For the first time in 65 years, residents in southeastern Massachusetts have a Commuter Rail service connecting them to Boston via the South Coast Rail line.
The MBTA announced on March 25 that a new Commuter Rail line was in service. The project joins South Station in Boston to New Bedford, Fall River and numerous other towns and cities by extending the former Middleborough/Lakeville Line. The South Coast Rail has six new stations along the line.
The Commuter Rail has always been a fast and easy method of transportation, albeit sometimes unreliable. Aditya Tangella (IV) states, “I use it occasionally, […] [but] still takes a while to walk to and from the stations. [It] sometimes gets delayed, which can be frustrating, especially for those who rely on it to get to and from work.”
First envisioned in 1991, the South Coast Rail project faced issues securing sufficient funding to build the line, with six state administrations trying and failing to implement the project.
Concerns also arose when the original project, which was supposed to run through Stoughton, passed through the Hockomock Swamp, an environmentally sensitive area. Environmental complaints about running diesel locomotives through the swamp delayed the project.
Later in 2010, the Army Corp of Engineers stated that electric trains, a more environmentally friendly option compared to diesel trains, could run through the swamp. This, however, would cost the state three billion dollars and would take seven years to complete construction.
In 2017, Former Governor Charlie Baker and his administration decided to divide the South Coast Rail project into two phases: Phase 1 and the “Full Build.” The now complete Phase 1 of the project costs 1.1 billion dollars.
When asked about how he thought the new rail would benefit people, David Nguyen (I) says, “More parts of the subway system [are] always good, in and out of the city.”
The second phase, known as the “Full Build,” connects the South Coast to Stoughton through the use of electric trains. The “Full Build” would also add multiple new platforms and a second stop in Fall River.
The “Full Build” was originally planned to open in 2030, but plans for the project have been taken down from the MBTA website and remain in flux.
On weekdays, trains will run every 70 minutes, with 32 direct trips to or from South Station. On weekends, however, trains will run every two hours with 26 trips. While some will run between South Station and Fall River, others will run between South Station and New Bedford.
All of the new stations have been placed in Zone 8 of the Commuter Rail fare zones. Fares were free from March 24 to 31 and are free every weekend until the end of April.
When asked about his thoughts on the free fares, Henry Tran (V) says, “I like it. […] It is very beneficial because lots of people [can] have access to the MBTA, especially the low-income people, […] [but] it would also be a bad thing because trains […] would be more crowded.”
The MBTA has several projects planned for the near future and others that are currently under construction, including the Better Bus Project and the Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program, which will benefit in providing Massachusetts with reliable and accessible transportation.

Ask the Students: MBTA Experiences