# Talk:South Coast Rail

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 4 September 2019 and 4 December 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Phalanx0032.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 09:52, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Under phase 1 south coast rail is to start construction in 2019 on Middleboro line start service in 2024 there will be a new station in East Taunton. Phase 2 south coast rail is go through Stoughton Scott19982 (talk) 03:38, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

I am in the process of updating the article with the latest developments in the project, including funding and the construction plan.  I will also breakup and reorganize some of the sections.  Comments are welcomed.  Please see my sandbox for the complete list of edits.
Phalanx0032 (talk) 21:24, 18 November 2019 (UTC)Phalanx0032
Dogru144 (talk) 20:46, 19 February 2020 (UTC)

I noticed there's a scale map available for the Phase 2 Full Build, but none are present for Phase 1. Such maps are available on the MBTA website (see here: https://www.mbta.com/projects/south-coast-rail), however I'm not very familiar with copyright law myself, nor do I know what the copyright status of those images is. There doesn't seem to be any declaration of copyright, so would those images fall under public domain? 
VSatire (talk) 04:26, 1 June 2021 (UTC)

South Coast Rail service will begin on Monday, March 24, 2025, as the Fall River/New Bedford Line. A number of articles and other pages will need updated. Most of them I will do myself the weekend of the 22nd/23rd, using {{show by date}} to automatically update at 4am EST on the 24th. Pi.1415926535 (talk) 00:26, 21 March 2025 (UTC)

All items are done except for the geographic map, which I'll be doing shortly. Pi.1415926535 (talk) 00:32, 27 March 2025 (UTC)
All of the following I will do myself; I request that no one else do so to avoid edit conflicts:

Core articles
South Coast Rail  Done
Middleborough station  Done
East Taunton station  Done
Freetown station  Done
Fall River station  Done
Church Street station (MBTA)  Done
New Bedford station  Done
Lakeville station  Done
Move Middleborough/Lakeville station to Lakeville station  Done
Update article  Done
Fall River/New Bedford Line  Done
Move Middleborough/Lakeville Line to Fall River/New Bedford Line  Done
Update article  Done
Clean up stations between South Station and Bridgewater  Done
MBTA Commuter Rail  Done
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority  Done
Associated changes
List of MBTA Commuter Rail stations  Done
List of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yards  Done
Middleboro Secondary  Done
Fall River Secondary  Done
New Bedford Main Line  Done
Update train numbers on all MBTA Commuter Rail lines  Done
CapeFlyer  Done
Templates
{{Massachusetts rail network}}  Done
{{Middleborough/Lakeville Line}} (move and update)  Done
{{Kingston Line}}  Done
commons:Data:Middleborough/Lakeville Line.map (move and update)  Done
{{South Coast Rail Phase 1}}  Done
{{South Coast Rail Phase 2}}  Done
{{Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}  Done
{{Fall River Subdivision}}  Done
{{CapeFLYER}}  Done
{{New Bedford Subdivision}}  Done
{{MBTA other buses/data}}  Done
Manual updates needed after opening
Clean up links to Middleborough/Lakeville Line  Done
Clean up links to Middleborough/Lakeville station  Done
Update Commons categories  Done
Update Wikidata items for SCR stations  Done
Update Wikidata items for existing Middleborough/Lakeville Line stations  Done
Update system maps on Commons
Geographic map
Schematic map  Done
Template:Attached KML/Middleborough/Lakeville Line (move and update)  Done
Update Module:Adjacent stations/MBTA and Module:Adjacent stations/New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad  Done
Update {{Rail-interchange}} and {{Rail-interchange/doc/US}}  Done
Delete Category:Under-construction MBTA Commuter Rail stations  Done (nominated for speedy deletion)
The following articles are secondary to South Coast Rail; others are welcome to help update them.
Church Street station (disambiguation)  Done
Middleborough, Massachusetts  Done
Lakeville, Massachusetts  Done
Taunton, Massachusetts  Done
Freetown, Massachusetts  Done
Fall River, Massachusetts  Done
New Bedford, Massachusetts  Done
2025 in rail transport  Done
SCR  Done
South Coast (Massachusetts)  Done
East Taunton, Massachusetts  Done
Cape Cod Railroad  Done
Old Colony Railroad  Done
Massachusetts Route 79  Done
Somerset, Massachusetts  Done
Westport, Massachusetts  Done
Dartmouth, Massachusetts  Done
Providence metropolitan area  Done
Fall River Railroad (1846)  Done
List of Old Colony Railroad stations  Done
2025 in Massachusetts  Done
List of former Amtrak stations  Done
Sandwich, Massachusetts  Done
Yarmouth, Massachusetts  Done
Wareham, Massachusetts  Done
Bourne, Massachusetts  Done
Falmouth, Massachusetts  Done
Barnstable, Massachusetts  Done

