MBTA board approves South Coast Rail construction contract

Rail News Home Passenger Rail 5/12/2020 Rail News: Passenger Rail
Skanska DW White JV will build the the South Coast Rail's Fall River Secondary Line between Fall River and Boston.Photo – MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a nearly $159 million contract with Skanska DW White JV to build the Fall River Secondary Line between Fall River and Boston. 

The construction is part of Phase 1 of South Coast Rail, a project to build a new southern line of the MBTA commuter-rail system along several abandoned and freight-only rail lines. The line will connect southeastern Massachusetts and Boston in fall 2023, MBTA officials said in a press release.

Under the contract, the joint venture will build two new commuter-rail stations in Freetown and Fall River, and a train layover facility with six storage tracks in Fall River. 

The contract also includes work on 12 miles of track, eight railroad bridges, an under-grade bridge, 10 grade crossings, six interlockings, 10 culverts and additional systems infrastructure. 

Construction is expected to take 30 months and begin this summer.