South Coast Rail won’t be ready until spring 2025

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — It looks like commuters won’t be able to board South Coast Rail after all this year.

The commuter rail line, which connects Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton to Boston, was supposed to be operational this summer.

But on Thursday, the MBTA announced that future drivers will have to wait until next spring.

“I know how important this is to everyone,” Eng said. “We are working to provide as quickly as possible, but in the right way, the commuter rail service that is so vital for everyone. »

The MBTA said the setback is due in part to a delay in materials needed to complete the stations.

Karen Antion, who oversees the South Coast Rail project, said that while the New Bedford station is about 97% complete, the East Taunton station still needs a lot of work.

“The station looks really good,” said Karen Antion, who is overseeing the South Coast Rail project. “It is approximately 75% complete and is expected to be completed in August.”

Despite the delay, Eng said there would be trains on the tracks soon.

The MBTA will begin running test trains at 25 mph through the corridor, eventually reaching 79 mph, which is the maximum speed.

“That’s something you haven’t seen in this hallway,” Eng said. “When trains are traveling at these speeds, we want to emphasize safety in and around the system, but also safety at crossings in particular, because trains traveling at these speeds arrive quickly.”

These tests will then open the door to other stages of analysis. Eng said the service would begin once federal safety inspectors give final approval.

“If we were to accelerate, rush or miss a step, we could make the schedule worse,” Eng said. “The worst case scenario is that we would do something that is not safe, and we don’t want to do that for the passengers on the trains or for our employees.”

In the meantime, Eng reminds everyone to stay off the slopes for their own safety.