South Coast Rail is scheduled to open March 24, but only if the Federal Railroad Administration green-lights the start of passenger service.
The new territory still needs safety certification.
Once open, South Coast Rail will extend Boston commuter rail from Middleborough to New Bedford and Fall River, fulfilling a decades-old promise by state officials.
Phil Eng, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, discussed the federal hurdle at a public meeting last night in Freetown.
“We are optimistic,” he said. “We've been working very closely, every step of the way, with all the testing, with the qualifications, the safety training.”
He said hiring is on target, too. The MBTA has been working with the Federal Railroad Administration on the startup process for about three years.
Over the past year, the MBTA has been meeting with the administration face-to-face on a monthly basis. Executive and technical staff travel to Massachusetts from Washington, D.C., for those meetings, said Karen Antion, program executive for South Coast Rail.
“They have reviewed the facilities, reviewed the testing that we've done, and reviewed our plans and our operational readiness,” she said. “And so far, we've gotten very positive feedback on it.”
One test still to be completed is called “run the service,” meaning the MBTA will do a dry run of the full train schedule.
When passenger service begins, trains will run from New Bedford and Fall River to Boston and back, with new stops along the way in East Taunton, Freetown, and Middleborough. South Coast Rail has six new stations in all — two in New Bedford and one in each of the other communities.
Eng said the schedule will offer more trains than originally planned, because frequent trains increase ridership.
“We pushed ourselves to be able to run a more robust service than originally promised way back in the beginning of this project,” he said. “And the reason for that is we've seen that ridership is much stronger, more robust, when it's much more regular throughout the day.”
How often do trains run?
On weekdays, a train will depart from New Bedford or Fall River — but not both — about every 70 minutes, and on weekends, every two hours. The same goes for trains departing from Boston. A train will leave for New Bedford or Fall River, but not both, at those intervals.
What’s the schedule?
Officials said the schedule should be released in early March, but trains will run from approximately 4:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. The last train is expected to leave Boston just before midnight.
How much does it cost?
Prices match the Zone 8 pricing throughout the commuter rail system. That means full fare will be $12.25 each way on weekdays. Some riders are eligible for free or reduced fares, which are $6. Among those who ride free are children under age 11 and military personnel. South Coast Rail will also participate in the $10 weekend pass program.
At last night’s meeting, members of the public got the opportunity to pose questions to MBTA officials and comment on the project.
Sarah Page, director of the Fall River Redevelopment Authority, asked if the MBTA is concerned that potential federal staffing cutbacks could affect the Federal Railroad Administration and change the schedule for approval.
“No, we have no concerns,” said Jean Fox, director of community engagement for South Coast Rail. “We've been working with the FRA for a long time.”
Several people who went to the microphone thanked the MBTA for bringing South Coast Rail to fruition, but not everyone was glad to see the train come through town.
Freetown resident Billy Guay said he lives near a railroad crossing and will hear the train horn all day long.
“It’s a little bittersweet for me. I get it — for a lot of people it’s a great thing,” he said. “It’s made my house unsellable.”
This isn’t the first time Fall River and New Bedford have had passenger trains to Boston. But the service was shut down in the 1950s after the rise of the automobile.
