MBTA Announces South Coast Rail Service Begins March 24, 2025

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) shared today the South Coast Rail passenger service start date.

Pending final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), passenger service will begin Monday, March 24, 2025. For the first time in 65 years, the communities of Taunton, Freetown, New Bedford, Middleboro, and Fall River will have passenger rail service

The MBTA will host a public meeting in Freetown on Monday, February 10 at 6 pm with the community. This public gathering follows three previous community meetings hosted in Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.

“The people of Taunton, Freetown, New Bedford, Middleboro and Fall River have been waiting for passenger rail service for far too long,” said Governor Maura Healey. “General Manager Eng and his team aren’t kicking the can down the road – they're delivering. We’re thrilled to soon be launching South Coast Rail service, which will make it easier for South Coast residents to get around the state, reduce congestion and spur economic development.”

“We’re grateful for all of the input and partnership we’ve received from South Coast residents and businesses that have made this milestone possible,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This project will bring better commutes while also supporting new jobs, housing and economic growth. We’re grateful for the hard work of MBTA and MassDOT teams to get this done.”

“The Healey-Driscoll administration has fully committed to expanding public transportation in Massachusetts, which includes engaging with our communities, launching studies, applying for grants, investing in infrastructure, and successfully bringing projects like South Coast Rail to fruition,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “To everyone who thought the day would never arrive when passenger trains would run again between Fall River, New Bedford, and Boston, we are excited to announce that the day has finally come. South Coast Rail will create opportunities for affordable housing access, connect people to jobs, stimulate regional economies, and encourage a shift from cars to public transportation.”

“Under the leadership of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, we continue to improve mass transportation across our network to make it the preferred choice of travel. Delivering new rail service to the communities as part of South Coast Rail is another example of our workforce fulfilling commitments made to the public. The MBTA is proud to be in this position working collaboratively with the Federal Railroad Administration as we now seek their approval to begin passenger train service at the end of March ahead of our May target. This will allow communities in Boston, southeastern Massachusetts, and many in between to connect by train for the first time in decades,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “We sincerely appreciate the patience and support from stakeholders and community members as we performed train testing and conductor training. The residents of the Commonwealth and all of its visitors deserve this service, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the many teams at the MBTA and our industry partners who are making this a reality.”

“Six stations are complete, over 800 safety functions have been tested on the trains, and now operators are beginning to get ready to learn the routes. It hasn’t been an easy feat, but I’m proud of how much we have accomplished,” said MBTA South Coast Rail Program Executive Karen Antion. “The South Coast Rail is going to be a gamechanger for the region, and we’re excited to deliver this new transportation option that will serve so many communities.”

Train schedule

There will be a total of 15 trips on the Fall River line and 17 trips on the New Bedford Line with a total of 32 trips between South Station and East Taunton. There will be a total of 26 trips between South Station and East Taunton on the weekends. The MBTA anticipates trains to run every 70 minutes on weekdays and every 2 hours 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.

Train station renaming

When service begins, the Middleborough/Lakeville Line will be renamed the Fall River/New Bedford Line.
The Middleborough/Lakeville Station (located at 125 Commercial Drive, Lakeville) will be renamed Lakeville Station.
Commuter Rail trains will no longer stop at Lakeville Station
The Lakeville Station will serve only the seasonal Cape Cod Flyer.
The new Middleborough Station (located at 52 West Grove Street, Middleborough) will serve the commuter rail.

Fares

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.

Safety system testing complete

Automatic Train Control (ATC) testing was completed in July, 2024 and dispatch responsibilities were transferred to Keolis. Over 800 Positive Train Control (PTC) functions have been tested to ensure safety, reliability, and compliance. PTC system testing was completed in December 2024 and operations were transferred to Keolis on January 6, 2025.

Construction complete

All six stations -- located in Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford -- were completed by September 2024. Stations are fully accessible. Certificates of occupancy have also been given for the New Bedford Station and the Wamsutta Layover Facilities.

Operator training underway

Qualification runs are currently underway to allow for operator training and route familiarity. Demonstration service is slated for early March. All part of the federal New Starts process, these remaining tasks represent the final phases of the testing and commissioning process.

Communities can expect to see more signage installed shortly, including station posters, route maps, directional street signs, and more.