New South Station commuter rail fare gates already out of service

A little more than a month after they first went into use, the fare gates at South Station are out of service.

Keolis, which operates the commuter rail, and the company it bought the new fare gates from are developing a long-term plan that will allow the commuter rail fare-collectors they installed to work.

The fare gates have been offline for about a week and as of Monday were wrapped in tarps and plastic. Keolis said they were shut down as a result of "unprecedented accumulation of wind-driven snow in the concourse and platform areas of South Station" during the first big storm of the winter on Jan. 25 through Jan. 26.

Keolis said Monday night that it was working with Scheidt & Bachmann to determine what impact the snow had on the fare gates and to formalize a plan that will let the gates — which were installed last fall and became operational on Dec. 30 — function reliably in the locations they were installed.

The T began on Dec. 30 to require commuter rail passengers to tap or scan a train ticket to enter the track area at South Station and to require passengers arriving at South Station by train to scan a ticket to exit the platform area.

When the South Station gates were introduced in late 2025, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said it marked "another demonstration to our riders that we are committed to ensuring fares are collected and reinvested into the transit system to better serve the public."

Fare gates went into use at North Station in 2022, and more are expected at Back Bay and Ruggles stations in 2026.

The South Station fare gates are located outside, under the new residential and office tower being built on top of the station. While they are under cover, they are exposed to the bitter cold that has also slowed some of the T's train and subway operations over the last week.

Some of the gates are closer to the elements than others. Keolis said it shut down and covered the fare gates at the northeastern edge of the platforms ahead of the storm to protect them, but it became evident during the storm that all gates would be affected.

As Keolis works on a long-term plan for the South Station fare gates, it is also competing against two other companies for the next nine-year contract to operate the T's commuter rail system. Keolis has operated the system since 2014 and is working through June 30, 2027 on an extended contract.