Foxboro station
Foxboro | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 The single platform at Foxboro station in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°05′42″N 71°15′41″W / 42.0950°N 71.2615°W | |||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | MBTA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Framingham Secondary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | 4[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1971 (event service) October 21, 2019 (full service) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| December 2019 | 70 (daily boardings)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Foxboro station, also known as Gillette Stadium station, is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It was originally used only for special events at nearby Gillette Stadium, primarily New England Patriots games, but now has weekday service on a pilot basis to test demand. It lies on a freight line between Mansfield and Framingham, known as the Framingham Secondary. The line was part of the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad, Old Colony Railroad, New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, Penn Central, and, finally, Conrail, until 1999, when it passed to CSX. The line connects to the MBTA's Franklin Line at Walpole and the Providence/Stoughton Line at Mansfield.
Trains come from Boston's South Station via the Franklin Line and from Providence in Providence, Rhode Island via the Providence/Stoughton Line (Trains formerly originated at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island from 2012-2018). Franklin Line trains make stops at Back Bay and Dedham Corporate Center. Providence/Stoughton Line trains make stops at South Attleboro, Attleboro, and Mansfield. The service started with the opening of Foxboro Stadium in August 1971; Providence service ended soon but was brought back in 1994. By 2005, ridership per event averaged 1,567.[3]
The station has a single side platform serving the line's main track, with a mini-high section for accessibility; a passing siding allows freight trains to pass stopped passenger trains at the station.
Expansion plans
In September 2010, the MBTA completed a study to determine the feasibility of extending full-time commuter rail service to Foxboro via the Franklin Line. The study looked at extending some Fairmount Line service to Foxboro, running shuttle trains from Foxboro to Walpole, or a combination of both. No determination was made as to if or when this service would begin.[4]
A proposal for the MBTA to purchase the track and restore full service met with some local opposition, although the state purchased the line in June 2015.[5][6][7] Passenger service gained new momentum when Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, agreed to help subsidize the costs of a pilot program, up to $200,000/year.[8]
In August 2017, the MBTA Fiscal Board approved an 11-month pilot program to test commuter rail service to Foxborough, with service planned to begin sometime in late 2018 or early 2019.[9] In October 2017, the MBTA indicated that service would begin on May 20, 2019.[10] Service during the trial period will consist of seven daily round trips - three during the morning peak period, three in the evening peak, and one midday.[11] The launch date was delayed again, with regular service ultimately starting on October 21, 2019.[12][13][1]
By December 2019, daily boardings at Foxboro averaged 70 - one-third of the projected ridership.[2]
References
- ^ a b c Foxboro Weekday Service Pilot, MBTA, October 2019
- ^ a b Hand, Jim (December 12, 2019). "Foxboro train service slow to attract riders". The Sun Chronicle.
- ^ Ridership and Service Statistics (PDF) (13 ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2010. p. 4.3. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2011.
- ^ Jacobs Engineering Group; Central Transportation Planning Staff; Gailbraith, Anne S. (1 September 2010). "Foxborough Commuter Rail Feasibility Study" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ^ http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/27520697/plan-to-add-commuter-rail-service-to-gillette-could-come-at-taxpayer-expense
- ^ http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/27532348/walpole-residents-vow-to-stop-deal-to-bring-full-time-commuter-rail-service-to-Gillette
- ^ Jessen, Klark (16 June 2015). "MassDOT Completes Framingham Secondary Rail Line Acquisition" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
- ^ Mohl, Bruce (February 27, 2017). "Baker, Kraft push Foxborough commuter rail service". CommonWealth Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ "MBTA Board Approves Foxborough Commuter Rail Pilot". Foxborough, MA Patch. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
- ^ Gomes, Alexandra (November 1, 2017). "Foxboro's MBTA pilot program won't launch until 2019". Sun Chronicle. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ Bentley, Jimmy (November 29, 2018). "Foxborough Starting Pilot For Commuter Rail Service To Boston". Foxoborough Patch.
- ^ Vaccaro, Adam. "Foxborough train service pushed back to fall - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
External links
Media related to Foxboro station at Wikimedia Commons