CapeFLYER flies into Wareham

The days of sitting in bridge traffic on the way to and from Cape Cod may not ever end. But since last weekend, there is now an alternative for those within the greater Wareham area.

On Friday evening at 6:40 p.m., the CapeFLYER train came down from Boston and stopped at a new train platform on Merchants Way (which runs parallel with Main Street), and passengers were able to get off the train or board it for Hyannis.

On Thursday morning, representatives of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Cape Cod Regional Transportation Authority joined state and local politicians and others for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the train’s arrival in Wareham Village.

The CapeFLYER "will bring thousands of customers to Wareham and bring local residents to the Cape,” said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott. “It’s a quick, stress-free alternative to driving to the Cape.”

The train was originally scheduled to make its first stop in Wareham on Memorial Day weekend. However, the 400-foot-long wooden platform equipped with a lengthy canopy did not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act and had to undergo further construction before being opened.

"The trip was great, seeing the sunset was so nice," resident Roxanne Dunlop said. Peter Dunlop agreed, "It was fun to see familiar things along the way. Going over the canal on the railroad was special."

East Wareham resident Mary Montrond said she used to ride the train up to Boston in the 1940s from the old train station on Merchant's Way.

"I took the train to Boston for my honeymoon," she said. "It was probably the same price."

Tickets to Hyannis are $8 and $4 for senior citizens.

The train, which runs until Columbus Day weekend between South Station and Hyannis, has stops in Braintree, Middleboro/Lakeville, and Buzzards Bay. It operated last summer for the first time. Tom Cahir, an administrator for the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, which runs the train in partnership with the MBTA and Massachusetts DOT, said the train saw more than 17,000 riders last year.

“We’ve generated $100,000 more than we’ve spent. That’s unheard of in the transportation industry,” said Cahir.

Wareham Selectman Chair Alan Slavin and his wife, Sandy, took the maiden voyage on the CapeFLYER on Friday.

“We’re going to take the first trip. I think we have a 20 minute layover (in Hyannis),” Slavin said on Thursday, noting that a round trip from Wareham to Hyannis was only $8. “I can’t get over the bridge for $8.”

"Just enough time to get an ice cream in Hyannis," Sandy said, when the train returned to the station in Wareham Friday night.

Slavin said the new stop on Merchants Way was the result of years of communication between local officials and the higher-ups within the state and the public transportation groups.

“It’s basically just people talking to each other,” said Slavin. “It’s all communication. We all have the same goal. This is what happens when people talk to each other. It’s been a great group of people working for at least six years at this.”

Slavin said the ultimate goal is to get year-round commuter rail service between Wareham to Boston and that recent developments, such as the new CapeFLYER stop, give him hope that the efforts will be successful.

“Hopefully we’ll be doing a site plan review soon (for a new train station for the commuter rail),” said Slavin. “It’s going to be a few years out. A lot of things have to happen.”

Though the connection to the Cape is one prominent feature of the service, the fact that the train can be taken to Boston is an added bonus to locals looking to get away for the weekend.

Tickets for a one-way trip from South Station to Wareham are $20. Round-trip tickets are $35.

Free parking is available near the platform in the small parking lot abutting the Wareham Fire Station on Main Street.

The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) will provide shuttle service between Onset and Wareham Center, and there are hopes that the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (New Bedford, Fall River) will join as well.

State Rep. Susan Gifford (R-Wareham) said she had worked to get a feasibility study done for the project when she was a Selectman approximately six years ago, and that she was excited to see years worth of work finally come to fruition.

“This has been a labor of love. This means so much to me,” said Gifford. “Little by little, we keep working on the ultimate goal, which is to get commuter rail service throughout the week in addition to the CapeFLYER service.”

For more information or a full schedule, visit www.capeflyer.com.