This review is transcluded from Talk:South Coast Rail/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Nominator: Pi.1415926535 (talk · contribs) 06:04, 7 April 2025 (UTC)
Reviewer: Steelkamp (talk · contribs) 05:49, 20 May 2025 (UTC)
Hello. I aim to complete this review within the week. Steelkamp (talk) 05:49, 20 May 2025 (UTC)

I have reviewed the first few sections of the article. Sorry for taking so long, I was delayed because I was sick. Steelkamp (talk) 16:55, 1 June 2025 (UTC)
@Steelkamp: Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well! Thanks for taking the review - I may not be able to respond to all comments until this weekend when I'm back from vacation. Pi.1415926535 (talk) 03:03, 3 June 2025 (UTC)
I have completed a source review. Just my comments there and one prose comment left for you, then we will be done. Steelkamp (talk) 07:47, 21 June 2025 (UTC)
@Steelkamp: Thank you for the very thorough review! I think I've addressed all your comments. Pi.1415926535 (talk) 19:35, 21 June 2025 (UTC)
Great job. The article is well researched and written. Interesting how a groundbreaking ceremony happened two decades before construction began. Hopefully stage 2 happens someday soon! I'm happy to pass the review now. Steelkamp (talk) 06:21, 22 June 2025 (UTC)


### Prose
General comments

This is optional, but there are some costs that don't use non-breaking spaces, e.g. "$1.047 billion" instead of "$1.047 billion", where MOS:NBSP says that non-breaking spaces should be used.
 Doing... as I make copyedits to each section
There are still the converted for inflation costs which don't have non-breaking spaces.
 Done I think I've got them all.
Lead

"Phase 1 would provide interim service to Fall River and New Bedford..." This begs the question how the interim service works without the northern section. How about this: "Phase 1 would provide interim service to Fall River and New Bedford as an extension of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line..."
 Done
"...while Phase 2 would complete the northern section of the project." How about "...while Phase 2 would complete the northern section of the project, between Stoughton and Taunton."
 Done
"Phase 1 construction began in 2019 with a projected cost of $1.047 billion." I know its already stated above, but I think Phase 1's opening date should be mentioned here.
 Done
Its mentioned twice in the lead that environmental impact statements recommended a route via Stoughton. Any way that can be pared down? Perhaps the second mention could be removed entirely, as it doesn't provide anything new and removing it would balance out additions to that paragraph I mention in the above suggestions.
I do think it's important; I've added the electrification mandate and moved it up to balance the paragraphs.
Route

"Construction cost for Phase 1 was estimated as $1.047 billion in 2019 (equivalent to $1.23 billion in 2023)." Is it known whether this is the final cost?
I haven't seen any post-construction cost reporting, unfortunately.
Previous service

