Kingston Line

File:Kingston Route 3 MBTA station, Kingston MA.jpg

The northern section of the line follows the Middleborough Main Line south through Boston, Quincy, and Braintree. That section is shared with the Fall River/New Bedford Line and Greenbush Line. At Braintree, the line switches to the Plymouth Branch, which continues southeast through Weymouth, Abington, Whitman, Hanson, Halifax, and Kingston. Intermediate stations are served at {{bts|JFK/UMass}}, {{bts|Quincy Center}}, {{bts|Braintree}}, {{bts|South Weymouth}}, {{bts|Abington}}, {{bts|Whitman}}, and {{bts|Halifax}}. In Kingston, the short Kingston Branch splits from the Plymouth Branch and runs south to Kingston station and the Kingston Layover. The Plymouth Branch continues southeast from the split to the currently-closed Plymouth station in northern Plymouth.{{rp|11}} The Plymouth Branch is single track with passing sidings, while the Kingston Branch is mostly double-tracked. The portion of the Middleborough Main Line used by the Kingston Line has a mixture of single and double track.{{rp|11}}

Like the rest of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, the Kingston Line operates using push-pull trains with diesel locomotives. Maximum speeds are {{convert|79|mph}} south of Braintree and {{convert|59|mph}} to the north.{{cite report |url=https://transitmatters.org/s/Old-Colony-Final.pdf |date=May 2021 |title=Modernizing the Old Colony Lines |publisher=TransitMatters}}{{rp|12}} {{As of|March 2025}}, the line has 13 inbound and 12 outbound trips on weekdays and nine round trips on weekdays. Most trips operate the full length of the line, making all stops, with running times typically around 60 minutes. The last trips in each direction, plus the first weekday inbound trip, only operate between Braintree and Kingston.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/media/route_pdfs/batch_7394/2025-03-24-cr-spring-summer-kingston-line.pdf |title=Kingston Line Spring/Summer Schedule |date=March 24, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} All stations are accessible with full-length high-level platforms.{{rp|10}}

File:OC1893.jpg

The Old Colony Railroad opened between {{stl|NYNH&H|South Boston}} and Plymouth on November 10, 1845.{{cite book |title=Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years |last1=Humphrey |first1=Thomas J.|last2=Clark |first2=Norton D. |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |year=1985 |page=}}{{rp|95}} A short extension into Boston proper opened in March 1846.{{cite book |title=Boston's Commuter Rail: Second Section |last1=Humphrey |first1=Thomas J.|last2=Clark |first2=Norton D. |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |year=1986 |isbn=9780938315025 |page=}}{{rp|6}} As the only rail line east of the Blue Hills, the Old Colony became the primary rail route between Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. The Old Colony built or acquired a number of other lines, all of which used the Old Colony mainline to access Boston. The Fall River Railroad (1846), Milton Branch (1847), South Shore Line (1849), Dighton and Somerset Railroad (1866), and Granite Branch (1871) all joined the mainline between {{stl|NYNH&H|South Braintree}} and Boston. The Hanover Branch (1868) joined at {{stl|NYNH&H|North Abington}}, while the Bridgewater Branch (1847) joined at Whitman.{{cite book |title=The Rail Lines of Southern New England |edition=2 |last=Karr |first=Ronald Dale |publisher=Branch Line Press |year=2017 |isbn=9780942147124 |pages=}}{{rp|376}}{{rp|95}}

The mainline was double-tracked between Boston and South Braintree in 1848 to serve the growing traffic.{{rp|95}} Schedules were suitable for commuting from as far south as South Braintree by 1847; commuter service to Plymouth was intermittent until around 1860 and consistent thereafter. Some short turn trains terminated at Whitman after 1860.{{rp|95}} The Old Colony merged in 1854 to become the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad, in 1863 to become the Old Colony and Newport Railway, and in 1872 to become the Old Colony Railroad.{{rp|376}} The Plymouth and Vineyard Sound Railroad, an extension beyond Plymouth to Cape Cod, was proposed in the 1860s, but only the Cape Cod section between {{bts|Buzzards Bay}} and {{stl|NYNH&H|Woods Hole}} was built.{{cite book |title=Cape Cod Railroads Including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket |first=Robert H. |last=Farson |publisher=Cape Cod Historical Publications |year=1993 |isbn=0-9616740-1-6 |page=19}}

