Freetown station
| Company type | MBTA Commuter Rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | March 24, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Freetown, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Commuter rail services |
| Website | www |
Freetown station serves as an MBTA Commuter Rail stop located in the village of Assonet within Freetown, Massachusetts. It operates on the Fall River Branch of the Fall River/New Bedford Line and officially began service on March 24, 2025, as part of Phase 1 of the South Coast Rail initiative. The facility includes a single side platform positioned on the western side of the Fall River Secondary track, accompanied by a park and ride facility.
The Fall River Railroad traversed through Freetown starting in 1845, featuring two stations that remained active until the 1930s. The concept of establishing a South Coast Rail station in Freetown emerged in 2009, with the selected location adjusted slightly northeastward by 2018. Construction commenced in 2020 and reached near completion by December 2022.
Station design
Situated in southwestern Assonet between South Main Street and the interchange of Route Massachusetts Route 24 and 79, Freetown station comprises an approximately -long elevated side platform on the west side of the primary track on the Fall River Secondary. Adjacent to the main track on its eastern side is a freight passing siding. The station provides a 107-space park and ride lot featuring a kiss-and-ride area with direct ingress and egress to South Main Street. Platform canopies are installed near the parking lot entrance and extend over both ends of the platform.
Former stations
The Fall River Railroad opened service from Fall River to Myricks on June 9, 1845, completing its line to South Braintree by December 1846. Freetown was served by two stations: Assonet located at Elm Street and Crystal Spring (also known as Thwaites) at Copicut Road. Further south near Freetown in northern Fall River was Somerset Junction (also called Millers), which connected to the Dighton and Somerset Railroad, operational since 1866. In 1854, these services were consolidated under the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad (which later became part of the Old Colony Railroad) before being leased to the New Haven Railroad in 1893.
Passenger rail operations persisted until September 5, 1958, except for a suspension between 1949 and 1952. By the 1930s, most local stops—including Assonet, Crystal Spring, and Somerset Junction—were discontinued; ultimately, trains ran nonstop between Fall River and Taunton. Freight service continued along this line under successive operators: New Haven, then Penn Central, followed by Conrail, and eventually as part of the CSX Fall River Subdivision.
South Coast Rail development
In September 2008, MassDOT identified eighteen potential station locations for the South Coast Rail project, including one near Route 24/79 in Freetown. A design proposed in 2009 featured a single side platform alongside a passing freight track. The station was envisioned as a focal point for Assonet Village—a new mixed-use, transit-oriented community. Plans detailed in the 2013 Final Environmental Impact Report closely resembled this initial design. On June 11, 2010, ownership of the Fall River Subdivision (renamed Fall River Secondary) along with other CSX lines was transferred to support project implementation.
Due to budgetary constraints, a reassessment took place in 2017. A March proposal suggested initiating early service via Middleborough by 2024 with full operations through Stoughton by 2029; during this phase, Freetown was planned as an infill stop in phase two. By mid-2017, updated plans incorporated both Freetown and Battleship Cove stations into phase one aiming for completion by 2022. The January 2018 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report shifted Freetown station approximately northeast from its prior proposed location due to earlier site developments.
In May 2020, the MBTA awarded a $159 million contract for constructing the segment along Fall River Secondary that includes Freetown station, targeting service commencement in November 2023. By February 2022, construction progress had reached 27%, with platform foundations approximately 82% complete. Substantial completion was declared in December 2022. However, opening was postponed first to mid-2024 as of September 2023 and subsequently delayed further to May 2025 by June 2024. Service officially began on March 24, 2025. Although initial plans called for extending Southeastern Regional Transit Authority bus route 102 to serve Freetown station, this extension has not been implemented.