Local News Cancellations, delays, shuttle buses: South Coast Rail had an unreliable first month After frequent delays, cancellations, and some shuttle buses on South Coast Rail, the MBTA is extending fare free weekend service through May. Dave Connolly, Keolis conductor checks his watch for train bound to South Station from Fall River on first day of service. (David L Ryan/Globe Staff ) By Molly Farrar April 24, 2025 2 minutes to read

The MBTA is extending free weekend service after a tumultuous first month for the new South Coast Rail extension, which now connects some commuters to Boston for the first time in 65 years.

The new line to Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton has been plagued by shuttle buses, canceled trips, and frequent delays since its first trains began March 24, according to the MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the commuter rail. 

The MBTA announced last week that shuttle buses will replace service on April 19 and 20, and, “as a show of gratitude to the riders who have been utilizing this new service,” fare-free weekend service would be extended through May. 

Some weekend service on the Fall River/New Bedford line has even been canceled due to staffing issues, a Keolis spokesperson confirmed. While weekday service hasn’t been affected, the MBTA’s Commuter Rail Alerts reported daily issues with the line, including delays, shuttle buses, and cancellations, in part due to staffing issues.

The Boston Globe reported that about 75 riders were stranded at East Taunton when a shuttle bus to Fall River didn’t show up on April 13, a Sunday.

“While the last two weekends did not perform the levels that our riders deserve, we remain committed to this schedule,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said in a statement. “Keolis has assured us that in addition to the hiring and training done to date, they are focused on continuing accelerated qualification of staff until each and every employee is fully qualified to operate on all territory including the new South Coast Rail.”

Keolis plans to higher more qualified conductors

The line’s cancellations are sometimes due to crew member illness, and Keolis said it is working to increase the number of qualified conductors to fill in shifts.

To ensure reliability, Keolis and the MBTA are planning to employ 65 qualified conductors to operate the South Coast Rail by early June. Currently, there are 54 qualified conductors, the Keolis spokesperson said.

“Keolis apologizes to the passengers and communities served by the Fall River/New Bedford Line,” the Boston-based company said. “Keolis understands your frustration, and we are working to improve reliability and resilience going forward.”

The MBTA noted that Keolis will be fined more than $51,000 for the cancellations and terminations due to crew issues. Before the South Coast Rail launched, Eng said that Keolis “confirmed their readiness.”

“Like our riders, we are not pleased with the need to replace selected trains with buses on weekends, and we apologize for these disruptions,” Eng said in a statement, while noting that weekday service has been more consistent than weekends. “Robust all-day service is important to those who use mass transit and we are confident that we can, and will, turn this around.”

TransitMatters, a Boston transit advocacy group, blamed South Coast Rail’s “ambitious timeline” for the shortage of qualified staff. The line has been in development for decades, with years of delays, and cost billions of dollars.

“The ambitious timeline for the South Coast Rail rollout led to this gap in capacity despite the relatively sparse planned service,” Program Assistant Janet Cheung wrote in an email. “We hope to see better coordination in the future with staffing and service changes.”