Until today, the MBTA's website announced that, effective July 1, there would be a $3 surcharge for any commuter rail ticket bought on the train -- even if you board at a station such as Belmont or Gloucester, which has no ticket machines and no store anywhere nearby that sells tickets.
Outlying commuter train passengers railed against the new surcharge.
Today, the T has apparently changed the policy again. The website now says:
A $3 surcharge will be added to tickets purchased on-board all trains departing from North, South and Back Bay Stations.
*Monday through Friday customers will be charged $3 surcharge by the conductor when a ticket is purchased on board from a station with a MBTA ticket vending machine or where a Ticket Vendor is open.
Left unclear is how close to a station a ticket vendor needs to be in order for the surcharge to apply.
The only news story I've found so far is in the Herald-News of Fall River, a city that doesn't even have MBTA service.