Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) said the South Coast Rail passenger service start date, pending final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is set for March 24.

With the launch of the South Coast Rail passenger service, the communities of Taunton, Freetown, New Bedford, Middleboro, and Fall River will have passenger rail service for the first time in 65 years. 

“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,” said MBTA GM/CEO Phillip Eng. “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,” 

South Coast Schedules

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 two 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. 

Changes Leading to the Launch

Leading up to the launch, the MBTA will rename several stations and revamp connections along the line.

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. 

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 Jan. 6. 

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.