Dighton and Somerset Railroad

Old Colony era , was constructed on the Dighton and Somerset by the Old Colony and Newport Railway in 1881 In 1863, the Dighton and Somerset Railroad was chartered to build a new line from Taunton to Somerset (across the river from Fall River) via Dighton. In 1864, the charter was amended to allow extension north to Randolph or Braintree. This represented a significant threat to the Old Colony and Newport Railway (OC&N) and its existing route to Fall River; the OC&N acquired the new railroad in 1865. The OC&N was interested in having a route to the growing industrial city of Taunton, which was served by its competitor Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) via the Taunton Branch Railroad. The line was opened in September 1866; it used part of the 1855-built Easton Branch Railroad (acquired from the B&P at that time) south of Stoughton Junction, which also gave the OC&N a new freight connection to Stoughton. Decline The New Haven began shifting through service onto the Dighton and Somerset in the 1890s, and was the New Haven's primary Boston-Fall River route by the late 1910s. Around 1927, all through trains were routed via Stoughton instead of the original route through Braintree. Passenger service ended between Randolph and Stoughton Junction around 1927, and from Braintree Highlands to Randolph in 1938. Also in 1937, South Coast service was rerouted via Mansfield; shuttles ran from Canton Junction to North Easton and Whittendon, with a small amount of through service to Boston. Later use The Whittendon Branch and the mainline from Raynham to Easton were abandoned in 1966, followed by Dighton to Weir Village in 1971, Easton to Stoughton in 1976, Weir Village to Weir Junction in 1982, and Randolph to near Braintree Highlands in 1982. In April 2017, MassDOT released a Request for Information regarding potential operators for the Dean Street Industrial Track and other state-owned rail lines beginning in 2018. In 2007, Aquaria Water constructed a 20-inch water line within portions of the former Dighton and Somerset right-of-way from its desalination plant in Dighton through Taunton and Raynham to serve the city of Brockton. Three former stations on the line still exist: the 1876-built Dean Street station, the 1881-built North Easton station, and the 1888-built Stoughton station. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2021, Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is the sole operator of rail traffic on the line, with freight trains running on the line several times per week. == South Coast Rail ==

In the 1980s, the state began considering the expansion of MBTA Commuter Rail service to the South Coast cities of Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford. By 1988, the MBTA was tentatively planning to extend service to Taunton via Stoughton and the former Dighton and Somerset. The first serious study, completed in January 1990, concluded that the Stoughton Branch was the most viable route. The March 1995 Expanded Feasibility Study concluded that both the Stoughton and Attleboro routes would be viable and that a partial Stoughton Branch extension to North Easton would be most cost-effective. Based on an April 1999 analysis of South Station operations, the July 1999 Draft Environmental Impact Report concluded that the Stoughton route was the only viable route, with projected service of 20 trains per day to each of Fall River and New Bedford. The Draft Environmental Statement certificate was received in November 2000; the EPA confirmed that Stoughton was the only practical route but required a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Planning restarted several years later; the Phase 2 Alternatives Analysis Report (which indicated electric or diesel service through Stoughton as the best choice) was released in September 2009. The Army Corps of Engineers released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement in March 2011. Concurring with previous documents it recommended that South Coast Rail be routed through Stoughton, citing in particular the need to add a billion-dollar fourth track from to to accommodate service through Attleboro. However, the DEIS differed from the previous reports by strongly recommending that service be electric. In March 2017, the state announced a revised plan intended to provide service sooner: Phase 1 would follow the Middleborough route and open in 2024; Phase 2 would follow the original route through Stoughton (including electrification) and open in 2029. By June 2017, the planned completion dates were changed to Phase 1 in 2022 and Phase 2 in 2030. The revised plan has attracted criticism from several directions, including Stoughton, Easton, and Raynham officials who have long been opposed to the Dighton and Somerset line being reactivated through their towns. == Conversion to rail trail ==

A 7-mile (11.3 km) segment of the former D&S mainline that runs between Weir Junction and Dighton is currently planned for rail trail conversion as a part of Phase 1 of the Taunton River Trail project. As planned, the Taunton River Trail would consist of over 22 miles (35.4 km) of continuous off-road and on-road multi-use paths that will connect the communities of Taunton, Dighton, and Somerset along the Taunton River. Once complete, it will also intersect with the South Coast Bikeway at the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Somerset; additionally, a rail with trail connection is under consideration as a link to the Norton/Mansfield Rail Trail via the Middleboro Secondary. In June 2023, the town of Dighton was awarded a $74,000 MassTrails grant to advance construction of Phase 1 of the rail trail through Sweets Knoll State Park. ==References==