Foxborough Commuter Rail Service Begins

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Foxborough commuters no longer have to go to Mansfield or other neighboring communities to take the train into work. On Monday, the train station at Gillette Stadium began an 11-month pilot program, offering full Commuter Rail service between Patriot Place and South Station rather than only being open during Patriots games.

The Foxborough stop is on the Fairmount and Franklin lines and offers 10 round-trip weekday trains.

MBTA officials said the first inbound train to Boston leaves Foxborough at 5:48 a.m., while the last outbound train back leaves at 10 p.m., giving most residents who work in the city the option to not drive.

The fare for morning inbound and evening outbound trips was priced at $8.75 each way, but the MBTA also began selling discounted tickets at $4.25 for outbound morning and inbound evening trips. The program is partially paid for by the Kraft Group, although MBTA officials did not disclose the amount of financial support being given.

"The Kraft Group has long welcomed Commuter Rail service here at Foxborough Station to alleviate the congestion faced at nearby stations while offering the opportunity for tremendous growth in the region with a potential influx of reverse commuters from the Boston area," Patriot Place Vice President Brian Earley said. "This pilot program is a step towards that potential development and we're happy to partner with the MBTA and the Town of Foxborough upon the station's opening this Monday"

The pilot was originally scheduled to begin in the spring, but was delayed because track renovations took longer than expected. Foxborough town officials, Kraft Group representatives, the MBTA, and MassDOT had been working on bringing full commuter rail service to Gillette Stadium for over a year.

MBTA officials said they are excited to offer this service as a way to improve public transportation in the region.

"The addition of regular weekday service to Foxborough Station provides important access to transit for both regular commuters and reverse commuters," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said. "The MBTA is committed to improving public transit in all the communities we serve, and we look forward to measuring the success of this pilot program as we offer transit solutions that remove more cars from our roadways."