Some South Coast Rail Trains Again Replaced By Buses This Weekend

BOSTON (WBSM) — Keolis, the company that operates the MBTA, has announced that a number of trains on the South Coast Rail route will be replaced by bus service this weekend, while also issuing an apology for the service interruptions that passengers have endured since the service launched a month ago.

South Coast Rail Weekend Problems From the Start

The very first weekend of South Coast Rail service left some passengers returning to New Bedford and Fall River from Boston to have to instead transfer to MBTA buses, while other trains back to the SouthCoast were just canceled with no alternative transportation option from the MBTA. Keolis citing staffing issues as the reason.

“Crew members, including conductors and engineers, must be qualified in order to operate trains on specific lines,” Keolis said in a release. “If a crew member calls out sick or misses their shift, it can cause trains to be cancelled if a qualified person cannot be found to replace them.”

South Coast Rail Service Changes for This Weekend

Keolis announced that it will “temporarily replace select train trips on the Fall River/New Bedford Line with shuttle bus service on April 26 and 27.”

“The alternative bus service provides reliability for riders in the event there are any crew availability issues over the weekend and enables passengers to plan accordingly,” according to a Keolis release.

Keolis said the express buses will make no stops between East Taunton Station and South Station. Express buses to and from New Bedford will stop at the stations in New Bedford (Whale’s Tooth), at Church Street, in East Taunton and South Station.

Express buses from Fall River will make stops in Fall River, Freetown East Taunton and South Station.

How Many Trains Will Be Replaced by Bus Service This Weekend?

There will be a total of 10 trains per day – five inbound and five outbound – that will be replaced by buses on Saturday and Sunday. Keolis said it has added express buses “to shorten journey times for passengers traveling between Fall River, New Bedford and South Station and to supplement the local buses serving most stations along the line,” after some people reported three and four-hour bus trips back to the SouthCoast last weekend.

Which Trains Will Be Replaced by Bus Service?

Inbound trains (to South Station) for bus replacement with both a local and express option for passengers:

Train #6922; 9:37 a.m. from Fall River
Train #7028; 1:03 p.m. from New Bedford
Train #6930; 2:17 p.m. from Fall River
Train #7040; 6:50 p.m. from New Bedford
Train #7046; 9:53 p.m. from New Bedford

Outbound trains (from South Station) for bus replacement with both a local and express option for passengers:

Train #7015; 11:00 a.m. to New Bedford
Train #6917; 12:10 p.m. to Fall River
Train #7029; 4:50 p.m. to New Bedford
Train #6979; 6:06 p.m. from East Taunton to Fall River
Train #7039; 7:59 p.m. to New Bedford

Is Bus Replacement a Definite for This Weekend?

Keolis said that “if additional crews become available, the trips will return to train service and riders will be notified via T-alerts and by customer experience staff positioned at stations.” It is recommended that passengers follow the Commuter Rail X account @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date information, or contact customer service: customerservice@keoliscs.com or (617) 222-3200.

What Is Keolis Doing to Fix the South Coast Rail Staffing Issues?

“With the launch of service to Fall River and New Bedford, Keolis is regularly training and increasing additional qualified crews to support the service on this new line,” Keolis said in the release.

“Keolis is actively increasing the number of qualified conductors on South Coast Rail territory, above the required 32 positions, with a plan to increase from the current 54 qualified conductors to a planned 65, by early June 2025 in order to increase operational resiliency and reliability for our passengers and the communities served by the Fall River/New Bedford Line,” it said.

Keolis Apologizes and Extends Fare-Free Weekend Service

“Keolis apologizes to our passengers and to all who eagerly anticipated the opening of the Fall River/New Bedford Line last month. We understand the frustrations experienced by passengers over the past two weekends and we are committed to providing the South Coast region with the level of Commuter Rail service they both expected and deserve.” — Keolis press release

To make up for the disruptions, fare-free weekend service on the Fall River/New Bedford Line has been extended through the end of May.

All Aboard the South Shore Bar Pizza Train

One of the benefits of the new South Coast Rail commuter train connection New Bedford to Boston is that there are 11 good South Shore Bar Pizza stops en route.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg