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| New Bedford Secondary | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Bedford Secondary |
| Type | Commuter and freight rail |
| System | MBTA Commuter Rail, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Status | Active |
| Start | Taunton, Massachusetts |
| End | New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Opened | 19th century |
| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Operator | Keolis North America, Massachusetts Coastal Railroad |
| Linelength | ~20 miles |
| Gauge | Standard gauge |
New Bedford Secondary The New Bedford Secondary is a rail corridor in southeastern Massachusetts connecting Taunton, Massachusetts and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The line carries a mix of freight and proposed or intermittent passenger services, involving agencies such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and private operators including Keolis North America and Massachusetts Coastal Railroad. The corridor passes through municipalities including Freetown, Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and Fall River, Massachusetts adjacent areas and intersects with regional networks like the Providence and Worcester Railroad and historical mainlines such as the Old Colony Railroad.
The corridor traces origins to 19th-century rail companies including the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad, the Old Colony Railroad, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and later consolidation under the Penn Central Transportation Company and Conrail. Ownership and operational responsibilities transitioned to entities such as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, with current freight operations by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad and passenger planning involving the MBTA and regional planners like the Southeast Regional Transit Authority and the Southcoast Rail project program managed by MassDOT.
The line begins near Taunton, Massachusetts where connections exist with the Fall River Secondary and freight corridors serving Raynham, Massachusetts and industrial sidings. It proceeds southeast through Freetown, Massachusetts and into Dartmouth, Massachusetts, skirting near Hatch Street Beach and industrial zones before reaching New Bedford, Massachusetts waterfront facilities including the Port of New Bedford and remaining freight spurs serving marine terminals and fisheries-related industries. The route crosses state and municipal roads including U.S. Route 6 (Massachusetts), Interstate 195, and links to regional transit hubs such as New Bedford Whaling Museum environs and surface transit nodes operated by the Greater New Bedford Regional Transit Authority.
Construction began under chartered companies like the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad in the 1840s and 1850s, later absorbed into the Old Colony Railroad system during mid-19th-century consolidation alongside lines such as the Cape Cod Railroad and the Fall River Railroad. The corridor became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad network during the late 19th century, experiencing freight growth tied to the New Bedford Whaling Museum era maritime trade and the regional textile industry in Fall River, Massachusetts and Taunton, Massachusetts. Postwar declines led to inclusion in the Penn Central Transportation Company merger and subsequent transfer to Conrail in the 1970s, with state acquisition by Massachusetts Department of Transportation for preservation and potential commuter restoration alongside projects like the South Coast Rail initiative and federal programs involving the Federal Railroad Administration.
Freight services are primarily operated by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, serving customers at the Port of New Bedford, industrial sidings and interchanges with the Providence and Worcester Railroad. Passenger service proposals have been advanced by the MBTA, MassDOT, and regional planning agencies through studies including the South Coast Rail environmental review and the Pacheco Pass Rail Corridor analyses; local advocates include municipal governments of New Bedford, Massachusetts and Taunton, Massachusetts and organizations like the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District. Trial and shuttle services historically involved operators such as Keolis North America under MBTA contract, with timetable, rolling stock, and fare integration dependent on coordination with MBTA Commuter Rail policies.
Track infrastructure includes standard gauge rails on a primarily single-track alignment with passing sidings, welded rail, timber and concrete ties, and drainage structures designed per Federal Railroad Administration standards. Bridges, culverts, and grade crossings along the corridor have been upgraded in coordination with MassDOT and municipal highway departments; notable structures required repair during projects funded by state and federal grants from agencies including the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. Freight motive power typically comprises diesel locomotives such as EMD models operated by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad; proposed passenger operations would utilize MBTA-compatible diesel multiple units or locomotive-hauled coaches similar to equipment used on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line and other MBTA Commuter Rail services, procured via contracts with firms like Stadler Rail or CAF in comparable procurements.
The corridor has experienced grade crossing incidents, trespasser events, and weather-related washouts requiring emergency response from local fire departments in New Bedford, Massachusetts and Taunton, Massachusetts as well as investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board in cases involving significant damage. Safety improvements have included installation of active warning devices at crossings coordinated with MassDOT Highway Division standards, vegetation management per Federal Railroad Administration guidelines, and positive train control studies tied to federal mandates following incidents on other New England corridors such as the Metro-North Railroad and MBTA lines.
Major proposals center on full passenger restoration as part of the South Coast Rail program, incremental service phases proposed by MassDOT and the MBTA, and infrastructure upgrades funded through federal competitive grants administered by the Federal Transit Administration and the United States Department of Transportation. Local economic development agencies like the Greater New Bedford Regional Transit Authority and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District advocate for transit-oriented development, port access improvements tied to the Port of New Bedford, and multimodal integration with Interstate 195 corridor investments. Potential rolling stock procurement, bridge replacements, and grade separation projects remain subject to environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act and permitting by agencies including the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office.
Category:Rail transportation in Massachusetts Category:Railway lines opened in the 19th century