Local News

South Coast Rail service appears to be delayed, with a summer start ‘unlikely’

Questions mostly went unanswered at a public meeting last week. Rider-facing concerns like ticket prices, schedules, and start time are undetermined.

David L Ryan/Globe Staff

April 17, 2024

Riders from New Bedford, Taunton, and Fall River are looking to rely on a new commuter rail line to connect Boston and the South Coast by train for the first time in decades.

The MBTA‘s South Coast Rail is anticipated to begin service this summer.

South Coast Rail will serve South Coast communities from the Middleborough/Lakeville Line, which currently ends at Middleborough. The line then splits after Taunton to enter Fall River and New Bedford. Eventually, the project will also extend the Stoughton Line to the South Coast.

After decades of advocacy and the delays, South Coast Rail will give residents a one-seat ticket to Boston for the first time since the 1950s, the transit agency said. The project is also expected to incentivize housing and development for the region.

In late 2022, the MBTA said trains would begin to run in late 2023, but an update in November identified this summer as the beginning of service. As of now, the MBTA is running test trains on the tracks, but as Memorial Day draws near, the official timeline and other details of the project remain unclear.

When will service begin? Summer seems “unlikely”

The MBTA hosted an in-person meeting last week at Morton Middle School in Fall River, where several questions from community members went unanswered. South Coast Director of Rail Community Engagement Jean Fox told prospective riders that a July start to service is “unlikely,” the Fall River Herald News reported.

An MBTA spokesperson wouldn’t specify the timeline for the expansion but said the schedule is being reassessed.

“In conjunction with a recent change in the project’s management, a new project executive has been tasked with evaluating all aspects of the project, including the schedule,” MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston told Boston.com. “The MBTA will share more information once this review is complete.”

When will the new train run?

The schedule for service also has not been finalized. The MBTA is planning to run three morning and three evening peak trains to New Bedford and Fall River. During off-peak hours, three trains will come about every three hours, according to preliminary details on the state’s website.

According to the Herald News, Fox didn’t elaborate on any specific schedules for riders but said there would likely be service on weekends.

How much will it cost for riders?

The South Coast Rail will have stations at Freetown, Fall River, Middleborough, Church Street, and New Bedford — all of which are complete or very close to being completely constructed, according to an update from November. The East Taunton Station is the rail’s most complex, with a 800-foot platform, elevators, ramps, and bridges.

The Commuter Rail is priced by zones, and it’s unclear which Commuter Rail Zone the South Coast Rail would qualify for. Middleborough is in Zone 8, meaning it’s a $12.25 trip from Boston. The farthest is Zone 10 – where commuters can get to North Kingstown, R.I. for $13.25.

The Herald News reported that Fox said at the public meeting the Zone for the rail hasn’t been determined.