NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (State House News Service) – The long-awaited extension of the MBTA commuter rail line to the South Coast won’t open to passengers until next spring, nearly 18 months after the original opening date tied to the project.

After sharing the latest outlook with community members Thursday evening, T officials announced Friday that they now expect service to begin in the spring of 2025, a delay they said would “bring more resources and attention to South Coast To make rail reliable on its first day of service and beyond.”

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The New Bedford Light reported that MBTA General Manager Phil told attendees at a meeting on Thursday that he realized the timeline for South Coast Rail was “shifting” in the spring. Eng named Karen Antion as the new project manager earlier this year, and MBTA officials said the move was “necessary to ensure the success and safety of the project.”

It is the latest delay for a project that has been postponed several times. In December 2022, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, celebrating a project milestone, said passengers could start riding the new rails by the end of 2023. In the fall of 2023, officials changed the timeline to the summer of 2024, and this spring the T’s leadership suggested a goal might no longer be possible.

The debate over expanding shuttle service to the South Coast goes back decades.

Once completed, the first phase of the $1.1 billion project will provide commuter rail service connecting Boston to New Bedford, Fall River and other nearby communities. State officials say Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford are the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston that don’t have access to the state capital.

T officials said four of the extension’s stations – Fall River, Freetown, Middleborough and Church Street – have been completed, and two more in Ned Bedford and East Taunton will be finished this summer.

Test trains will begin running on Monday at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, and Eng urged locals to be careful near tracks. The T will also test anti-collision technology on the system between August and January.

The agency also announced a fee structure for the extension. All South Coast Rail stations are in Zone 8, so passengers will owe $12.25 for a single ticket or $388 for a monthly pass.

Officials said the distance between Boston and the new stations suggests they should be placed in Zone 8 or Zone 9.

Written by Chris Lisinski/SHNS