No comments.
South Coast Rail planning

"The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was formed in 1964..." Add initialism in brackets -> "The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in 1964..."
 Done
"governor Bill Weld" -> "Governor Bill Weld" as per MOS:JOBTITLES.
 Done
Dorchester and Quincy can be linked.
 Done
"The previous construction of the Braintree Branch of the Red Line had only left space for a single track..." When did they Braintree branch open?
 Done
Was the Attleboro bypass via a former rail ROW?
 Done No - clarified.
Which line is the Old Colony mainline? I'm confused.
 Done Clarified with an earlier sentence.
"...Governor Romney's administration suspended the Growth Task Force and stopped project planning in November 2002..." According to Mitt Romney, he only became governor in January 2003 though? Also his full name should be given and linked upon first mention.
 Done
"Governor Romney's administration suspended the Growth Task Force". The task force has not been mentioned yet, so the reader does not know what it is at this point. Can it be explained somehow?
 Done
The first paragraph below Restoration planning (2005–2014) should be reworded, as its a bit proseliney with four sentences in a row starting with a month.
 Done
"as well as the Grand Junction Branch, the Framingham-to-Worcester section of the Worcester Line, and the South Boston Running Track. Other parts of the agreement included plans for double-stack freights west of Worcester and the abandonment of Beacon Park Yard." Is saying all of this necessary? It seems mostly unrelated to South Coast Rail.
I think it's useful context for the scale of the agreement, but I could be persuaded if you think it's truly unnecessary.
If you think so.
"secretary Rick Sullivan" -> "Secretary Rick Sullivan" as per MOS:JOBTITLES.
 Done
"...with to $210 million..." Is that mean to be "...with up to $210 million..."?
 Done
"The revised plan attracted criticism from several directions..." Is this referring to the June 2017 changes or the splitting of the project into phases more broadly? If so, I recommend rewording to "Splitting the project into two phases attracted criticism from several directions..."
 Done
Phase 1 construction

What is a "wetland impact mitigation area"?
I think in this case it's an artificial wetland created to replace existing wetlands that are impacted or destroyed by construction. I've wikilinked to constructed wetland.
"It also includes signal and communication systems for the whole project area." I would put this in past tense, like the rest of the paragraph: "It also included signal and communication systems for the whole project area."
 Done
Not a suggestion, I'm just surprised to learn that a prerequisite for service commencing was a vote to join the MBTA funding district, and that construction commenced before that even happened.
It's very weird indeed. I think the intention was that the cities would not be paying annual assessments until service actually started, but it could have gone quite badly.
"The delay was attributed to delays constructing East Taunton station and to testing taking longer than expected." Can this be edited to avoid the use of the words "delays" and "delay" so close to each other?
 Done
Keolis can be linked.
 Done
Phase 2 plans

No comments.


### Sources
Can you add page numbers for https://archive.org/details/phase-1-final-supplemental-environmental-impact-report/ ?
 Partly done Added for the usage that refers to a particular point; the other usage just references the report being published.
Can you add page numbers for https://web.archive.org/web/20140728060409/http://www.southcoastrail.com/downloads/NBFR_CommuterRail_Expanded_Feasibility-Study_Draft_Report_March_1995.pdf ?
 Done
"A groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 1998, but since planning was not complete no real construction began." Is there a source from 1998 for this. I'm wary for using a timeline published 15 years later for this when a source from the groundbreaking may be available.
 Done
Sources spotchecked: 2, 5, 15, 18, 19, 29, 33, 34, 37, 43, 45, 51, 58, 63, 64, 65, 72, 75, 89, 95, 96, 97, 110, 111, 118, 119.

Source 5 seems to say the cost was $3.4 billion, not $3.3 billion.
 Done
"$31.6 million ($45 million) for expanding South Station". The source says $31.4 million.
 Done
"The two towns began legal action opposing the project in 1997; Stoughton joined in 2001. Their legal fight focused on potential impacts to the Hockomock Swamp." I don't think the sources mention the legal action. Maybe its on the second page of each source, which is not visible using the URLs provided?
The second pages are linked under the page parameter in the citation; that seems to be general consensus on how to handle that. Are you able to see the links in the citations?
Yes I am. I didn't realise that.


### Images
No issues here. Lucky you. I wish I were able to use images taken by the government on Wikipedia articles I write.
It's very convenient when it happens! The public domain exemption for Massachusetts government images isn't as cut-and-dry as for federal government works, so I use it sparingly, but the agency also released a number of images under CC licenses on flickr. (One of my back-burner ideas is conducting outreach to transit agencies to get them to release more photos under Commons-compatible licenses.)