fbpx
Wikipedia

Franklin/Foxboro Line

The Franklin/Foxboro Line (formerly the Franklin Line) is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts. Most trains use the Northeast Corridor before splitting off onto the namesake Franklin Branch at Readville, though some trains use the Dorchester Branch (Fairmount Line) to reach Readville. Most weekday trains, and all weekend trains, bypass Hyde Park.

Franklin/Foxboro Line
An inbound train leaving Readville station in 2014
Overview
OwnerMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
LocaleSoutheastern Massachusetts
Termini
Stations17
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Train number(s)700–731, 741–758 (weekday)
1700–1717 (Saturday)
2700–2717 (Sunday)
Operator(s)Keolis North America
Daily ridership8,771 (October 2022)[1]
Technical
Line length27.4 miles (44.1 km)[2]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map

0.0 mi
0 km
South Station
limited service via Fairmount
1.2 mi
1.9 km
Back Bay
Massachusetts Avenue
2.2 mi
3.5 km
Ruggles
Roxbury Crossing
Jackson Square
Stony Brook
Green Street
6.5 mi
10.5 km
Mount Hope
8.4 mi
13.5 km
Hyde Park
limited service via Fairmount
9.5 mi
15.3 km
Readville
10.9 mi
17.5 km
Endicott
11.8 mi
19 km
Dedham Corporate Center
12.5 mi
20.1 km
Islington
14.3 mi
23 km
Norwood Depot
14.8 mi
23.8 km
Norwood Central
16.6 mi
26.7 km
Windsor Gardens
17.7 mi
28.5 km
Plimptonville
Lewis's Wye
19.1 mi
30.7 km
Walpole
22.6 mi
36.4 km
Foxboro
23.0 mi
37 km
Norfolk
27.5 mi
44.3 km
Franklin/Dean College
30.3 mi
48.8 km
Forge Park/495
36.4 mi
58.6 km
Blackstone

Foxboro station is located on the Framingham Secondary branch line, which connects with the Franklin Line at Walpole. Previously, trains only served the station during special events at Gillette Stadium. Pilot weekday service to Foxboro ran from October 2019 to November 2020; it resumed in May 2022 and was made permanent in October 2023.

History edit

 
Union Station in Walpole
 
The line was extended to Forge Park/495 station in 1988

The earliest predecessor to the Franklin Line began in 1835 when the Boston and Providence Railroad built a branch from Dedham to Readville, connecting with the main line from Boston to Providence. This was followed, in 1848, by the Norfolk County Railroad, which ran from Dedham to Walpole.[3] After various mergers and acquisitions, the line become part of the New York and New England Railroad until 1898, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad until 1968, and, ultimately, Penn Central until its 1970 bankruptcy.

What is today's Franklin Branch was a portion of the Midland Line of the New Haven's Midland Division, the New Haven's secondary route between Boston and New York; the MBTA's Dorchester Branch and the abandoned segments from Franklin to Willimantic, Connecticut via Blackstone were the remaining components of the Midland Line. In 1910, the passenger route on the Midland Line was a regional inter-city train that continued to New York via the Highland Line segment of the Highland Division between Willimantic and Waterbury, Connecticut, then continuing down the Housatonic Railroad to the New Haven Line.[4] Service was eventually shortened to Waterbury in 1937.[5]

However, in the 1940s and early 1950s service, including the New Haven's Nutmeg and several unnamed trains from Boston to Hartford and Waterbury continued.[6] It was shortened to Blackstone when the two southern spans of the bridge crossing the Quinebaug River in Putnam, Connecticut washed out during Hurricane Diane in 1955. The bridge was never repaired, and the line was abandoned between Willimantic and Putnam in 1959.

