FREETOWN, Mass. (WPRI) — Southern New Englanders will soon be able to take the train to Boston from a station close to home.
Gov. Charlie Baker and other state leaders arrived at the new station for a ribbon cutting on a new rail car, but it’s not up and running just yet.
The station is part of the ongoing South Coast Rail project, giving Bristol County residents another way up to Boston.
“How are we going to claim to be an inclusive Commonwealth if the Southcoast of Massachusetts and Fall River and New Bedford, in particular, did not have access to the public transportation that was available to all the other communities within 50 miles of Boston of any significant size,” Baker said.
Voters in New Bedford and Fall River approved a ballot question in this year’s election for the cities to join the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
The Fall River branch costs $159 million and is on time and on budget. Simultaneously, the $400 million New Bedford branch is also being worked on through the winter.
“I can’t think of a better moment for this rail connection to take place, connecting people of this region to the capital of our Commonwealth and more so to connect people from other regions of our Commonwealth to this part of our state,” Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said.
Construction of the South Coast Rail Project is on track to be completed next fall.