There has been a station on the Fitchburg mainline at the South Acton site since 1844; until 1958 it also served a branch line to Maynard which in earlier years had extended through Hudson to Marlborough.

South Acton has had continuous Boston commuter service since its inception except for five months in 1965 during the transition from fully private railroad operations to state subsidy.

As part of a $277 million project upgrading the Fitchburg Line, South Acton station was completely rebuilt with two accessible high-level platforms connected with an overhead pedestrian bridge, as well as a drop-off lane off Maple Street.

In 2018 rail trail construction will be completed on a 3.4 mile section starting at train station and extending southeast through Maynard to the Maynard/Stow border.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was formed in August 1964 to subsidize suburban commuter rail service.

The two-platform design, accepted in 2010, eliminated the need for large ramps and allowed for Maple Street access.

[3] A small drop-off lane was built on the south side of the tracks off Maple Street, next to the new inbound platform.

The subcontractor for the steel bridge structure was replaced due to compliance issues in 2013, delaying plans to have the project open by early 2015.

The secondary "overflow" lot is located two-tenths of a mile from the station on School Street and contains 15 resident permit parking spaces.

Although service increases at Littleton/Route 495, a new garage at North Leominster, and the opening of Wachusett are expected to bleed off demand, insufficient parking at South Acton is considered a town concern.

Although no firm plans were in place, town officials stated in January 2014 that they were considering adding parking spots to serve the station and the Assabet River Rail Trail.

[21] In February 2015, the town reported that it was considering the purchase of a property to create an additional 100-space parking lot on the south side of the station.

The completion of the Assabet River Rail Trail will eventually allow bicycle commuting from Hudson and Maynard to the station.

[27][28] The Maynard/Acton Commuter Shuttle service between downtown Maynard and South Acton station was piloted from October 2016 to January 2017.