Cape Rail Service to Return in 2014

After a successful first season of running the CapeFLYER on weekends, Governor Deval Patrick announced Tuesday that the Boston-to-Cape Cod rail service will be permanently offered between Memorial Day and Columbus Day. He made the announcement to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce in Hyannis.

MassDOT and Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) provided rail service from Boston to Hyannis, with stops at Braintree, Middleborough and Buzzards Bay, to 16,586 passengers in 2013. The fare revenue totaled more than $290,000.

The double-decker train traveled once a day each way on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for $35 round trip. Demand over the Fourth of July holiday led to extra trips July 3 and 4 and the service, initially scheduled to end after Labor Day, was extended to Columbus Day weekend.

Patrick also announced that MassDOT will study the feasibility of year-round weekend service on the rail line. 

An additional stop in Wareham will be added to the line in 2014. Woods Hole-bound passengers can connect via a bus at Buzzards Bay. 

"The CapeFLYER provides an excellent opportunity for people to have a convenient and relaxing ‘car-free’ trip to enjoy the beaches, restaurants, shopping and recreational opportunities that the Cape and Islands have to offer during the summer," said CCRTA Administrator Thomas S. Chair.

Have you taken the CapeFlyer? Is it worth the ticket price? Tell us in the comments.