The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) shared South Coast Rail project updates at the Taunton City Hall. This follows two previous meetings, which took place in June, 2024 in Fall River and New Bedford.
The project includes six stations: Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford.
Train schedule
Initially, 26 trips were expected to be part of revenue service daily for the Fall River and New Bedford lines. The team has since increased total weekday trips between South Station and East Taunton to 32. This includes 15 trips on the Fall River line (increased from 13) and 17 trips on the New Bedford Line (increased from 13). There will be a total of 26 trips between South Station and East Taunton on the weekends. The project team expects 70 minutes between trains on weekdays and 120 minutes between trains on the weekends.
Late night service will be offered to South Coast Rail stations with the last train leaving Boston just before midnight.
In addition to direct service, there will also be shuttles operating between each terminus point and East Taunton Station. This allows for even more frequent service, which is consistent with the All Day Service model across the rest of the Commuter Rail network.
The MBTA has determined that the fare structure for all South Coast Rail stations will be priced in Zone 8. This means that passengers will pay a full fare of $12.25 and a reduced fare of $6.
Positive Train Control (PTC) system testing is underway
Automatic Train Control (ATC) testing completed in July, 2024 and dispatch responsibilities have been transferred to Keolis. Positive Train Control (PTC) system testing is federally mandated and underway for two trains on the South Coast Rail. It is expected to run through January 2025. PTC is a safety technology that acts as a digital guardrail for trains. It can automatically prevent collisions, stop trains from entering unauthorized work zones, ensure they don’t proceed through misaligned switches, and enforce speed limits.
The trains are testing over 800 Positive Train Control (PTC) functions, and residents will see increased train movements and crossing signal usage as Keolis begins dispatching trains. To date, over 400 PTC functions have been tested.
Keolis will operate the rail system and will commence maintenance duties on February 1, 2025.
Construction
Construction and inspections have been completed on all stations with the exception of East Taunton Station. Work is concentrated on the elevators at this time. East Taunton Station is the most complex station in the project. It relies on a center island platform and requires components like elevators, ramps, and stairs for safe and accessible access and egress. Middleborough, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford stations rely on side platforms for passenger loading and unloading.
The only remaining outstanding certificate of occupancy is for the Wamsutta Layover Facility in New Bedford.
-via Press Release
