There was hope that it would arrive as early as this spring, but it looks like Wareham will have to wait some more for passenger rail, as the service proposed this fall has been delayed.

"We tried in earnest last year to get a connecting service going, to coincide with construction on the Bourne and Sagamore bridges," said John Kennedy, CEO and President of Cape Rail Inc., which proposed a passenger rail "feeder" service between Sandwich and the Middleborough commuter-rail station with station stops in Buzzards Bay and Wareham.  "That window was quite tight; we had amassed all the preparation work and permissions, but the problem was funding from the state or federal government.  That was really the holdup."

The service was to be run by Mass Coastal Railroad, the freight subsidiary of Cape Rail Inc., whose Cape Cod Central Railroad currently runs the excursion dinner train. The plans were relatively simple, using existing tracks and infrastructure (with a few upgrades to station platforms), and sharing the commuter rail platform at the MBTA station.

However, the equipment to operate the service - primarily coach cars and engines that would allow the train to be pushed and pulled so it wouldn't have to turn around at the terminal stations - could not be funded in time to coincide with construction.

In addition, the railroad finalized a long-awaited contract in June with CSX Transportation to expand its freight operation to Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River, a development that soon became the small company's first priority.

"We're not abandoning plans.  They're slightly 'back-burnered,' but we'd be amenable to resurrecting the proposal," Kennedy said.  But he added that they would need the state to provide some sort of funding to make the service economically feasible.

The news was met with disappointment by Marie Oliva, chair and CEO of the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce.

"We are disappointed, we've been a strong supporter of Mass Coastal for a long time, and it is certainly a project that we think would help Wareham and Buzzards Bay enormously," said Oliva.

But she remained optimistic.  "I don't think it's 'dead in the water,' Oliva said.  "It has wide support from local legislators, the Department of Transportation, businesses, and more, but we need to get the political leadership at the state level to make it economical.

Town Administrator Mark Andrews said that he remained supportive of the project and that he planned on working with Mass Coastal to help them out any way that they could.  "It's an ongoing process to get the best development plan and funding plan to help them out," said Andrews.

Kennedy was also optimistic.  He believes that the region will see the MassCoastal feeder service before they see commuter rail.

The price tag for the Southcoast Rail project, which proposes extending Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River, is approaching $2 billion.  While offering a network of connections, the MBTA also requires heavier trains that operate at higher speeds and increased noise.   MBTA service also requires extensive regulatory review of upgraded tracks, stations, and other infrastructure.

"It took decades for the MBTA to enter the South Shore," Kennedy said, while he estimated that Mass Coastal could start service within as few as six months after state approval.

But as for now, the MBTA does not appear likely to provide service anytime soon.   (By press time, they had not responded to calls for comment).  Facing budget deficits of their own, they are wrapped up in the Southcoast Project.

A possible future scenario, according to Representative Susan Williams Gifford, (R-Wareham) seems to be feeder service provided by Mass Coastal Rail, which demonstrates the need for passenger rail to Wareham and the Cape, and then will be eventually replaced by the MBTA.

"While we could get a temporary service up, long term it would be MBTA," said Williams Gifford.

In fact, the MBTA's focus on the Southcoast project (which many might argue has distracted them from providing commuter service to Wareham) has actually provided the best indication that the MBTA has Wareham in its sights.

According to Nancy Durfee of the Southeast Regional Planning and Development District (SRPEDD), when studying the Southcoast project, the MBTA and SRPEDD examined four rail lines, including the Middleboro line.

They decided against it, Durfee said. One of the reasons?  "Added service on that line would have cut off the possibility of commuter service to the Cape."