Times on the T trip planner accurate? (Boston: housing, service)

[keepsnowing]

Are the times reliable on the MBTA trip planner? We might be moving to the Boston area and we wanted to consider the commute time as we shop for housing.


http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/trip_planner/

Also, do the commuter rails have faster service into Boston than the T? I could not find a trip planner for the commuter rail service.

thanks for your help.

[CaseyB]

From my experience, the commuter rail is very good and usually on time. The scheduled arrival and departure times are here: http://www.mbta.com/.

The subway is less acurate and the bus is the worst of all. If you have a choice, I'd suggest buying in an area that has rail access, at least in a neighboring town.

[bostonfoodie]

The commuter rail is quicker than the subway, but the subway is far more convenient, arriving every 5 minutes. The commuter rail has gaps of up to an hour during peak times and 2-3 hours at off-peak times. If you miss a commuter rail train, it is a big pain. I missed my train on Friday afternoon, and it ended up taking 2 hours to get home. You don't have to time your day to the trains if you ride the subway.

If you want a house in a safe residential neighborhood, though, you're stuck with commuter rail. Some lines run more frequently than others, so research the schedules.