Major wrecks took place on the mainline at Wollaston in 1878 and at Quincy in 1890.{{rp|379}} To reduce congestion on the busy mainline and make trains faster, the Old Colony used a practice called flying switches. The rear coaches of moving trains were disconnected at speed near junctions and brought to a halt to serve as branchline trains, while the rest of the train continued without stopping. The practice was ended after an 1883 incident at Neponset.{{rp|7}} After Old Colony acquired the Boston and Providence Railroad in 1888, some trains were routed via the Stoughton Branch to reduce mainline congestion.{{rp|182}}{{rp|7}}

{{clear left}}

File:Abington station 1910 postcard.jpg

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the Old Colony in 1893.{{rp|393}} Passenger service on the Old Colony Division was at its peak from around 1898 to 1914. In 1898, daily inbound service to Boston included seven trains from Plymouth and five from Whitman plus some through trains from the Bridgewater and Hanover branches. Six South Shore trains used the line between Plymouth and Kingston.{{rp|96}} The mainline was relocated between South Boston and {{stl|NYNH&H|Crescent Avenue}} in 1897–1898 to eliminate grade crossings in preparation for the 1899 opening of South Station.{{rp|6–7}} The line was quadruple-tracked from South Boston to {{bts|Savin Hill}} in 1901–02, to Neponset in 1911–12, and to {{stl|NYNH&H|Atlantic}} in 1913, including grade crossing eliminations.{{rp|7}} Double track was added between Kingston and Plymouth in 1900 and between South Braintree and Whitman in 1907.{{rp|95}}

During World War I, a short branch was built from the mainline to the Victory Destroyer Plant to carry materials and workers.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168406413/ |title=Free Train Rides for "Victory Plant" Employees |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 25, 1917 |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com}} Systemwide passenger service levels began to decline during the war when freight was given priority, and continued to decline thereafter.{{rp|96}} By 1924, inbound service included six trains from Plymouth, three from Whitman, two from the Bridgewater Branch, and four from Hanover.{{cite book |title=Time Tables East of New London and Willimantic |page=20 |date=September 28, 1924 |publisher=New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad |title-link=:commons:File:1924 New Haven Railroad eastern timetable.pdf}} Bridgewater Branch service ended in 1925.{{rp|96}} Part of the Cambridge–Dorchester Line was constructed along a section of the main line plus the Shawmut Branch in the 1926s, ending service to the innermost stations.{{rp|96}} Despite the cuts, by 1935 the mainline still saw over 100 trains per day.{{rp|379}}

The New Haven Railroad declared bankruptcy in 1935, setting off a 12-year-long reorganization process. The Old Colony lease was a major liability to the New Haven. It ended the lease in 1936 but was forced to continue operating the division.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2034&context=lcp |title=Protecting the User Interest in Railroad Reorganization |first=Armistead B. |last=Rood |journal=Law and Contemporary Problems |year=1940 |volume=7 |issue=3 |publisher=Duke University School of Law |pages=495–508|doi=10.2307/1189708 |jstor=1189708 }}{{rp|499}}{{cite magazine |title=Old Colony Commuter Service: The New Haven's Problem Child |year=1996 |first=Bill |last=Reidy |magazine=Shoreliner |volume=27 |issue=1 |lccn=78-16543 |pages=6–35 |publisher=New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association}}{{rp|12}} In the 88 stations case, the New Haven controversially closed 88 stations in Massachusetts on July 17, 1938.{{rp|13}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67985976/the-boston-globe/ |title=New Haven Announces Changes in Timetables |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=July 13, 1938 |pages=1, 2 |via=Newspapers.com}} ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67986336/the-boston-globe/ part 2], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67986367/the-boston-globe/ part 3]) Four were on the Plymouth line – North Hanson, Burrage, {{bts|Halifax}}, and Plympton.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63041896/the-boston-globe/ |title=Would Close 93 Stations |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 28, 1938 |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|19}} In May 1939, the company proposed to abandon of all passenger service in the "Boston Group" – the primary group of lines into Boston, including the Greenbush, Plymouth, and Middleborough lines and the shared mainline north of Braintree.{{rp|501}}{{rp|15}} A revised proposal that September was to keep Boston–Braintree service plus limited commute-hour service as far as Campello, {{bts|Whitman}}, and Hingham.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68166588/the-boston-globe/ |title=Hearings Set Next Week on Old Colony Offer |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=September 20, 1939 |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|16}}

