Fall River and New Bedford Commuters Will Be Affected
NEW BEDFORD, MA — Commuters relying on the South Coast Rail network will need to adjust their travel plans for the upcoming weekend. The MBTA has announced that temporary shuttle buses will replace all regular train service on Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The service suspension will affect lines running between Middleborough and New Bedford, as well as between Fall River and Middleborough. Transit officials stated the disruption is necessary to accommodate critical track improvement work along the corridor. Regular train service is scheduled to resume fully on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Expected Delays and Boston Travel
Passengers traveling toward Boston from Fall River or New Bedford should prepare for altered routes and longer commutes. Riders will need to board a shuttle bus to the Middleborough station, where they can then transfer to the standard commuter rail train to complete their journey. Transit officials advise commuters to budget an additional 30 to 40 minutes of travel time due to these transfers and road traffic.
Affected Stations and Route Modifications
The service outage impacts multiple stations, including Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford.
Riders should note a specific routing exception for East Taunton:
- The New Bedford shuttle will bypass East Taunton entirely.
- Passengers traveling from New Bedford or Church Street who need to reach East Taunton must take the shuttle all the way to Middleborough, then transfer to an outbound Fall River-bound shuttle bus.
Boarding and Accessibility Information
To minimize confusion, all replacement shuttle buses will pick up and drop off passengers directly within the commuter rail parking lots near the main station entrances. The MBTA has confirmed that the entire shuttle fleet used for this diversion will be fully accessible, with all buses equipped with either wheelchair lifts or ramps.
