New Era for Commuters: South Coast Rail Services Begin Operations
In a significant move for public transportation, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Keolis Commuter Services have kicked off passenger services on the first phase of the South Coast Rail initiative. This marks a historic moment for Fall River and New Bedford, as they now enjoy direct train access to Boston after more then six decades.
This ambitious project has expanded the existing rail service from Boston to Middleborough/Lakeville, utilizing current freight lines to reach Taunton.From there, trains branch out to serve both New Bedford and Fall River—two major cities that were previously isolated from commuter rail connections within an 80-kilometer radius of Boston.
As part of this progress, six new stations have been introduced: Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford. Notably, the Middleborough station has taken over from what was formerly known as Middleborough/Lakeville; this station will now solely cater to seasonal services like the CapeFLYER that connects Boston with Cape Cod.
the renaming of the Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail line reflects its new identity as the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line following this route extension.
Construction Insights
The south Coast Rail project had been on many minds for years before it gained traction in 2014 when Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded a contract for program management and construction oversight to Vanesse Hangen Brustlin alongside HNTB Corp.
Thanks to full funding under Massachusetts’ capital investment plan spanning from 2020 through mid-2024,groundbreaking took place in July of last year at East Freetown with hopes set on launching services by this year.
The initial phases involved track enhancements led by Progress Rail along with culvert upgrades managed by JF white. In May of last year alone, a joint venture between Skanska-DW White secured a hefty $159 million contract aimed at renewing about twenty kilometers of track while also constructing two new stations among other infrastructure improvements like bridges and level crossings.
A subsequent $404 million deal was awarded in August to SCR Constructors—a collaboration between The Middlesex Corp and Tutor Perini—to upgrade another twenty-seven kilometers along the New Bedford Main Line while modernizing eleven kilometers on an adjacent route. this package also included building additional stations along with establishing stabling facilities in both New Bedford and Fall River complete with advanced signaling systems.
To meet increased demand for capacity on these routes, MBTA placed an order for sixteen double-deck coaches manufactured by Hyundai Rotem while refurbishing two diesel locomotives already in service.
A Boost for local Communities
“Launching these rail services opens up fresh avenues for commuting,” remarked Governor Maura Healey during Phase One’s launch event held on March twenty-fourth. “It’s all about reducing traffic woes while giving people back precious time they can spend with family or friends.” She emphasized how improved transit options could drive more foot traffic into local businesses and also cultural hotspots across these communities.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll highlighted that ridership levels across MBTA’s commuter rail system bounced back quicker than any other system nationwide post-pandemic—demonstrating its reliability as an efficient travel option.
“We’ve shown riders just how easy it is,” she added enthusiastically.
MassDOT Secretary & CEO monica Tibbits-Nutt encapsulated it perfectly: “The journey towards realizing South Coast Rail embodies determination; what started off merely as discussions has transformed into tangible progress.”
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