After further controversy, a compromise schedule took effect on March 31, 1940, with service cut nearly in half but no lines abandoned.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68182188/the-boston-globe/ |title=Old Colony Cars Jammed as New Service Starts |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=April 1, 1940 |page=12 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|21}} This schedule only required use of a single track and passing sidings between South Braintree and Plymouth, and the second track was removed over the following two years.{{rp|22}} On February 18, 1941, the Interstate Commerce Commission refused abandonment of the Boston Group, forcing the New Haven to continue operations on the Old Colony.{{cite book |url=http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/2452/224619 |title=Report Of The Special Commission To Investigate Railroad Transportation Facilities Within The Commonwealth Under Chapter 43, Resolves Of 1941 |date=December 2, 1942 |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts |author=Special Commission to Investigate Railroad Transportation Facilities within the Commonwealth |page=12}} Additional traffic during World War II temporarily boosted the railroad's fortunes, but the postwar years again saw mounting deficits on the Old Colony Division. Hanover Branch service ended in 1948.{{rp|96}} Sharp cuts in March 1949 removed most off-peak service; the Plymouth line was left with just three daily round trips.{{rp|13, 96}}{{cite magazine |title=Old Colony Commuter Service: The New Haven's Problem Child: Part 2 |year=1996 |first=Bill |last=Reidy |magazine=Shoreliner |volume=27 |issue=2 |lccn=78-16543 |pages=6–29 |publisher=New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association}}{{rp|17}} The northern section of the mainline was reduced to two tracks in the early 1950s.{{rp|7}}

Under the 1951–1954 presidency of Frederic C. Dumaine Jr., the New Haven increased passenger service, using new Budd Rail Diesel Cars to reduce costs.{{rp|13}}{{cite magazine |title=Old Colony Commuter Service: The New Haven's Problem Child: Part 3 |year=1996 |first=Bill |last=Reidy |magazine=Shoreliner |volume=27 |issue=3 |lccn=78-16543 |pages=6–39 |publisher=New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association}}{{rp|10}} By April 1954, there were seven daily inbound trains from Plymouth, and 15 trains from South Braintree supplemented service on the mainline.{{rp|96}} However, Patrick B. McGinnis taking the railroad's presidency in 1954 resulted in deferred maintenance and cancelled plans for further service expansion.{{rp|12}} The New Haven again proposed to abandon all Old Colony service. A temporary state subsidy was introduced in 1958 to continue Greenbush, Plymouth, Middleborough, and Cape Cod service for an additional year while the Southeast Expressway and other highways were under construction.{{rp|23}} The final day of service was June 30, 1959, as the subsidy expired. Bus companies including the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway expanded their South Shore commuter service.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168093219/ |title=Yes, Old Colony's Gone |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=July 1, 1959 |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168093233/ 10] |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|26}}

File:Part of series on Mass. Transit - new Quincy Rapid Transit line to Boston showing parking garage - DPLA - e2ed0197261e49a72c3f255d9e81eb46.jpg

the wooden trestles of the drawbridge carrying the Old Colony main line over the Neponset River between Boston and Quincy burned on the night of July 22–23, 1960.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168169979/ |title=Quincy Blaze Fells Trestle, Blocks Traffic |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=July 23, 1960 |page=43 |via=Newspapers.com}} The New Haven collected insurance money but refused to rebuild the bridge, instead rerouting freight trains via Middleborough.{{rp|26}}{{cite book |title=South Shore Quincy-Boston |page=22 |first=Bradley H. |last=Clarke |year=1972 |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association}}{{rp|19}} The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in August 1964 as an expansion of the urban Metropolitan Transit Authority into the surrounding suburbs. The MBTA was intended to subsidize commuter rail service – and to replace much of it with rapid transit extensions.{{rp|13}}

