Many rail operators in the United States see the value of the flexibility connecting services offer, and many offer commutation ticket holders (e.g. those who purchase a monthly or 30-day pass) to transfer to connecting transportation services (subways, light rails, buses, etc.) run by the same agency for free or a substantial discount. This adds value and makes it much easier to incorporate connecting transit services into your trip. You are much more likely to leave your car at home and take a bus to the train station if the bus fare was included in the cost of your ticket already than if you had to fork over an extra fare.
The table below lists US commuter/regional passenger railroad operators and how much transfers cost to other modes of transportation operated by the same agency as of August 2017. In cases where free transfers are also offered to services operated by other agencies, a blue + sign is shown. Many of these operators also provide similar transfer discounts for one-way or daily ticket types.
The vast majority of operators offer free transfers to other modes of transportation they operate. Metra and ConnDOT provide substantial discounts. The MTA is the only rail operator in the United States to charge its rail passengers full price for connecting transportation services they operate. The MTA does not offer any discounts to rail passengers looking to transfer to subways or buses they operate. Even the measly 2% discount for joint train and unlimited MetroCard tickets purchased through Mail & Ride applies only to the rail fare, not the cost of the $121 MetroCard.
| System | Wkday Riders | Subway | Light Rail | Commuter Bus/BRT | Local Bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTA Long Island Rail Road | 349,500 | Full price | N/A | Full price | Full price |
| NJ Transit Rail | 307,853 | N/A | Free | Free | Free |
| MTA Metro-North Railroad | 306,900 | Full price | N/A | Full price | Full price |
| Metra | 285,400 | 45% disc | N/A | N/A | 45% disc+ |
| SEPTA Regional Rail | 125,600 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| MBTA Commuter Rail | 123,100 | Free | Free | N/A | Free |
| Caltrain | 59,700 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A (Free+) |
| Metrolink | 37,800 | Free+ | Free+ | N/A | Free+ |
| MARC Train | 34,700 | Free | Free | Some lines | Free+ |
| Denver RTD | 20,500 | N/A | Free | Free | Free |
| UTA FrontRunner | 17,900 | N/A | Free | Free | Free |
| Virginia Railway Express | 12,830 | N/A (34% disc+) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Sounder Commuter Rail | 17,700 | N/A | Free | Free | Free |
| Tri-Rail | 14,600 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| NICTD South Shore Line | 11,200 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Trinity Railway Express | 7,700 | N/A | Free+ | Free+ | Free+ |
| NCTD Coaster | 4,500 | N/A | Free | Free | Free |
| Altamont Corridor Express | 5,300 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SunRail | 2,334 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A (Free+) |
| Capital MetroRail | 2,800 | N/A | N/A | Free | Free |
| New Mexico Rail Runner Express | 2,600 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Free |
| Northstar Line | 2,700 | N/A | Free | N/A | Free |
| ConnDOT (SLE & NHHS) | 1,900 | N/A | N/A | 84% disc | 84% disc |
| A-Train | 1,600 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Free |
| Westside Express Service | 1,700 | N/A | Free | N/A | Free |
| SMART | 1,852 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A ($1.50 disc/trip+) |
| Music City Star | 1,100 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Free |