MBTA era edit

Service to Blackstone was discontinued in April 1966 when the MBTA began subsidizing the line; Franklin and beyond were not in the MBTA district, meaning that the towns themselves had to subsidize service, and only Franklin agreed to do so.[7] The easternmost bridge over the Blackstone River was washed out in the March 17-19th flooding of the river in 1968; the line beyond Franklin was abandoned 3 years later,[8] and is now preserved in full as the Southern New England Trunkline Trail. Between 1973 and 1976, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts bought almost all track assets in Southeastern Massachusetts, including the Franklin Branch, from the Penn Central's bankruptcy trustees. Ridership on the line tripled from 1982 to 1990.[9]

From the start of MBTA operations, Franklin was the terminus of the line. Service was extended to Forge Park/495 station on June 2, 1988, although the line retained its original name.[10][7] Forge Park/495 is not on the former NY&NE main line to Woonsocket, but instead on the former Milford and Woonsocket Railroad, which last saw passenger service in 1938.[11] The MBTA leased the branch from Conrail for the extension, with the possibility of future purchase.[7] In February 2020, the MBTA voted to purchase the line from Franklin to Milford for $13 million.[12]

Double tracking edit

In early 2019, the MBTA begin installation of an additional 3.8 miles (6.1 km) of double track - 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of new track plus the conversion of an existing siding) - between Walpole and Norfolk.[13] Major construction was completed in April 2020.[14] The $30 million construction of an additional phase and preliminary design of a third were announced in November 2019. Phase 2 will add 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of double track between Franklin and Norfolk, with completion by the end of 2020; it will allow headways to drop from 45 to 35 minutes. Phase 3 is planned to complete double-tracking between just north of Franklin/Dean College station and just south of Readville station, including the modification of several stations.[15][13] Total cost of the projects is expected to be $68 million.[16]

Foxboro service and COVID-19 changes edit

 
A train at Foxboro station in 2020

From 1971 to 1973 and 1986 to 1988, Boston–Foxboro service for Foxboro Stadium events ran over the Franklin Line to Walpole, then over the Framingham Secondary to Foxboro.[17][18] Intermediate stops for the 1980s iteration were at Readville and Norwood Central (plus Back Bay in 1988).[19][20] The service ran over the Providence/Stoughton Line from 1989 to 1994, with a reverse move at Mansfield. It was routed back to the Franklin Line in 1995, with intermediate stops at Back Bay, Dedham Corporate Center, and Norwood Central.[21][22] Norwood Central was dropped from these trains beginning with the 2011 season.[23][24]

In September 2010, the MBTA completed a study to determine the feasibility of extending regular commuter rail service to Foxboro station 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.[25] The MBTA planned to purchase trackage prior to restoring service; the Framingham Secondary, which provides access to Foxboro station, was acquired by the MBTA effective June 17, 2015. (CSX Transportation, the former owner of the branch, retained trackage rights over it.)[26]

In August 2017, the MBTA Fiscal Control Board approved an 11-month pilot program to test commuter rail service to Foxboro, with service planned to begin sometime in late 2018 or early 2019, although Fairmount Line advocates warned it might reduce service quality to existing Fairmount Line stations.[27] In October 2017, the MBTA indicated that service would begin on May 20, 2019.[28] 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.[29] The launch date was later delayed to October 21, 2019.[30][7] By December 2019, daily boardings at Foxboro averaged 70 - one-third of the projected ridership.[31]

Substantially reduced schedules were in effect from March 16 to June 23, 2020.[7] Foxboro pilot service was suspended on November 2, 2020, with the intention for it to resume in Spring 2021.[32] In November 2020, as part of service cuts during the pandemic, the MBTA proposed to close Plimptonville along with five other low-ridership stations on other lines.[33] On December 14, the MBTA Board voted to enact a more limited set of cuts, including indefinitely closing Plimptonville and four of the other five stations.[34][35] That day, temporary reduced schedules were again put into place.[36]

On January 23, 2021, reduced schedules went into place with no weekend service on seven lines, including the Franklin Line.[7] Service changes on April 5, 2021, added midday service as part of a transition to a regional rail model, with hourly service between Walpole and Boston and less frequent service south of Walpole. Foxboro service was not resumed at that time.[37][38] As part of that schedule change, all Franklin Line trains operating via the Southwest Corridor began stopping at Ruggles station after an additional platform there was completed.[39][38] Weekend service on the Franklin Line and the six other lines resumed on July 3, 2021.[40]