The MBTA's first such project was a branch of the Red Line (Cambridge–Dorchester Line) following the Old Colony alignment to Braintree.{{efn|A rapid transit extension to Braintree had been proposed by regional plans in 1926 and 1945.{{cite book |title=Report on Improved Transportation Facilities in Boston |date=December 1926 |publisher=Division of Metropolitan Planning |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015049422689}}{{multiref2|{{Citation |last1=Boston Elevated Railway |title=Air View: Present Rapid Transit System – Boston Elevated Railway and Proposed Extensions of Rapid Transit into Suburban Boston |date=April 1945 |last2=Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities |title-link=:commons:File:1945 BERy extensions map.jpg |via=Wikimedia Commons}}|{{Cite news |last=Lyons |first=Louis M. |date=April 29, 1945 |title=El on Railroad Lines Unified Transit Plan |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83587536/the-boston-globe/ 14] |work=Boston Globe |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83587444/the-boston-globe/ |via=Newspapers.com}}|{{Cite book |last=Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission |url=https://archive.org/details/reportofmetropol00mass |title=Report of the Metropolitan Transit Recess Commission |date=April 1, 1947 |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts |via=Internet Archive}}}} That plan was overwhelmingly rejected by Quincy and Braintree voters in 1948.{{rp|10–12}} Not until Old Colony service ended did the plan gain traction.{{rp|29}}{{rp|1}}}} In November 1965, the MBTA purchased the Old Colony main line between Boston and South Braintree from the New Haven.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38297699/the_boston_globe/ |title=MBTA Buys Old Colony Line For a South Shore Express |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=July 29, 1965 |first=Robert |last=Carr |via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|22}} The Red Line opened to Quincy Center station in September 1971 and Braintree station in South Braintree in March 1980.{{NETransit}}{{rp|36}} Within Boston, a single freight track paralleled the new tracks. Although there was no freight service through Quincy, a single-track right-of-way was reserved for future freight use when the extension was built.{{rp|36}}{{rp|i, 1, 4}}

The New Haven Railroad merged into Penn Central at the end of 1968.{{rp|15}} In 1970, following revolts against freeways in the urban core, Massachusetts governor Francis Sargent placed a moratorium on new highway construction inside the Route 128 beltway. The resulting cancellation of the Southwest Expressway by the Boston Transportation Planning Review meant the already-overcrowded Southeast Expressway would continue to be the only highway into Boston from the south.{{rp|36}}{{rp|16}} In January 1973, the MBTA acquired most of Penn Central's suburban lines around Boston, including the Plymouth line.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/145829217/ |first=Robert B. |last=Carr |title=MBTA gets $19.5m to buy rail lines |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=January 25, 1973 |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |url=http://engineering.norfolkcounty.org:8080/pub/Railroad%20Information/4907-632%201973%20deed%20MBTA.pdf |title=Certificate |date=January 1973 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}{{cite book |url=https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1676396289914/306143.pdf#page=80 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317060930/https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1676396289914/306143.pdf#page=80 |archive-date=March 17, 2025 |title=Conrail Trackage Rights Agreement |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=July 1, 1985 |page=2}} Freight service continued to operate on the line, though the segment from North Plymouth to Plymouth was out of service by the late 1970s.{{rp|380}}

File:Kingston Branch tunnel portal, June 2017.JPG

In 1984, a state-directed MBTA study found that restoration of commuter rail service on the former Old Colony lines would be feasible.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/oldcolonyrailroa00unit#page/4/mode/2up |title=Old Colony Railroad Rehabilitation Project from Boston to Lakeville, Plymouth and Scituate, Massachusetts: Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report |publisher=United States Department of Transportation Urban Mass Transportation Administration |date=March 1992 |via=Internet Archive |chapter=Executive Summary}}{{rp|4}} A Draft Environmental Impact Statement for restoration of service on the Middleborough, Plymouth, and Greenbush lines was released in May 1990. It called for the terminal to be in North Plymouth south of Cordage Park, with Kingston/Route 3 station next to the Route 3 expressway. A layover yard would have been built in Cordage Park.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wao4AQAAMAAJ |title=Old Colony Railroad Rehabilitation Project from Boston to Lakeville, Plymouth and Scituate, Massachusetts: Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report |publisher=United States Department of Transportation Urban Mass Transportation Administration |date=May 1990 |via=Google Books}} In 1991, the state agreed to build a set of transit projects as part of the settlement of a lawsuit by the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) over auto emissions from the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig). Among these projects was the "Old Colony Commuter Rail Line Extension", to be complete by the end of 1996.{{Cite journal |last=United States Environmental Protection Agency |date=October 4, 1994 |title=Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Massachusetts—Amendment to Massachusetts' SIP (for Ozone and for Carbon Monoxide) for Transit Systems Improvements and High Occupancy Vehicle Facilities in the Metropolitan Boston Air Pollution Control District) |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/59-FR-50498 |journal=Federal Register |volume=59 FR 50498}}

