Seeing signs of South Coast Rail? New Bedford ready for first train ride to Boston since 1958

NEW BEDFORD — "I've been taking the train for six years," said James Brooks from East Freetown. He's an iron worker in Boston. He was at the Middleboro/Lakeville train station catching the 1:58 p.m. train into the city heading for work.

"I've followed the project for a long time," he said, referring to the South Coast Rail construction project that will extend the South Station rail to Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford. He's excited about being able to catch the train eventually in Taunton and closer to home.

"I'm going to love it," said Candy Andrade of New Bedford. She was getting off the 1:33 p.m. train in Middleboro that just came from Boston. "It'll be so much easier," she said, noting she'd probably be catching the train at the Route 18 station once the rail project is done.

Work on the South Coast Rail extension into New Bedford will become quite visible in the coming weeks.

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South Coast Rail officials met Tuesday evening by Zoom presenting the latest updates on the project and answering questions from viewers.

“COVID didn’t stop us at all,” said Jean Fox of South Coast Rail. “We are going to be doing an awful lot of track work this year.”

“Especially this season, it’s going to get very busy,” added project manager Bob Campbell.

The three construction sites in the city are the planned passenger stations at Church Street and off Route 18, and the Wamsutta layover station.

Here's what type of work is being done

It may not look like a whole heck of a lot is happening at the New Bedford train station construction sites, but project officials said work has been progressing all along. Prep work at the sites has been mostly underground drainage and utilities work, Fox said.

Fox said the project so far has completed roughly $155 million in work on the New Bedford main line and Fall River and Middleboro secondary lines. She said 44 culverts were replaced, four bridges were replaced as well as track cleaning, tree removal and drainage improvements.

Fencing is planned along the MBTA’s property line to keep trespassers off the railroad tracks. The fencing, Fox said, is 6-foot chain link.

Project officials pointed out that since commuter rail to the city ended in 1958 and freight cars travel through at slower speeds, residents are going to need adjust and get used to a high-speed train moving through.

“Don’t stop on the tracks,” Campbell stressed. “Look both ways and listen.”

Project officials fielded questions from the viewing audience such as cost of a train ticket from New Bedford to Boston’s South Station, whether there would be stops at the New Bedford Business Park or near the Island ferry service, or if parking in the station lots overnight would be allowed (it’s not allowed at the current Middleboro station.)

Questions about train tickets, parking

The cost of a ticket for the 90-minute ride from New Bedford to Boston hasn’t yet been determined, said Nancy Ferrell of South Coast Rail. The base one-way ticket from the Middleboro Station to the South Station is $12.25 according to the MBTA website. Some riders are eligible for reduced fares. Military personnel and children under 11 ride for free.

More: South Coast Rail providing New Bedford and Fall River project updates through videos

Ferrell also said extending the rail to reach the ferry service for a stop probably wouldn’t happen because of substantial infrastructure costs.

Overnight parking is not allowed at any stations, Ferrell said, as a matter of MBTA policy. However, it was pointed out that overnight parking is allowed at the Whale’s Tooth parking lot, which will be shared with the commuter station off Route 18.

The train schedule is also something project officials said isn’t yet known and there hasn’t been a final decision on whether there will be weekend service.

The final design for the pedestrian bridge crossing over Route 18 to the station hasn't been completed yet, project officials noted.

The trains are expected to roll to their new Fall River and New Bedford stations in late 2023, Fox said.

“This was an easy one to say ‘It can’t be done’ and you’ve shown it can,” said former Mayor Scott Lang, who was in the viewing audience.

Standard-Times digital producer Linda Roy can be reached at lroy@s-t.com Follow her on Twitter at @LindaRoy_SCT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: South Coast Rail: Commuter train work more visible in New Bedford