MBTA Announces South Coast Rail Service Schedules Now Available

Service begins on the new Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line on March 24.

BOSTON – The MBTA today announced that South Coast Rail schedules are now available for the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line. For the first time in 65 years, the communities of Taunton, Freetown, New Bedford, Middleborough, and Fall River will now have passenger rail service to and from downtown Boston. Service begins Monday, March 24, with schedules available on mbta.com.

“The launch of South Coast Rail passenger service underscores the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable, accessible, and resilient transportation infrastructure for the residents and businesses of Massachusetts,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We deeply appreciate the public’s patience, the collaboration of local officials, and the dedication of our employees and contractors, all of whom made this milestone possible. With service beginning on March 24, thousands of cars will come off the roads, and thousands of people will experience the convenience and benefits of public transportation firsthand.”

"We’re pleased to welcome our new south coast passengers to the Commuter Rail with the release of the new schedules that go into effect on March 24,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. "This is another important milestone as we bring rail service to southeastern Massachusetts communities after 65 years, offering new and exciting opportunities for residents and visitors in this region. We sincerely appreciate the patience and support from stakeholders and community members, the collaboration from our state and federal partners, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the many teams at the MBTA and our industry partners who are making this a reality.”

South Coast Rail Schedules 

Fifteen trips will operate on the Fall River Commuter Rail Line and 17 trips will operate on the New Bedford Commuter Rail 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. Trains will 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 connecting trains 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. 

Full schedules are available now at mbta.com.

Commuter Rail Line and Station Renaming, Other Changes 

Passengers are reminded that the Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail Line will be renamed the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line when service begins on March 24.

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 CapeFLYER.  

The new Middleborough Station (located at 52 West Grove Street, Middleborough) will serve the Commuter Rail. 

Fares 

All South Coast Rail stations are Zone 8 stations. This means that passengers will pay a full fare of $12.25 and a reduced fare of $6 for a one-way ride between Zone 1A to 8. 

Free Weekend Service and Parking This Spring

As previously announced, free weekend service and parking will be available from March 29 and April 27.

Free Weekend Service 

Fare-free service will be available on the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Lines for all weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) between March 29 and April 27 as well as on April 21 (Patriots’ Day). Passengers can ride for free if they are boarding or ending their ride at one of the six South Coast Rail stations. 

Riders should share their origin and destination stations with conductors to receive free travel. This offer is only valid on the Fall River and New Bedford Commuter Rail Lines and does not apply to trains on other Commuter Rail lines.   

On weekdays, regular Commuter Rail fares are in effect for South Coast Rail.
Free Parking

Commuter Rail parking at the six South Coast Rail station lots – Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Church Street, Fall River Depot, and New Bedford – will be free March 24 through the end of the day on April 30, 2025. 

This free parking promotion may end earlier than anticipated if South Coast Rail parking lots fill up and spaces become unavailable. Standard parking rates for South Coast Rail stations are $4 per day on weekdays and $2 per day on weekends/holidays.