The terminal plans became the subject of local controversy. The owner of both the proposed station sites objected to both; he planned to develop the Plymouth station site with residential buildings, and did not wish to sell the Kingston station site where he owned a beer distribution warehouse. The Cordage Park owners objected to the layover yard on their property but wanted the station moved there.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/59912432/ |title=Cordage Park presses MBTA to revise rail plan |first=John H. |last=Stevens |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 23, 1990 |pages=South 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/59912470/ South 8] |via=Newspapers.com}} In April 1991, the MBTA announced a new plan. A new rail spur would be built along Route 3 with a Kingston station and layover yard in a former sand and gravel lot being redeveloped as an industrial park. The Plymouth station would be built at Cordage Park with no layover yard; it would only have off-peak and weekend service, with peak-hour service only running to Kingston.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168477465/ |title=Motel owner hits Old Colony plan |first=Lisa |last=Brems |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=April 28, 1991 |pages=South 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168477477/ South 4] |via=Newspapers.com}}{{efn|The owner of the sand and gravel lot had originally proposed the Kingston spur in lieu of a Plymouth station.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168477426/ |title=MBTA considers Kingston rail station site |first=John |last=Stevens |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=October 28, 1990 |page=South 12 |via=Newspapers.com}}}} The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Middleborough and Plymouth lines – often called the "Old Colony Lines" – was released in 1992.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VaU4AQAAMAAJ |title=Old Colony Railroad Rehabilitation Project from Boston to Lakeville, Plymouth and Scituate, Massachusetts: Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report |publisher=United States Department of Transportation Urban Mass Transportation Administration |year=1992 |via=Google Books}}{{efn|Unlike the other two lines, the Greenbush Line involved reactivation of abandoned right-of-way, and it proved more controversial. The MBTA moved forward with the Middleborough and Plymouth lines; after significant controversy, the Greenbush Line ultimately opened in 2007.{{rp|5}}{{rp|37}}}} It incorporated the terminal changes announced in 1991. It also moved the Abington station from North Abington to a site near the town center and removed a potential stop in downtown Kingston.{{rp|4}}

Construction of the $560 million project began in 1993, with service then expected to begin in late 1996.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168253771/ |title=New routes foretell a new boom |first=Robert |last=Preer |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=March 27, 1994 |page=South 6 |via=Newspapers.com}} Which stations to include on the shared mainline between Braintree and Boston also proved controversial. Original plans called only for a stop at Braintree.{{rp|8}} In September 1995, state governor Bill Weld announced that a platform would be built at {{bts|Quincy Center}} instead.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168253430/ |title=Weld delays train decision |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 9, 1995 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}} Later that year, the MBTA agreed to build both stations.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168254064/ |title=Braintree, Quincy look for rail boost |first=Robert |last=Preer |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=December 10, 1995 |pages=South 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168253228/ South 4] |via=Newspapers.com}} In November 1996, the MBTA agreed to add a stop at JFK/UMass station as well.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44840152/the_boston_globe/ |title=T trains bypass new JFK stop |newspaper=The Boston Globe City Weekly |first=Ric |last=Kahn |date=July 1, 2001 |pages=1, 9 |via=Newspapers.com}} ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44840494/the_boston_globe/ second page], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44840513/the_boston_globe/ third page]) Limited weekday service with four daily round trips each on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line and Plymouth/Kingston line began on September 29, 1997.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/62723437/ |title=Old Colony commuter service gets back on track |first=Thomas C. Jr. |last=Palmer |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 30, 1997 |page=26 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168254104/ |title=Old Colony begins service |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 28, 1997 |page=B7 |via=Newspapers.com}} Full service, including service to Plymouth, began on November 30, 1997. The Kingstone Line had fifteen round trips on weekdays and eight on weekends.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168253867/ |title=MBTA will expand Old Colony service |agency=AP |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 26, 1997 |page=B2 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |first=Thomas C. Jr. |last=Palmer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/168253853/ |title=MBTA ready to expand Old Colony rail service |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 29, 1997 |page=B3 |via=Newspapers.com}} Weekend and some weekday trains began stopping at JFK/UMass on April 30, 2001.{{NETransit}}

File:Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA 1060 (F40PH2C) (10567688246).jpg

In 2007, concrete ties used on the Old Colony Lines began to fail due to manufacturing errors. The rate of failures increased during the following two winters, affecting service and causing speed restrictions.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526144435/http://mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/T_Projects/T_Projects_List/OCCR_Tie_Project/2011-03-07_Presentation.pdf |archive-date=May 26, 2012 |url=http://mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/T_Projects/T_Projects_List/OCCR_Tie_Project/2011-03-07_Presentation.pdf |title=MBTA Old Colony Commuter Rail Tie Replacement Project Overview |date=March 2011 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} In 2010, the MBTA began a project to replace the 150,000 failing ties, which were part of a batch of 600,000 made in the 1990s, with wooden ties.{{efn|Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road also had to replace large numbers of ties from that batch.{{cite news |url=https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/t-to-spend-millions-replacing-ties/ |title=T to spend millions replacing ties |newspaper=Commonwealth Beacon |date=April 9, 2010 |first=Jack |last=Sullivan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311044004/https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/t-to-spend-millions-replacing-ties/ |archive-date=March 11, 2025}}}} Some replacement work in Bridgewater and Middleborough took place in 2010. Midday weekday service on the Plymouth/Kingston Line was replaced by buses from May 31 to September 19, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |title=Old Colony Commuter Rail Tie Replacement Project |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919031621/http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |archive-date=September 19, 2011 |url-status=dead}} Weekend service on the line was replaced from April 30 to December 18, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |title=Old Colony Commuter Rail Tie Replacement Project |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221004642/http://mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |archive-date=December 21, 2011 |url-status=dead}} The project was completed in May 2012 at a cost of $91.5 million.{{cite news |url=https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-story/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128165006/https://commonwealthbeacon.org/transportation/mbta-story/ |archive-date=November 28, 2023 |title=T confirms $91m pricetag to fix ties |first=Jack |last=Sullivan |date=April 26, 2010 |newspaper=Commonwealth Beacon}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |title=Old Colony Commuter Rail Tie Replacement Project |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612042536/http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/default.asp?id=19461 |archive-date=June 12, 2012 |url-status=dead}}

Weekend service on the Plymouth/Kingston Line, Needham Line, and Greenbush Line was eliminated on July 7, 2012, as a part of fare increases and service cuts in order to close the agency's operating budget shortfall.{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/?id=24359 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630045402/http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/?id=24359 |archive-date=June 30, 2012 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |title=New Fares - Effective July 1, 2012 |date=April 4, 2012}} The MBTA ran special weekend service to Plymouth for two weekends leading up to the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday. The two round trips per day were intended only for tourists going to Plymouth; they did not run on schedules allowing day trips to Boston.{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Smart_Forms/Events/MBTA%20Special%20Plymouth%20Train.pdf |title=Take the Special Seasonal Weekend Train to Plymouth! |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114022029/https://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Smart_Forms/Events/MBTA%20Special%20Plymouth%20Train.pdf |archive-date=November 14, 2014}} Full weekend service on the Plymouth/Kingston Line, as well as weekend service on the Greenbush Line and Saturday service on the Needham Line, resumed on December 27, 2014.{{cite press release |url=http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/commuter-rail-weekend-service-returning-on-3-lines/ |title=Commuter Rail: Weekend Service Returning on 3 Lines |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |date=October 7, 2014 |archive-date=October 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013021205/http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/commuter-rail-weekend-service-returning-on-3-lines/ |url-status=dead }} The fork at the end of the Kingston/Plymouth Line (which lacks a wye) created operational issues – a single train could not serve both terminal stations efficiently. By 2015, the MBTA had intended to address the issue with schedule changes.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/04/mbta-commuter-rail-train-goes-wrong-way/6cV0Ia5peCps6kLDlcglmL/story.html |title=Rail trip from Kingston shows MBTA's 'scheduling anomalies' |newspaper=Boston Globe |last=Dungca |first=Nicole |date=October 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309121842/https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/04/mbta-commuter-rail-train-goes-wrong-way/6cV0Ia5peCps6kLDlcglmL/story.html |archive-date=March 9, 2016}}

