If you’re going to Back Bay or South Station, it’s a little over an hour each way on commuter rail. The trains are on a very set schedule, so you don’t have to wait in the station if you plan your trip correctly.

You can also take Amtrak, and the trip is around 30 minutes. The schedule isn’t as frequent, and the Providence-to-Boston Amtrak trains are more likely to fall behind schedule. (The trains leaving from Boston are usually on time.) If your work hours allow it, a combination of commuter rail to Boston and Amtrak to Providence offers the best combination of speed and reliability.