Local Leaders Give Thoughts On Middleboro Route

Local leaders are reacting after state officials gave a presentation on Monday regarding the costs of a proposed Southcoast Rail route going through Stoughton.

The proposed Stoughton route is estimated to cost roughly $3.4 billion and wouldn't be completed until 2030 at the earliest.

However, the door was left open for the Middleboro Alternative Route which, although not as direct, would cost an estimate $200 million.

Ken Fiola, Executive Vice President at Fall River Office of Economic Development, is urging residents and leaders to get behind the proposed Middleboro route telling WBSM's Barry Richard that, in addition to the lower cost, it will bring rail to the region much sooner than the proposed Stoughton route.

"With a Middleboro route that would service both Fall River and New Bedford as well as Taunton, it could be delivered in a much more timely fashion," said Fiola "they're saying five to six years, I'm hoping that we could chop at least two to three years off of that, I think there are ways to do that."

Robert Mellion, President and CEO of the Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also expressed support for a Middleboro route telling WBSM's Barry Richard that the proposed Stoughton route presents numerous logistical problems associated with going throough the Hockomock Swamp.

"You've got 13 endangered species that have been identified by the State of Massachusetts in the Hockomock Swamp, you've got the fact that the Hockomock Swamp is the watershed for five different communities throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, and it is where they're getting water for their reservoirs," said Mellion "you've also got the fact that there has been human activity documented for 9,000 years."

Mellion said the Stoughton route also faces problems along the Easton portion of the route.

"You're going to have to have a multi-story structure of electrical lines blasting through the downtown of Easton's Historical District," said Mellion "the alternative is to tunnel under Easton, the problem is that Easton's located next to the Hockomock Swamp, the water table is about two feet before you hit water in Easton."

Former New Bedford Mayor Scott told WBSM's Barry Richard that while some might be disappointed that the Stoughton route is unlikely to be built, the overall goal will still be accomplished with a Middleboro Route.

"Noone ever said 'let's advocate for a route, and only one route, and if we don't get that route then we don't want the train' I mean that seems to me to be completely counterproductive, counterintuitive, and not what we all stood for," said Lang "we want the train."

Lang also argued that, in addition to serving the Southcoast's major hubs, the Middleboro route would bring another economic boost to the region.

"You can run freight on it," said Lang "and you have to have rail freight down to the new maritime terminal and you have to have it at State Pier, so you've got to have freight to be competitive in the transit business."

However, current New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell didn't share his predecessor's enthusiasm issuing to WBSM News expressing "surprise and skepticism" of the announcement made by state leaders and criticizing the length of the route.

"State planners have long recognized that a trip from our city to Boston along the Middleboro Route would be unreasonably long," said Mitchell "as a former commuter to Boston myself, I suspect many commuters might be unwilling to endure a daily ride of ninety minutes each way, in addition to travel times to the stations and to their specific destinations."

Mayor Mitchell also expressed doubt about the timeline suggested by state officials and urged continued support for the project.

"I also wonder whether a route switch would indeed achieve the operational date being suggested, or whether the need to undertake new design work and permitting would end up pushing the actual operational date further off," said Mitchell "It is important to keep in mind that it has taken us decades just to get to this point, so no one wants the project to lose ground at a time when we should be focusing on getting it built and running.”