Those hoping for year-round commuter rail transportation in Wareham might hear the train whistle blowing a little more loudly.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is currently assessing the benefits of extending the the commuter rail shuttle south into Buzzards Bay. The extension would use the current Cape Flyer tracks, but would run full-time, bringing daily Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) service to Wareham, and Buzzards Bay before terminating in Hyannis.

The assessment comes as part of MassDOT's attempt to bring commuter rail accessibility into New Bedford. MassDOT is still going full-steam ahead to construct an electrified Stoughton line, which will terminate at Battleship Cove, Whale's Tooth and Fall River Depot.

However, the Stoughton line requires several new stations to be built in Raynham, Easton, Taunton, Freetown New Bedford among others. The line also extends through the Hockomock Swamp, which has raised concerns with environmentalists. MassDOT does not expect construction of this line to begin until 2030 at the earliest.

In an effort to bring an interim rail line to the south coast more quickly, a recent Notice of Project Change from MassDOT has added a second option to the Southcoast Rail plan. This option proposes using the already-in-use Middleboro/Lakeville line to connect to New Bedford and Fall River.

The Project Change itself proposes two options for the Middleboro/Lakeville station. The first is to construct a new Middleboro station at Pilgrim Junction, which would connect to the Middleboro freight line heading into Cotley Junction in Taunton, and then along the freight lines into New Bedford and Fall River.

The second option is to use the current Lakeville station as a commuter shuttle, bringing passengers to Bridgewater. There they could make a cross-platform transfer to a new line, which would extend south to New Bedford and Fall River.

Wareham officials are pushing for the second option. The Cape Flyer line is already connected to the main Middleboro/Lakeville line, originating in Lakeville.

"If they decide to use the Lakeville station, getting rail to Buzzards Bay would be a lot easier," said Selectman Alan Slavin. "There aren't many jobs in the south coast area that can offer what a job in Boston can," he said. "The rail line would mean many more opportunities for Wareham residents to get better jobs."

Slavin also noted that a permanent rail line would bring a bounty of economic benefits to Wareham and Buzzards Bay. "The cost of real estate in Boston is absolutely prohibitive. Wareham is much more affordable, it's by the water. You can get so much more here, especially with direct access to Boston."

He stated that several businesses decided not to open shop in Wareham, saying that they just wouldn’t reach enough customers to keep the business afloat. “Having a permanent rail line would change that, and even the businesses already here would see a boost from the commuters,” he said.

Rep. Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham) agreed with Slavin. "This has been an effort since 1999," she said. "The benefits of having a full-time commuter rail would be very positive for Wareham. Town and economic development would speed up tremendously."

Slavin acknowledged that there is a cost to bringing the commuter rail into town. "It would have to be subsidized," he explained.

A 2016 application for a pilot train program into Buzzards Bay met with a frosty reception from the MBTA. The MBTA maintained that significant subsidy, given by the state, of  $300,000 would be required beyond the fares collected by passengers.

Slavin said that a subsidy from the state was in fact sought, but the state was not willing to subsidize more than $8 per commuter rail passenger, when the required subsidy worked out to a fee of around $13 per passenger.