Have your passes handy

Commuter rail program aims to boost fare collection, improve service

Commuter rail riders will be asked to flash their monthly passes and tickets prior to boarding over the next two weeks, an effort transit officials hope will increase revenue collection and improve customer service.

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR), which runs the commuter rail for the T, is spearheading the “Buy Before You Board” two-week pilot program, which began Monday. Between noon and 8 p.m., officials will be randomly stationed on platforms at South Station, North Station and Back Bay station asking to see passes and directing riders without them back to the ticket windows.

Riders purchasing tickets onboard are hit with $2 surcharges. But the practice can be an inconvenience for other riders, slow down fare collection and sometimes lead to riders being overlooked, especially on packed, rush-hour trains, according to MBCR spokesman Scott Farmelant.

During negotiations over MBCR’s latest contract, the MBTA board stressed increasing fare collection, Farmelant said.

“Ideally, the more tickets are sold prior to boarding, the more convenient it is for everyone on train and the more fair it is for customers,” he said.

One rider yesterday at South Station, who only gave his first name, Ross, said he was happy the T was making a greater effort to collect fares. A monthly passholder, Ross said he often observes commuters getting a free ride, though it doesn’t frustrate him.

“I don’t get bent out of shape about it, but I see the holes in the system,” he said.