Wareham officially a Cape Flyer summer train stop
Downtown Wareham will officially be a stop on the Cape Flyer train from Boston to Cape Cod next summer.
State Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham) says she learned on Monday that the train service will run yearly with a new stop in Wareham.
"I am delighted that Wareham will be a stop next summer!" Gifford said.
A study will also be completed to determine the feasibility of year-round weekend service.
Gifford said details were not immediately available about any necessary improvements to the Merchants Way train station that would need to be done.
"Wareham has been an important part of the Southeastern Massachusetts rail discussion for a long time," noted Tom Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority. "We're happy to work with Wareham and do whatever we need to do."
The pilot Cape Flyer service launched in May in an effort to ease Cape traffic. The inaugural service was designed to provide a foundation for expanded service.
The service is a partnership of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority. More than 16,500 passengers were transported from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, with $290,000 generated in fares, officials said.
Cahir noted that the town would likely benefit more from a commuter rail stop than from the summer train service. Discussions about commuter rail being extended from Middleborough have been ongoing.
"What I think really needs to happen is to have commuter rail extended through Wareham into Buzzards Bay," Cahir said. "That's the important stop for Wareham."
For more information about the Cape Flyer, visit www.capeflyer.com.