Ruggles Station is getting Commuter Rail fare gates in August

Rail fare gates at Ruggles Station will begin operating on Aug. 3, MBTA officials announced Wednesday.

Passengers will be asked to tap or scan their tickets at one of seven new fare gates, which include two wider lanes designed to accommodate larger items, although ticket inspectors will continue to conduct ticket checks on board. According to the MBTA.

Once installed, any rail passenger arriving at Ruggles without a ticket will be required to purchase one in order to leave the station, the transit agency said.

“Installing the rail fare gates at Ruggles is just the next step by the MBTA as we follow through on our commitment to improving fare collection and reinvesting in the system our riders rely on,” Interim Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager and CEO Philip Ng said in a statement.

The MBTA said the implementation of fare gates is intended to improve fare collection, phase out platform ticket checks, and create a more consistent fare payment experience.

The agency noted that Ruggles customer service staff will be available to assist passengers with questions related to fare gates.

The upcoming installation will mark the third MBTA station to have toll gates installed in the past four years.

The system was previously introduced at Northern Station in 2022, despite passenger opposition.

Toll gates were added to the South Station in 2025. Freezing temperatures and a major winter storm last February forced the MBTA to disable the South Station gates several times.

Since the installation of the South Terminal, transit officials said mTicket activations are up 32 percent compared to this time last year, and on-board ticket sales are up 16 percent.

Back Bay Station is also scheduled to get rail fare gates, and is scheduled to begin operations in early 2027.