FALL RIVER — Shannon Avery-Desmarais of Swansea told Jean Fox, South Coast Railroad’s director of regional relations, that she was thrilled to have a new job in Boston and to bring commuter rail service to Fall River. He said he is doing so. But she said her job will start in July. And so far, the MBTA has been cautious about when service will begin.
“Should I take the train in the fall?” she asked at a public meeting Wednesday at Morton Middle School. “Or are you talking about 2025?”
“I wish I could give you an answer today,” Fox said. “I would say that the possibility of it happening in July is low.”
Audience members who came to the meeting with questions about the consumer-level details of South Coast Rail service received few answers, saying the MBTA is not retreating from its previously stated schedule to have trains running this summer. I had a feeling that this was the case.
If safety checks cause delays:South Coast Rail passenger services postponed from 2023 to 2024
When will the trains finally run?no one knows
Multiple attendees asked Fox when he plans to begin revenue service, when paying customers will be able to ride commuter rail from Fall River to points north. Fox said he could not provide a date or even a rough schedule.
In the early stages of a project, the service It is announced that it will start in the winter of 2023. At the MBTA board meeting in September, that start date was pushed back to summer 2024. Fox’s statement seems to suggest it may need to be postponed again.
“One of the things we really have to recognize is the deception of deadlines,” Ken Fiola, executive vice president of Bristol County Economic Development Consultants, said from the audience. “We need to decide clearly when we will open. ‘November’ is necessary. 1. ‘October’ is required. 1.” I need decisive time from you. ”
Many said they were frustrated because they wanted to know when the service would be available, while Fiola said the delays and ambiguity were frustrating from a business development perspective.
“We don’t want this mess to taint this project.”
Run the numbers.Is the South Coast Railroad the cheapest way to commute to Boston?
How much does a train pass cost? Nobody knows
Commuter rail tickets are priced by zone. This is approximately the geographic distance from Boston. The commuter rail’s current terminus, Middleboro/Lakeville, is in Zone 8. Tickets are $12.25 each way.
Fox said the MBTA has not yet decided which zone Fall River or New Bedford will fall into.
Fall River resident Steven Kobialka said the MBTA has “reliability issues” with a lack of information about costs and constantly changing timelines for service.
“This sounds like the usual bureaucratic thing when time estimates fail, because now you back off,” he said. “I think what people keep asking is, ‘When will I be able to get on this train and go to Boston?'”
Does South Coast Railway operate on weekends? Probably
A daily timetable has also not been published, but Fox suggested trains would likely run on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We currently have weekend service on the Middleboro Line,” she said. “We expected that to happen, but again, that’s a different department.”
In addition to commuters, Fox said weekend rail service could be an attractive option for people who want to travel for school, medical appointments or recreation.
“We’ve made it clear that people want weekend service, and it makes sense because not everyone commutes,” she said.
If South Coast Rail runs on weekends, at least one aspect of the fare issue will be resolved. MBTA weekend commuter rail fares are $10 for unlimited rides in any zone.
Safety on railway rights-of-way remains an issue
Fox reminded those in attendance that being anywhere on the tracks is illegal and dangerous. She said an SUV veered off to the right side of a tipsy toboggan on Ferry Street last weekend, drove north on the railroad tracks for a mile and a half and got stuck behind Melo’s Chorizo and Linguisa on North Court Street, she said.
“If the train had run on that track, those people wouldn’t be here. There will soon be high-speed test trains in the area, and some trains will be put into service.” she said. Area with a maximum speed of 120 mph. ”
The MBTA has attempted to spread safety messages through multiple venues. Recently, they have started reaching out to local schools and community groups.
“We’re still seeing people trespassing, and that’s trespassing. Driving on the right is illegal,” she said.
Why does South Coast Railroad’s schedule keep changing?
Fox blamed the delay on problems with the construction of East Taunton Station and a more thorough testing phase than originally planned.
East Taunton station has a different design than other stations, with platforms on a central island and tracks running on either side. This requires multiple start and end modes.
“There’s an elevator. There’s a ramp. There’s a bridge. It’s very complicated,” she said.
Between that and delays caused by the coronavirus and supply chain shortages, the station is behind schedule, Fox said. She said that with concentrated effort, it would be completed within the next few months.
The line has been in a testing phase for several months. He said the Federal Railroad Administration’s testing and commissioning process has become “much more robust in recent years than it has been in the past.”
What needs to be done before the South Coast Railway finally opens?
- Complete construction of East Taunton Station
- Test the active train control system
- Test positive train control system
- Complete more fire training sessions
- Prove the safety of all equipment involved
- Field test and mock service period
Dan Medeiros can be contacted at: dmeeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Herald News today.