114 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

WJAR-TV, Providence, RI 2/24/23

 

Fall River residents worry they'll be priced out once South Coast Rail comes to the city

 

 

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WJAR) — Fall River is roughly 50 miles from Boston and 20 miles from Providence.

 

The location and lack of commuter rail to Boston has kept a lot of the high-priced developers out, but that could soon with South Coast Rail arriving soon.

 

 

Continue here with video report.  

[KevinKorell]

Commonwealth magazine, 3/28/23:

 

 

 Is scrapping of bus service bad sign for South Coast rail?    

 

 

THE SOUTH COAST’S only bus link to Boston is shutting down next month because ridership is so low, which is raising questions about the viability of commuter rail service to the region that is scheduled to begin later this year or early next year.

 

Article

[KevinKorell]

Herald-News, Fall River, MA, 7/20/23:

 

 

    The commuter rail is on its way. Public safety organizations are getting crucial training.  

 

 

The South Coast Rail is set to hit the tracks later this year for commuter service to Boston in the region, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is in preparation mode with safety training. 

 

Article

[KevinKorell]

New Bedford, MA Light, 8/7/23:

 

 

 

   After decades of delays, commuter train service is on track to begin this year — here’s what to know   

 

 

Steve Stock is looking forward to finishing a project that’s as old as he is. 

 

He’s a project manager for South Coast Rail, which will soon make New Bedford and Fall River part of the MBTA’s commuter rail network — an undertaking that has been in the works since the late 1980s.

Read

[KevinKorell]

Fall River, MA Reporter, 9/21/23:

 

 

  MBTA testing, commissioning Commuter Rail trains to and from Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River, New Bedford for first time in decades       

 

 

The MBTA will be testing and commissioning Commuter Rail trains to and from Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River, and New Bedford for the first time in decades. The test trains will travel the corridor, reaching speeds of up to 80 mph, much faster than previous freight trains at 25 mph.

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Here we go with another slippage of opening date.   WZRM Radio, Boston, MA, 9/29/23:

 

 

  South Coast Rail Now Expected To Be Ready Next Summer    

 

 

Passenger service on a commuter rail expansion to southern Massachusetts is not expected to begin until next summer, MBTA officials said Thursday, which would be about half a year later than prior forecasts. 

 

Full story

[KevinKorell]

Fall River, MA Herald News,   9/29/23:

 

 

    South Coast Rail passenger service is being delayed. Here's why, explained in 60 seconds  

 

 

Commuter rail riders who were expecting a smooth ride to Boston sometime this year have to wait a little longer at the platform. The latest timetable for passenger service on South Coast Rail from Fall River and New Bedford is now summer of 2024. 

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

WBUR Radio,  11/2/23:

 

 

 

   As New Bedford area awaits South Coast Rail line, skeptics fret over costs, ridership and slow speeds    

 

 

 

It’s a project 30 years in the making: a South Coast train line reconnecting New Bedford, Taunton and Fall River to Boston. After countless delays, many wonder when the costly MBTA project will start operating and whether it will be a success.

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

NBC Boston,  12/29/23:

 

 

  South Coast Rail: All aboard to New Bedford, Fall River in 2024      

 

 

The MBTA is on track to deliver Commuter Rail service to the South Coast in 2024, marking the first time in decades that cities like New Bedford and Fall River will have direct rail access to Boston.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Fall River, MA Herald-News, 1/1/24:

 

 

 

     Transit group: South Coast Rail is 'compromised,' but it can be made better. Here's how.  

 

 

 

In about half a year, South Coast Rail is expected to be ready to carry passengers from Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton to Boston — the end of a decades-long journey to reconnect the SouthCoast to the state capital. But this isn't the end of the line. 

 

Story is here.

 

There is no doubt that the single-track segment will be a bottleneck, and it will be a roadblock to contra-flow rail service to maintain hourly frequencies throughout the day.   There is the parallel Red Line alternative through much of this area, but then rapid transit is slower than commuter rail as the former will continue to make more stops.   It's only temporary, but the Stoughton routing seems far on the horizon.