TAUNTON, Mass, (WLNE) — The new Fall River-New Bedford commuter rail line is officially running. The new Fall River-New Bedford line took the place of the Middleborough-Lakeville line, connecting southern New England communities with Boston. “To celebrate what is really a monumental achieveme nt and what it means to our cities here in this region,” Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said. “Access to transportation is a game changer.” The MBTA said that there will be 15 direct trips on the Fall River line and 17 direct trips on the New Bedford Line, with a total of 32 trips between South Station and East Taunton. On weekends, there will be 26 trips, with trains running every 70 minutes on weekdays and every two hours on weekends. “The impact is going to be important in terms of growing economies,” Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Driscoll said. “Allowing people to discover not only what this commuter rail service means but also what your communities mean.” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey took her first ride on the rail line Monday and arrived at the East Taunton station, where she was welcomed with an official ceremony to celebrate the new rail. “It was awesome,” Healey said. “It was so smooth and fast. It was great to see so many people on and so many people are taking advantage of it.” Before the project was finished; Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford were the only major cities within 50 miles of Boston that did not have commuter rail access. “The opportunity for workers and for people who want to go to school, who want to explore additional neighborhoods and housing opportunities,” Driscoll said. “We owe it to the people who have believed in this vision for so many years. They fought for it to make it a reality and today it is here.” South Coast Rail service will be free on weekdays through March 31. Categories: Fall River, Massachusetts, New Bedford, News ...read more read less