MA: Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited now selling tickets between Boston, Worcester
By Adam Bass
Source masslive.com (TNS)
Commuters from Worcester to Boston now have another option to travel by train other than the MBTA commuter rail.
The city’s MBTA task force announced on Monday it successfully advocated for Amtrak to sell tickets for trips between the two cities on the Lakeshore Limited. The Lakeshore Limited is a train between Chicago and Boston with stops in other cities, including New York City and Albany, New York, according to Amtrak’s website.
Previously, passengers from Boston or Worcester could buy a ticket for a trip all the way to Chicago and back. Commuters have not been able to purchase a ticket from Worcester to Boston or Boston to Worcester on the Amtrak service until now. Tickets can now be purchased on Amtrak’s website.
“It made sense,” Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said about having commuters take Amtrak between the two cities.
The Lakeshore Limited departs Boston’s South Station Union Station seven days a week at 12:50 p.m. and arrives at Worcester’s Union Station at 2:00 p.m. according to Amtrak.com. The train makes two stops before reaching its destination: one at Framingham and one at Back Bay Station.
The return trip from Union Station to South Station departs at 7:32 p.m. seven days a week and arrives at 8:32 p.m., according to Amtrak. Like the Boston-to- Worcester trip, the train stops at Back Bay and Framingham.
The minimum ticket price for a trip between the two cities ranges from $27 to $42, according to the site. All trains stop at Boston’s South Station.
Compared to the MBTA commuter rail, the Amtrak service is faster, with the trips between Boston and Worcester on the commuter rail lasting more than one hour and 10 minutes. There are also only two stops on the Lakeshore Limited Route. Meanwhile an MBTA commuter rail train can have up to 18 stops on the Framingham/ Worcester line.
The MBTA commuter rail, however, has more trains running throughout the day compared to the Lakeshore Limited train running from Worcester to Boston and back. Tickets on the commuter rail are also cheaper, with a ticket costing $12.25 between both cities, according to the MBTA’s website.
In a press release, Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista applauded the task force for its work in advocating for ticket sales.
“This is significant step forward for Worcester’s transportation options and I congratulate the working group on its win and for its continued advocacy for a robust train network,” said Batista. “Worcester’s transportation options need to keep pace with our growing population and improvements like this are essential for residents looking for affordable, sustainable, and reliable transportation both within Worcester and out of the city.”
The MBTA task force is a team of 10 people that collaborate with MBTA officials to improve commuter rail service in Worcester.
Petty and Batista are two of the 10 members of the group.
The group has also advocated for a full-time express service from Worcester to Boston on the Framingham/Worcester MBTA commuter rail line. Currently, the MBTA offers a morning express from Worcester to Boston, stopping at Framingham, Lansdowne and Back Bay. There is no afternoon express service from Boston to Worcester, according to the MTBA’s schedule.
Despite the new train ride between the two cities, Petty told MassLive that the working group is still advocating for the return of the express as well as improving the city’s relationship with the MBTA.
“It’s one of our priorities,” Petty said.
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit masslive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
