MBTA Board Approves Foxborough Commuter Rail Pilot

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Full-time rail service in Foxborough will be tested over a period of 11 months, following a vote of approval from the MBTA’s Fiscal Management Control Board

The board voted Monday to back a proposed pilot program, which would consist of full-time rail service from the Gillette Stadium platform to South Station in Boston by way of the Fairmount Line.

The much-discussed pilot will consist of Commuter Rail service to Boston by way of the Fairmount Line. The Kraft Group will provide 500 parking spaces with a rate of $4 a day for the pilot, with all the revenue going toward the MBTA. The total operating cost for the pilot is tabbed at $1.2 million, with the net cost at $524,000 after taking parking and fare revenue and a private contribution from the Kraft Group into consideration, according to the MBTA.

The vote comes despute protest from Walpole residents and officials upset at the prospect of trains from Foxborough traveling on tracks near homes. Residents near stops on the Fairmount Line were concerned that the addition of Foxborough could lead to crowded trains and less reliable service.

Foxborough and Kraft Group officials, however, have stated that the train could spark economic development in the area if works choose to commute from the Boston-area to Foxborough. The pilot talks have included a discussion with GATRA about a shuttle to local businesses such as Schneider Electric, another supporter of the project.

Town officials and the MBTA will now take about a year to come up with an extensive pilot, which is scheduled to start in late 2018 or early 2019.

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