Substantially reduced schedules were in effect on the Commuter Rail system from March 16 to June 23, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, as part of service cuts during the pandemic, the MBTA proposed to close {{bts|Plymouth}} along with five other low-ridership stations on other lines.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2020-11/2020-11-09-fmcb-N-forging-ahead-service-scenarios-accessible.pdf |title=Forging Ahead: Scenario and Service Planning |page=21 |date=November 9, 2020 |first1=Laurel |last1=Paget-Seekins |first2=Kat |last2=Benesh |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} On December 14, the MBTA Board voted to enact a more limited set of cuts, including indefinitely closing Plymouth and four of the other five stations.{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2020/12/14/mbta-control-board-approves-service-cuts |title=MBTA Control Board Votes To Scale Back Bus, Train And Ferry Service |newspaper=WBUR |date=December 14, 2020 |first=Zeninjor |last=Enwemeka |accessdate=February 5, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2020-12/2020-12-14-fmcb-F-forging-ahead-service-proposal.pdf |page=17 |title=Forging Ahead: Service Proposal |date=December 14, 2020 |first1=Laurel |last1=Paget-Seekins |first2=Kat |last2=Benesh |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} That day, temporary reduced schedules were again put into place.{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2020-12-10/commuter-rail-temporarily-operate-reduced-service-schedule-starting-december-14 |title=Commuter Rail to Temporarily Operate Reduced Service Schedule Starting December 14 |date=December 10, 2021 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} On January 23, 2021, reduced schedules went into place with no weekend service on seven lines, including the Kingston/Plymouth Line.

Plymouth station closed on April 5, 2021, with the line renamed the Kingston Line.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223225327if_/https://www.mbta.com/customer-support/spring-2021-service-changes |archive-date=February 23, 2021 |url=https://www.mbta.com/customer-support/spring-2021-service-changes |title=Spring 2021 Service Changes |date=February 2021 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/route_pdfs/2021-spring/2021-04-05-spring-kingston-accessible.pdf |title=Kingston Line Spring 2021 Schedule, Effective April 5th, 2021 |date=April 5, 2021 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} That schedule change also included regional rail-style service with more frequency midday service on the Kingston Line.{{cite press release |url=https://www.keoliscs.com/news/reminder-spring-2021-commuter-rail-schedules-take-effect-april-5/ |title=Reminder: Spring 2021 Commuter Rail Schedules Take Effect April 5 |publisher=Keolis Commuter Services |date=April 1, 2021 |access-date=June 3, 2021 |archive-date=June 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603210850/https://www.keoliscs.com/news/reminder-spring-2021-commuter-rail-schedules-take-effect-april-5/ |url-status=dead }} Additionally, the last Kingston-bound train of the night departed from Braintree station, with a timed transfer from a Middleborough/Lakeville Line train. Weekend service on the Kingston line and the six other lines resumed on July 3, 2021.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2021-05/2021-05-24-fmcb-10-commuter-rail-performance-update.pdf |title=Commuter Rail Performance Update |page=7 |date=May 24, 2021 |first=Ryan |last=Coholan |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} In June 2021, the MBTA indicated that Plymouth station would reopen on July 5, 2022 (the start of a new fiscal year).{{cite news |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/old-colony-memorial/2021/06/18/local-officials-pleased-plan-restore-rail-service-north-plymouth/7657574002/ |title=North Plymouth train station scheduled to reopen in 2022 |newspaper=Wicked Local |first=Dave |last=Kindy |date=June 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619212054/https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/old-colony-memorial/2021/06/18/local-officials-pleased-plan-restore-rail-service-north-plymouth/7657574002/ |archive-date=June 19, 2021}} The station did not reopen at that time, however, with a date for service restoration not announced.{{cite news |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/old-colony-memorial/2022/07/13/mbta-budget-keeps-plymouth-station-idle/10026630002/ |title=MBTA commuter rail is not coming back to Plymouth. Here's what we know. |first=David R. |last=Smith |date=July 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713122705/https://eu.wickedlocal.com/story/old-colony-memorial/2022/07/13/mbta-budget-keeps-plymouth-station-idle/10026630002/ |archive-date=July 13, 2022}} By October 2022, Kingston service was at 69% of pre-COVID ridership.

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• [https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Kingston/timetable MBTA – Kingston Line]

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Category:MBTA Commuter Rail

Category:Old Colony Railroad

Category:1997 establishments in Massachusetts