South Coast Rail project chugging along in New Bedford — here's what to expect in 2023

 

South Coast Rail project chugging along in New Bedford — here's what to expect in 2023

Kathryn Gallerani  

Standard-Times 
Published Dec. 22, 2022 

NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford hasn’t had a direct link to Boston since the 1950s, but that’s going to change by the end of next year. 

The South Coast Rail project will restore commuter rail service between Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. New Bedford, Taunton and Fall River are the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston without commuter rail access.  

This past year, the South Coast Rail project made enormous progress, with the midpoint of construction achieved this past spring and work on one of the lines now substantially complete, according to MBTA Deputy Press Secretary Lisa Battiston. 

State and local officials celebrated the substantial completion of the Fall River Secondary Line with a ribbon cutting at Freetown Station on Dec. 5. 

Battiston said work will continue through the winter on the larger contract which includes the New Bedford Main Line, the Middleborough Secondary Line, four stations and the Wamsutta layover facility. 

“New Bedford residents have already seen activity at the Church Street Station site and at the New Bedford Station near the Seastreak parking lot,” she said. “They can anticipate work continuing through the winter, with efforts increasing as the 2023 construction season launches around March. At this time, crews are working in the Wamsutta layover site and doing track work in and around New Bedford.” 

She said the project team meets regularly with city departments and officials to keep the city up-to-date on activity and progress and promoting ongoing coordination. South Coast Rail will likely conduct a public meeting in the spring to update residents on work completed and next steps. 

“The project team looks forward to a busy and productive 2023,” she said. 

Work underway at new commuter rail stops

The Church Street Station at 387 Church St. will be the second to last stop with the New Bedford Station on Acushnet Avenue in the Whale’s Tooth parking lot the final stop on the New Bedford Main Line.  

The Wamsutta Layover Facility site at 217 Herman Melville Blvd. is just to the north of the last stop on the South Coast Rail route. 

An interactive corridor map online provides a detailed, street-by-street view of the entire first phase and full build corridors, including each station and layover facility.  

Anyone can enter a property’s street address to locate where a property is in relation to the tracks using the search tool. 

The MBTA plans to operate three morning peak trains and three evening peak trains to both New Bedford and Fall River.  

The Fall River Secondary Line includes two stations and the Weaver's Cove layover facility in Fall River. At 87% complete, contractor Skanska/D.W. White is wrapping up punchlist items, doing site cleanup, installing fencing, and completing work at that layover facility. 

Besides the two New Bedford stations, East Taunton Station and Middleborough Station are also under construction, with crews at all four sites installing drainage systems, electrical conduit and connections and constructing platforms. 

At full buildout, commuter rail service on the Stoughton Line will extend to the New Bedford and Fall River lines.