Cape Flyer Completes Decade of Rail Success

Cape Cod News editorial staff

With 125,000 passengers and counting, CCRT's Cape Flyer train proves that riding the rails delivers visitors and economic benefits

"Now with the pending bridge construction, any opportunity to get people here without their cars is an opportunity everyone should be pursuing ... "

— Tom Cahir
Administrator, Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority

What is the Cape Flyer?

15 September 2023 - HYANNIS, MA - On Labor Day, the Cape Cod Regional Authority's (CCRTA) Cape Flyer train completed its tenth season - and in that decade transformed from a question mark of an idea to a seasonal success, showing how an application of rails can reduce auto traffic and increase economic activity at the same time.

CCRTA Deputy Administrator Kathy Jensen says the Cape Flyer lets the Cape the vacation begin in Boston, when the train leaves South Station complete with bar and concessions. Dedicated bike cars enable cyclists to easily transport their bikes, and everyone enjoys the scenic route to Bourne and Hyannis without sitting in traffic.

Who runs the Cape Flyer

Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates the service, using MBTA commuter trains. The brightly-branded cars run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and use existing rail tracks between South Station in Boston and the transportation center in Hyannis.

What happened this year with the Cape Flyer?

This year marked the successful tenth year of operation. After the Labor Day weekend, CCRTA Administator Tom Cahir said that the service had transported more than 125,000 visitors over the decade.

Why has the Cape Flyer worked?

Cahir and Jensen say the train service built its success from a combination of focused marketing, logistics, and partnerships. For examples, CCRTA works with organizers of events such as the Falmouth Road Race to bring people to the Cape without adding cars to highways and bridges. It coordinates with other transportation modes to coordinate transporation through to the ferries or onward through bus service. And it supports different way of experiencing the Cape, such as enabling bicycles to take the train to Bourne, cycle the length of the Cape, and return to Boston from Provincetown via boat.

Why does the Cape Flyer matter?

The Cape Flyer provides a car-free alternative for reaching the Cape. This broadens accessiblity, removes cars from overburdened highways, helps reduce back-up at the Cape bridges, and minimizes the environmental impact of travelling to the Cape.