'A really great milestone': The first South Coast Rail train rolls into Freetown station.

FREETOWN — Bringing the South Coast Rail project to the SouthCoast in Fall River, New Bedford and surrounding communities is not just about transportation, it's also about fairness to the region.

Those were some of the sentiments at the ribbon cutting at the new Freetown Commuter Rail Station in Assonet Monday led by Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler.

The outgoing governor and lieutenant governor, along with and a group of state leaders, rode into the Freetown station in one of the MBTA’s new bi-level coaches, disembarking onto the station’s new 800-foot covered platform on the new Fall River line.

Construction on the $1.1 billion first phase began in 2019. Officials praised the "substantially complete" project that overhauled old freight lines and built new stations in Fall River and Freetown, at a cost of $158 million.

The new stations in Fall River and Freetown will be operational this time next year as crews finish the long-awaited South Coast Rail which has been in the works for nearly four decades, but became a reality under the Baker-Polito administration.

Baker noted that Fall River and New Bedford are the only major municipalities within 50 miles from Boston that have been without commuter rail transportation.

South Coast Rail about equity and opportunity

“I think in some respect, that’s the most fundamental issue of all, which is how are we going to claim to be an inclusive commonwealth if the SouthCoast of Massachusetts — and Fall River and New Bedford in particular — do not have access to public transportation that is available to all the other communities within 50 miles from Boston,” said Baker.

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The governor, who will leave office at the end of the month, said he appreciated the patience rail proponents have had over the years.

“And I especially appreciate your advocacy, and your perseverance, and your commitment to this project,” said Baker.

Polito called the South Coast Rail a “groundbreaking project.”

“I think about this as more than a rail project. I think this is about equity and opportunity,” said Polito.

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With the opening of the South Coast Rail and the MBTA’s purchase of 16 new bi-level coaches, Baker said it will expand the state's commuter rail service by 14,000 seats.

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In 2019, the Baker-Polito administration made a campaign promise to see the South Coast Rail complete construction by 2023.

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said the new rail line is vital to the region’s economy, providing efficient public transportation between the Gateway cities of Fall River and New Bedford, Taunton and the surrounding communities, “benefiting cities with almost half a million people.”

“We’ve rebuilt 12 miles of track. We’ve rebuilt 11 culverts. Ten rail crossings have been constructed. We’ve done work on nine bridges; two brand new stations and we’ve built one layover facility,” said Poftak.

Promises finally kept

Sen. Michael Rodrigues called Monday’s event “a little surreal,” as he reminisced back to 1990 when then-governor William Weld stood on the steps of Fall River’s Government Center and said if he didn’t deliver commuter rail to the SouthCoast "you can sue me,’” said Rodrigues.

The state senator said he still has the groundbreaking shovel from an event in 1998, a project that never got off the ground. Rodrigues said he also has the shovel from the groundbreaking ceremony in 2019 in his State House office.

Former Fall River mayor Edward Lambert and former New Bedford mayor Scott Lang both attended the ribbon cutting and talked about the unrealized promises of commuter rail coming to the SouthCoast while they were in office.

After the event, Lambert called the pending opening of the South Coast Rail “a really great milestone.”

“We’re almost at the finish line. This really is a day to focus on the commitment the Baker and Polito administration made to get it done, and the work of our delegation,” said Lambert. “I think the governor said it best, that you can’t have an equitable commonwealth if not everybody feels connected, and this is exactly what this is about.”

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Baker and Polito the ribbon cutting for the new Freetown rail station