UMass Dartmouth gets $100,000 for shuttles to South Coast Rail stations in New Bedford and Fall River
The campus shuttle to Church Street and Fall River Depot, which started Nov. 9, runs Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends, a service the university says it offers for a limited time.
DARTMOUTH UMass Dartmouth has $100,000 in state money to run shuttles between its campus and the South Coast Rail stations in New Bedford and Fall River, the university said Friday, and a limited-time shuttle to both stations started this week.
The university said state Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral secured the money, which goes to its intercampus and off-campus shuttle service so students, faculty and staff can reach the MBTA commuter trains to Boston. Its Corsair Shuttles page says the new South Coast Commuter Rail shuttle began Monday, Nov. 9, "for a limited time," between the Campus Center, Church Street Station at 387 Church St. in New Bedford and Fall River Depot at 825 Davol St. in Fall River.
The routes will help address transportation barriers by improving connections between campus and regional transportation hubs, the university said. The rail service began in March 2025, the university said, and the MBTA's New Bedford Line timetable lists stations including New Bedford, Church Street, Fall River Depot and Freetown on the run north through Middleborough and Brockton to South Station.
When the train shuttle runs
On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, the shuttle leaves the Campus Center eight times from 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m., alternating between the two stations, according to the schedule the university posted. The first run reaches Fall River Depot at 8:30 a.m. and the last reaches Church Street at 5:20 p.m., with a return trip leaving each station 10 to 20 minutes after the shuttle arrives.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the first shuttle leaves the Campus Center at 9:20 a.m. and the last at 4:45 p.m., both to Church Street, and the last return leaves Church Street at 5:25 p.m., while the page lists no Tuesday or Wednesday trips. The university calls the times approximate and tells riders to check the MBTA's own timetable, since train times "may change independently of the UMassD shuttle schedule."
What Cabral and the chancellor said
"Reliable transportation is essential to student success," Cabral said in the university's release. "With the expansion of UMass Dartmouth's intercampus and off-campus shuttle service, this $100,000 will provide students with more reliable transportation and expand opportunity by giving students better access to classes, jobs, and internships while strengthening connections between the university and surrounding communities."
Cabral, who represents the 13th Bristol District in the House and graduated from the university, added, "As a UMass Dartmouth alumnus, I'm proud we got this over the finish line, and I thank my colleagues and the UMass Dartmouth team for their partnership in making it happen."
Chancellor Mark A. Fuller thanked Cabral and said the money "will help remove transportation barriers and strengthen our connections to Boston, New Bedford, and Fall River, providing students with greater access to the educational, career, and personal opportunities that are essential to their success."
Other campus shuttles
Another campus route already reaches downtown New Bedford: the Art and Design Studio loop stops at the SRTA bus terminal at 134 Elm St., where riders must show a UMass Pass, and at the university's studio at Dartmouth Towne Center, 438 State Road, according to the shuttle page. Riders can follow shuttles live on the BusWhere app by signing in with a UMass Dartmouth email, and the transportation office answers at 508-999-9175.
All campus shuttles stop at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, for Thanksgiving break and start again Monday, Nov. 30, the page says.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact comes from UMass Dartmouth's news release posted Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, the university's Corsair Shuttles page (last modified Nov. 6, 2026), the MBTA's New Bedford Line timetable and the Legislature's member page for Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral. We read them on Nov. 13, 2026, between about 11:45 and 11:55 a.m., and the copy desk reread all four from fresh copies at noon. Every quote is word for word from the university's release or page. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. Not heard: no one was asked for comment for this story; the quotes are the ones the university published.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (4)
- UMass Dartmouth: UMass Dartmouth receives $100,000 for shuttle service connecting campus to South Coast RailUniversity news release, posted Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. Read Nov. 13, 2026, about 11:47 a.m.
- UMass Dartmouth: Corsair ShuttlesCampus Transportation page with the South Coast Commuter Rail shuttle schedule (limited time, starting Nov. 9), other loops, BusWhere tracking and the Thanksgiving closure; page last modified Nov. 6, 2026. Read Nov. 13, 2026, about 11:48 a.m.
- MBTA: New Bedford Line timetableStation list for the New Bedford Line. Read Nov. 13, 2026, about 11:52 a.m.
- Massachusetts Legislature: Representative Antonio F. D. CabralMember page, 13th Bristol District. Read Nov. 13, 2026, about 11:52 a.m.