Middleboro/Lakeville commuters: Temporary bus service coming. What to know in 60 seconds

Dan Medeiros, The Herald News
·2 min read

People who use the Middleboro/Lakeville commuter rail station to get to and from Boston will have a slight detour coming soon.

The MBTA announced Tuesday that train service between the Middleboro/Lakeville and Bridgewater platforms will be replaced by buses from Saturday, April 27, to Sunday, May 5.

Here’s what this means for commuters, in 60 seconds.

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Why is this change happening?

It’s meant to accommodate ongoing work on the South Coast Rail project, the MBTA stated.

Passengers depart train recently at Middleboro-Lakeville MBTA commuter rail station.
Passengers depart train recently at Middleboro-Lakeville MBTA commuter rail station.

Will the train service be uninterrupted after that?

Yes, the train service will continue between Bridgewater and South Station as usual.

Could I avoid the shuttle by driving farther north and picking up the train from Bridgewater instead?

Sure – parking at the Bridgewater platform is $4 Mondays to Fridays and $2 on weekends. The fare at Bridgewater is Zone 6.

Will this affect the departure and arrival schedule?

Buses travel more slowly than the train, so yes, it’s very likely the usual schedule will change. According to the MBTA, the bus diversion schedule will be available online and at stations soon.

How does this station factor into the South Coast Rail project?

South Coast Rail continues the MBTA’s Middleboro/Lakeville line, heading west to the new East Taunton platform, then splits into two forks in Berkley – one spur goes to Fall River, the other continues to New Bedford.

The existing Middleboro/Lakeville platform is being replaced by a new Middleborough platform nearby.

When will the South Coast construction be over?

Most of the construction is going to be substantially complete soon. The East Taunton platform is still being built. The rest of the project is soon going to enter an extensive testing phase.

Once promised by the end of 2023, then summer of 2024, no precise date has been promised for the start of service.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: MBTA: Bus detour coming to Middleboro/Lakeville station