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| SouthCoast Rail | |
|---|---|
| Name | SouthCoast Rail |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| Status | Under construction / planned |
| Locale | Southeastern Massachusetts |
| Start | Boston |
| End | New Bedford, Massachusetts; Fall River, Massachusetts |
| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
| Operator | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
| Line length | ~60 miles |
| Tracks | Mixed single and double |
| Map state | collapsed |
SouthCoast Rail is a major commuter rail initiative to restore passenger service between Greater Boston and the South Coast of Massachusetts cities of New Bedford, Massachusetts and Fall River, Massachusetts. The project seeks to reconnect the Plymouth County and Bristol County corridors with the MBTA Commuter Rail network, integrating with South Station and benefiting commuters from Worcester, Massachusetts, Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Cape Cod-adjacent communities. The program involves complex coordination among state agencies, regional planning organizations, and federal partners including the Federal Transit Administration.
The initiative traces roots to 19th-century lines built by the Old Colony Railroad, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and the Boston and Providence Railroad, which once linked Fall River and New Bedford to Boston. Service declined after mid-20th-century consolidation and the rise of Interstate 195 and U.S. Route 6, mirroring trends that affected the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad. Advocacy by the South Coast Rail Task Force, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and regional elected officials revived interest alongside transit expansions like the Big Dig and MBTA Red Line projects. Environmental reviews invoked statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air Act while public hearings engaged institutions like the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District.
Early studies evaluated multiple alignments including the Middleborough Secondary, the New Bedford Secondary, and the Stoughton Branch Railroad corridors, along with options that paralleled the Old Colony Lines and the Fitchburg Line. Alternatives considered connections to South Station, North Station, and the King's Highway corridor, weighing trade-offs similar to debates around California High-Speed Rail and the Northeast Corridor. Planners modeled ridership using tools and scenarios practiced by Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, incorporating data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Public Transportation Association, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's service planners. Public comment processes involved the Environmental Protection Agency and local bodies such as the New Bedford City Council and the Fall River City Council.
Engineering work addresses track rehabilitation, grade crossings, culvert replacement, and bridge reconstruction including spans over the Taunton River and crossings near Assonet and Mattapoisett. Construction contracts have involved firms with experience on projects like the Big Dig and the Massachusetts Turnpike, and coordination with freight operators such as Keolis (as MBTA contractor historically) and Bay Colony Railroad successors. Civil works include ballast stabilization, signaling upgrades compatible with Positive Train Control, station platforms at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park adjacency, and new interlockings drawing on standards from the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association. Environmental mitigation echoes practices used on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project and the I-93 widening.
Planned service patterns align with MBTA commuter rail operational frameworks seen on the Providence/Stoughton Line and the Fairmount Line, coordinating dispatch with Amtrak on shared corridors where rights-of-way intersect the Northeast Corridor concepts. Rolling stock procurement considers Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority fleets like the MBTA Commuter Rail rolling stock including MP36PH-3C locomotives and F40PH derivatives, with potential shifts toward diesel multiple unit configurations inspired by the MBTA DMU pilots and international DMU deployments such as Talgo and Siemens Desiro. Service integration contemplates fare systems compatible with the CharlieCard infrastructure and schedules coordinating with CapeFlyer summertime operations and Freight rail windows.
Environmental reviews have assessed impacts to wetlands, tidal estuaries, and habitats near Buzzards Bay and the Taunton River Reservation, requiring mitigation informed by precedents like the Wachusett Reservoir protections and Massachusetts Endangered Species Act consultations. Community impacts include concerns around noise, property acquisition akin to eminent domain cases litigated in Massachusetts Land Court, and transit-oriented development proposals echoing patterns from Kendall Square, Allston Yards, and the Seaport District. Outreach involved stakeholders such as Conservation Law Foundation, Audubon Society of Massachusetts, and local chambers of commerce in New Bedford and Fall River.
Funding combines state appropriations via the Massachusetts Legislature, capital bonds administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and federal grants from the Federal Transit Administration including formulas similar to New Starts and Small Starts programs. Governance structures coordinate the MBTA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Fiscal and Management Control Board, regional planning agencies, and municipal partners, reflecting models used in the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). Cost-control mechanisms reference audits by the Office of Inspector General (Massachusetts) and procurement rules consistent with the Federal Transit Administration.
Future phases contemplate electrification comparable to studies for the Northeast Corridor and extensions to Taunton, Massachusetts, Attleboro, Massachusetts, and possible through-running to Blue Line or Green Line concepts explored by TransitMatters. Long-term scenarios consider integration with high-capacity projects like Amtrak Northeast Regional expansions, regional bus-rail hubs emulating South Station Bus Terminal strategy, and transit-oriented real estate modeled after Assembly Row and Ink Block developments. Policy drivers will involve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts climate goals, transit equity initiatives championed by groups such as MassBudget and TransitMatters, and federal infrastructure priorities under administrations that shaped programs like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Category:Massachusetts rail transportation Category:MBTA projects Category:Commuter rail in the United States