URI prez: Rail 'essential' to S. County

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The president of Rhode Island's flagship public university says it's critical to extend commuter rail service to the southern part of the state.

University of Rhode Island President David Dooley said Wednesday that an extension of the existing Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority rail line to the campus in South Kingstown is "essential."

Dooley says a station in South Kingstown would likely be more widely used than the one that opened earlier this year in North Kingstown. He says it would have a "built-in ridership" given the campus community of 18,000 people.

The MBTA began commuter rail service to the new Wickford Junction Train Station in North Kingstown in April. Wickford is presently the southern-most stop on the Providence-Stoughton line.