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Boston Marathon public transportation: What to know about schedules, fares, and more

Copley Station will be closed for the big day

A subway platform in Boston with a train rolling through very fast. travelview/Shutterstock

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will offer discounts and extra service on Monday, April 15, for the Boston Marathon.

Fares

A special $15 commuter-rail pass will provide unlimited service on April 15 (a.k.a. Patriots’ Day) on all lines and through all zones.

Riders can buy the so-called Marathon Pass up to the day of through the mTicket app and from April 10 through 15 from ticket offices at North, South, and Back Bay stations. Riders can also buy it aboard trains for cash or credit on April 15.

Riders can also buy preloaded CharlieCards with $5 on them—enough for a subway roundtrip—on April 15 from MBTA workers at Alewife, Back Bay, Braintree, Fenway, Quincy Adams, and Riverside stations.

Finally, riders can buy a $12 pass for one day of unlimited subway and bus travel on Marathon Monday—or any other day, for that matter—from any fare machine in the T system. The pass is valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase.

Stations

Hihatimages/Shutterstock

Copley Station near the marathon’s finish line will be closed on April 15.

The MBTA is advising that riders instead take the T to Arlington Station (serving all Green Line branches), Prudential Station (Green Line E branch), Hynes Convention Center Station (Green Line B, C, and D branches), or Back Bay Station on the Orange Line.

Additionally, from around 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Marathon Monday, above-ground Green Line stops at South Street (B branch), Kent Street (C branch), and St. Mary’s Street (C branch) will be closed.

Cars and bikes

Parking at an MBTA garage could prove a herculean task on Marathon Monday. Real-time parking capacity information for garages at Alewife, Beverly, Braintree, Route 128, Salem, Quincy Adams, Wonderland, and Woodland stations can be found through the @MBTA_Parking Twitter feed.

The MBTA is prohibiting all bicycles—including folding ones—on all MBTA vehicles on April 15. And a reminder: Backpacks, coolers, cans, bottles, and other large items are not permitted along the race route.

Trains, buses, and boats

The Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule, with rush-hour levels of service before and after the race and with no scheduled station closures. All buses will also operate on a regular weekday schedule, though some routes will detour around the race and related events.

All commuter boat and ferry service as well as The RIDE service will operate on a regular weekday schedule, the MBTA said.

Finally, all commuter rail lines will also operate on a regular weekday schedule, but with additional trains on the Framingham/Worcester line to support additional crowds, according to the MBTA. Here are the additional trains:

Inbound

Ashland

  • 10:10 a.m.
  • 10:40 a.m.

----

Framingham

  • 10:21 a.m.
  • 10:51 a.m.

----

West Natick

  • 10:26 a.m.
  • 10:56 a.m.

----

Natick

  • 10:32 a.m.
  • 11:02 a.m.

----

Wellesley Square

  • 10:38 a.m.
  • 11:08 a.m.
  • 12:30 p.m.

Wellesley Hills

  • 10:43 a.m.
  • 11:13 a.m.
  • 12:34 p.m.

Wellesley Farms

  • 10:47 a.m.
  • 11:17 a.m.
  • 12:38 p.m.

Auburndale

  • 10:53 a.m.
  • 11:23 a.m.
  • 12:43 p.m.

West Newton

  • 10:57 a.m.
  • 11:27 a.m.
  • 12:48 p.m.

Newtonville

  • 11:02 a.m.
  • 11:32 a.m.
  • 12:52 p.m.

Boston Landing

  • 11:07 a.m.*
  • 11:37 a.m.*
  • 12:57 p.m.*

Lansdowne

  • 11:12 a.m.*
  • 11:42 a.m.*
  • 1:02 p.m.*

Back Bay

  • 11:17 a.m.*
  • 11:47 a.m.*
  • 1:07 p.m.

South Station

  • Arrives at 11:22 a.m.
  • Arrives at 11:52 a.m.
  • Arrives at 1:12 p.m.

Outbound

South Station

  • 9:10 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m.

Back Bay

  • 9:16 a.m.
  • 11:36 a.m.

Lansdowne

  • 9:21 a.m.
  • 11:41 a.m.

Boston Landing

  • 9:26 a.m.
  • 11:46 a.m.

Wellesley Farms

  • 9:35 a.m.
  • 11:55 a.m.

Wellesley Hills

  • 9:38 a.m.
  • 11:58 a.m.

Wellesley Square

  • 9:41 a.m.
  • 12:01 p.m.

----

Natick

  • 9:46 a.m.

West Natick

  • 9:51 a.m.

----

Framingham

  • 9:54 a.m.

----

Ashland

  • Arrives at 10 a.m.

*These times indicate an early departure. The train may leave ahead of schedule at these stops, according to the MBTA.