The Kraft Group and the MBTA agreed to move forward with the implementation of a full-time commuter rail stop in Foxboro on Monday, January 5. This change extends the Fairmount Line to Foxboro using the current Franklin Line tracks that run between Readville and South Station. However, in order to provide the most direct route to Gillette Stadium, the service will not have any stops between Readville and Foxboro.
David Mohler, the Executive Director of the Office of Transportation Planning for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), presented the proposal at the Foxboro Board of Selectmen Meeting on Tuesday, November 18. The tracks that will be used for the new commuter rail are currently used solely for freight trains and special events at Gillette; however, the new schedule will run five trains a day during weekdays— two in the morning and evening, and one midday.
With more trains running through South Walpole, some residents are concerned with how the new stop will affect the town. Since the line runs from Readville to Foxboro without stopping in between, Walpole serves as a cut-through for the service to Gillette.
At Walpole’s Board of Selectmen meeting December 2, Mr. Mohler answered questions about the proposal. When Walpole Selectman Jim Stanton asked how the new commuter rail will help Walpole, Mohler said, “I don’t believe that it does.”
Currently, the Franklin Line runs a commuter rail service to Walpole, but it is not making a profit. At the meeting on December 2, a Walpole resident asked what the net revenue on the Franklin Line was and Mohler said, “Every line loses money.” The new commuter rail would bring in an estimated 650 new riders, but the capital expense for the Framingham Secondary Line is $23 million, the capital expense for new rails and improvements is an estimated $35 million, and operating costs will go up an estimated $500,000.
Also, many residents see a lack of communication as a major flaw in the planning of this line: Walpole and Foxboro residents did not hear about the potential service for months. “This is sneaky, deceitful, and wrong. And completely irresponsible,” said Walpole Selectman Nancy Mackenzie.
Despite opposition from residents, the MBTA and the Kraft Group moved forward with their decision. No votes or agreements needed to take place in Foxboro or Walpole in order for this to happen, as the state is not bound by local zoning or local decisions.
Rumors have spread of this service being part of a long term plan by the Kraft Group in order to help Boston with its 2024 Olympic bid or a potential Super Bowl bid at Gillette.
“As far as I can tell, this is unrelated to an Olympic bid,” said Mohler.
Previous reports pointed out the inability of Gillette Stadium to host a Super Bowl in the future due to its location in Foxboro as opposed to in a city; however, holding Olympic events at the stadium is still a possibility. The Boston Herald published a map of preliminary proposals for 2024 Olympic venues, claiming the Foxboro stadium could host soccer, along with potentially more sports.
Regardless of whether or not the 2024 Olympics were a factor in the decision about the new commuter rail, the route to Gillette will be convenient if the games were to be held in Boston. As for now, a full-time commuter rail stop in Foxboro will be available for local residents to utilize in the near future.
