What's holding up South Coast Rail?

Also: Government shutdown averted, but a new fight emerges for Mass. delegation; the rising costs of emergency shelters [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  October 2, 2023 ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Good Morning Boston, It's Monday, and the federal government [is still running after all.]( However, in the wake of the stopgap funding bill, a new fight has emerged for the Massachusetts delegation in Washington, D.C. More on that below, but first let's run through some local news: - Another big MBTA project delayed: South Coast residents will have to wait until at least next summer for the T to come to town. The MBTA had originally planned to begin service on [its new commuter rail branches to Fall River and New Bedford]( by the end of this year (that remained the goal [as recently as this past August]( per officials). However, the MBTA now says service will begin in summer 2024. That could mean late June — or it could mean nearly a year from now. - What's the hold up? It's a similar story as the delays that [held up]( the opening of the Green Line Extension: supply chain issues. South Coast Rail construction began during the pandemic. And while T officials say the work itself has gone well, they indicated it's been bogged down by problems getting materials. - What's left? During [a board meeting last week]( T officials said construction on the Fall River Line is almost all done. But there's still a good chunk of work left on the longer leg to New Bedford — particularly the new East Taunton station. They also need to run lots of conductor training and safety testing. - What's the big deal? Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton are the only major cities within 60 miles of Boston without commuter rail service — at least [not since the late 1950s](. South Coast Rail changes that. It's also the first MBTA commuter rail expansion since the opening of the South Shore's Greenbush Line in 2007. - Don't get too excited: The full, one-way trip from New Bedford to South Station is expected to take 90 minutes, due to [the somewhat circuitous route taken in Phase 1 of the project](. Eventually, the T plans to build a faster route through Stoughton and Raynham, but that "full build" won't happen until the 2030s at the earliest. - All aboard the night train: In related news, the [T's new fall commuter rail schedule]( takes effect today. As WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports, it includes more late-night trains out of Boston on both weekdays and weekends. For most lines, the last train of the night will leave around 11:45 p.m. or so — about 45-55 minutes later than it previously did. MBTA General Manager Phil Eng says the change is something many riders have been asking for. - The new schedules also add two more rush-hour trains on the Fitchburg, Franklin, Lowell and Worcester lines. You can [view all of the new schedules here](. - RIP: Two-time World Series-winning Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield [died Sunday at the age of 57]( just days after former teammate Curt Schilling revealed (without permission) that the knuckleballer had brain cancer. The news broke while the Red Sox were playing their final game of the season yesterday, and tributes have been pouring in ever since from [old Red Sox]( to [national late-night hosts]( to both [the current]( and [former governors](. - While Wakefield may be most remembered for his [mesmerizing knuckleball]( the eight-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee also leaves a legacy of [long-time charitable work off the field](. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Chief Philanthropy Officer Melany Duval said Sunday that Wakefield "always went the extra mile" as a leader of the Jimmy Fund. "He often visited our adult and pediatric floors, met our teen patients during their annual spring training trip, and was dedicated to helping us raise funds for cancer research and care. He will be missed." P.S.— One of the great things about WBUR and newsletters like this one is that it will always be free to anyone and everyone. Our community of Members make that possible, but we need more help. Please [join them]( We need 2,500 new monthly givers by this Thursday to meet our fall fundraising goal. [Please start your monthly gift today.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. congressional delegation turns focus to Ukraine after averted government shutdown]( The nation appeared headed towards a shutdown Saturday, until Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy advanced a package that funded the government at current levels while increasing federal disaster assistance and cutting support for Ukraine. [Read more.]( [Mass. congressional delegation turns focus to Ukraine after averted government shutdown]( The nation appeared headed towards a shutdown Saturday, until Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy advanced a package that funded the government at current levels while increasing federal disaster assistance and cutting support for Ukraine. [Read more.]( [As need for emergency shelters in Mass. spikes, so do costs]( For the past decade or so, Massachusetts taxpayers have spent between $100 million and $200 million a year on family shelters. This year, lawmakers allocated more than $325 million, an all-time high. And the Healey Administration says more is needed. Here's a look at where the money is going, and how it fits into the state's budget. [Read more.]( [As need for emergency shelters in Mass. spikes, so do costs]( For the past decade or so, Massachusetts taxpayers have spent between $100 million and $200 million a year on family shelters. This year, lawmakers allocated more than $325 million, an all-time high. And the Healey Administration says more is needed. Here's a look at where the money is going, and how it fits into the state's budget. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts native among winners of Nobel Prize in medicine]( Katalin Karikó and Massachusetts native Drew Weissman won Nobel Prizein medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts native among winners of Nobel Prize in medicine]( Katalin Karikó and Massachusetts native Drew Weissman won Nobel Prizein medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. [Read more.]( [PHOTOS: The first Vineyard Wind turbines are going up in the ocean]( WBUR visited New Bedford to see the staging area for Vineyard Wind 1, the country's first large-scale offshore wind project. [Read more.]( [PHOTOS: The first Vineyard Wind turbines are going up in the ocean]( WBUR visited New Bedford to see the staging area for Vineyard Wind 1, the country's first large-scale offshore wind project. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court to consider abortion pills, guns, social media in its new term]( In one form or another, all those questions are back on the table this term — mainly to take a second look at appeals from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Texas and parts the South. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court to consider abortion pills, guns, social media in its new term]( In one form or another, all those questions are back on the table this term — mainly to take a second look at appeals from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Texas and parts the South. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week at CitySpace: There's something for everyone. A stacked schedule kicks off tonight with [a conversation with local designers about sustainable style and fashion](. On Tuesday, WBUR's Anthony Brooks sits down with The Atlantic staff writer Frank Foer for [a talk about his new book about President Biden](. Meghna Chakrabarti [chats Wednesday with NPR's Steve Inskeep about his new Abe Lincoln book](. And we close out the week Friday night with GlamSlam, a [storytelling event]( that's part of Boston Fashion Week. - The Celtics have added another big name to the roster: Jrue Holiday. Boston is [trading Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two future first-round draft picks to the Portland Trail Blazers for Holiday](. This flip comes just days after the defensive-minded point guard was dealt from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Trail Blazers as part of a blockbuster Damian Lillard trade. - Boston College's McMullen Museum of Art has just unveiled the largest donation of any kind in the institution's history: A collection of paintings — including works from artists Pablo Picasso and Winslow Homer — [valued at $20 million](. WBUR's Solon Kelleher has more on the collection, which you can see for free, seven days a week. - Julie Wittes Schlack [argues in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that we do a disservice to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein — and ourselves — if we only remember the memory-impaired figure of the past few of years.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Boston suburbs’ cynical ploy to keep poor families out: Use seniors as a shield ([The Boston Globe]( - A program that saved child care for millions is expiring. What now? ([Vox]( - The Society of Professional Journalists faces a “dire situation” ([Nieman Lab](  🔎 Field Guide [The North End: A Boston neighborhood guide]( With its Italian flavor and massive summer festivals squeezed into narrow streets, the North End is often called a little slice of Europe in Boston. But it's "more than just a ‘Friday-night, special-occasion’ place," according to residents. "It's a lot of people's homes." [Read more.]( [The North End: A Boston neighborhood guide]( With its Italian flavor and massive summer festivals squeezed into narrow streets, the North End is often called a little slice of Europe in Boston. But it's "more than just a ‘Friday-night, special-occasion’ place," according to residents. "It's a lot of people's homes." [Read more.]( Listen: The Common digs into the [town of Reading's nature-based approach to flash flooding.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [America runs rides on Dunkin'.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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