Most Extensive Commuter Rail Systems

[TheBostonian]

I think people in Metro Boston take for granted the MBTA commuter rail network. There are 12 existing lines and one under construction. There are many places in the region where one has the option of avoiding traffic and parking concerns by just hopping on a train. And Metro Boston has many great spots for transit oriented development because of this. Though a flaw in the MBTA system is that there are two unconnected networks with separate hubs, preventing through service. The plan to remedy this would be essentially another multi-billion dollar Big Dig.

Here's the MBTA commuter rail.

Chicago's Metra looks like another extensive system.

Along with Philadelphia's Septa system.

I'm skipping New York because I can't find one map that covers their whole CR service. But theirs is big too.

I've looked around just a little bit at American CR systems and don't see any others that are this big, but I may be missing some. I'd like to see whatever anyone else can come up with, even if people want to show the forum a system that is special for reasons other than size. And there are systems around the world I know nothing about.

Try this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_rail_in_North_America

[Brickell]

NJ has an extensive system connecting NY and Philadelphia, plus really really nice trains.

[Cotuit]

I think people in Metro Boston take for granted the MBTA commuter rail network. There are 12 existing lines and one under construction.

Here's the MBTA commuter rail.

There are actually 13 lines in the MBTA system and a 14th under construction. The Fairmount and Franklin Lines look like one line on the map, but they are actually two seperate lines with the Franklin line turning up the NEC at Readville.

The Fairmount line only serves the city of Boston though, and there are plans to add stations and upgrade service to make it into a quasi-rapid transit line, the so-called Indigo Line (official MBTA Indigo Line page).

[TheBostonian]

Actually that's not the problem I have counting lines. I just don't know how to distinguish between a line and a branch from a line. I suppose we could go by the MBTA schedule--and that only gives us 11 lines.

[cheeriokid61]

Nashville is building a commuter rail system. It isn't as large as these systems; it only has six proposed lines, one of which is well under construction, and another is planned to start soon. However, it is one of the most efficient systems, if not the most efficient system built in the U.S. It will use many existing lines, and has bought rail cars for one dollar each. It is called the Music City Star. There is a thread about it in the Tennessee subforum.

[Cotuit]

Actually that's not the problem I have counting lines. I just don't know how to distinguish between a line and a branch from a line. I suppose we could go by the MBTA schedule--and that only gives us 11 lines.

They combine some lines for timetable purposes, for instance Attleboro and Stoughton are comined to one timetable to make it easier for commuters north of Canton (so they don't have to carry around two timetables), but Attleboro and Stoughton are officially seperate lines.