzard's Bay-area. Tom Cahir, the administrator for the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, told CapeCod.com said the village over the last few years has seen a lot of new hotels and restaurants on Main Street, so there's never been a better time to bring train service.

"I think that the study will result in something that suggests that alternate means of transportation to Boston is a good thing," Chair told CapeCod.com. "Mobility options out of Cape Cod are good."

Buzzards Bay is home to Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the only four-year college on Cape Cod, which Chair said would also benefit from Commuter Rail service.

The study is expected to be completed in June and has its supporters, but officials acknowledged the Coronavirus pandemic created a challenge for public transportation.

MBTA officials in October proposed deep service cuts that would stretch across the transit agency's entire system, impacting all modes of public transportation amid dwindling ridership and a widening budget gap. The proposed cuts ranged from $65 million to $255 million.