A site near Kings Highway in northern New Bedford was announced as a potential South Coast Rail station in 2009.

[4]: 398  Acushnet station, located at Tarkiln Hill Road north of downtown New Bedford, served the eponymous town to the east.

[7] However, most local stops including Acushnet were discontinued by the 1930s; by the end of service, trains ran nonstop from New Bedford to Taunton.

[8][9] The line continued to be used for freight service by the New Haven and its successors Penn Central and Conrail, then finally as the CSX New Bedford Subdivision.

[13] By 2013, plans called for the station to be on the west side of the tracks at the site, sharing parking with an existing movie theater.

[16] In 2019, the planned site was moved across the tracks due to drainage and land acquisition issues, with the name changed to "North New Bedford" for clarity.

[19] A former industrial building at 387 Church Street was demolished in 2020 to make room for the station and its parking lot.