Four midday Foxboro round trips – but no peak Foxboro service – resumed on May 23, 2022. The line was renamed the Franklin/Foxboro Line at that time.[41][42] Some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains began stopping at Forest Hills on September 3, 2022, to provide alternate service during a closure of the Orange Line.[43] Some peak-hour trains continued to stop after end of the closure on September 19.[44] A new one-year Foxboro pilot began on September 12, 2022.[45] As of September 2022, weekday service consists of 10+12 Boston–Foxboro round trips and 11+12 Boston–Forge Park round trips; weekend service has nine Boston–Forge Park round trips, with no Foxboro service.[46] By October 2022, daily ridership was 8,711 – 75% of pre-COVID ridership.[1] Foxboro service and the line's renaming were made permanent effective October 2, 2023.[47]

Milford extension edit

In July 2011, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization began studying the viability of extending Franklin Line commuter rail service to Hopedale and Milford. The study would update a 1997 MBTA evaluation that concluded costs outweighed the benefits of a possible expansion. Local officials believe increased population and track upgrades to the Grafton and Upton Railroad may increase the viability of an extension.[48] 8 miles of track from Franklin Junction to Milford were leased by the MBTA from Conrail for the Forge Park/495 extension and to establish the possibility of future service to Milford.[7] A 2004 analysis determined that the extension would cost $70.5 million and attract about 1,800 additional riders per weekday.[49]

Station listing edit

Fare zone Location Miles (km)[50] Station Connections and notes
1A Boston 0.0 (0.0)   South Station   Amtrak: Acela, Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional
  MBTA Commuter Rail: Fairmount, Framingham/Worcester, Greenbush, Needham, Old Colony, and Providence/Stoughton lines; CapeFlyer (seasonal)
  MBTA subway: Red Line, Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4)
  MBTA bus: 4, 7, 11
  Intercity buses at South Station Bus Terminal
1.2 (1.9)   Back Bay   Amtrak: Acela Express, Lake Shore Limited, Northeast Regional
  MBTA Commuter Rail: Framingham/Worcester, Needham, and Providence/Stoughton lines
  MBTA subway: Orange Line
  MBTA bus: 10, 39
2.2 (3.5)   Ruggles   MBTA Commuter Rail: Needham and Providence/Stoughton lines
  MBTA subway: Orange Line
  MBTA bus: 8, 15, 19, 22, 23, 28, 43, 44, 45, 47, CT2, CT3
5.0 (8.0)   Forest Hills   MBTA Commuter Rail: Needham and Providence/Stoughton lines
  MBTA subway: Orange Line
  MBTA bus: 16, 21, 30, 31, 32, 34, 34E, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 50, 51
6.5 (10.5) Mount Hope Closed November 2, 1979
1 8.4 (13.5)   Hyde Park   MBTA bus: 24, 32, 33, 50
2 9.2 (14.8)   Readville   MBTA Commuter Rail: Fairmount Line
  MBTA bus: 32, 33
Dedham 10.9 (17.5) Endicott
11.8 (19.0)   Dedham Corporate Center
3 Westwood 12.5 (20.1) Islington
Norwood 14.3 (23.0)   Norwood Depot
14.8 (23.8)   Norwood Central
4 16.6 (26.7) Windsor Gardens
Walpole 17.7 (28.5) Plimptonville Closed December 14, 2020
19.1 (30.7) Walpole Junction with Framingham Secondary to Foxboro
Foxborough 22.6 (36.4)   Foxboro Located on the Framingham Secondary
5 Norfolk 23.0 (37.0)   Norfolk   GATRA: Medway T shuttle
6 Franklin 27.5 (44.3) Franklin/Dean College
30.3 (48.8)   Forge Park/495 Located on the Milford Secondary
Blackstone 36.4 (58.6) Blackstone Closed April 24, 1966
  Currently operating station

References edit

  1. ^ a b Poftak, Steve (October 27, 2022). "GM Report" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 6.
  2. ^ "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
  3. ^ "Dedham Historical Society". Dedham Historical Society. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  4. ^ Phillip A. Blakeslee (April 1953). "A Brief History of Lines West—The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co". Catskill Archive. Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  5. ^ Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780942147124.
  6. ^ "Table 18: Waterbury-Hartford-Putnam-Boston". THE SCENIC SHORELINE ROUTE SERVING NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. April 24, 1955. p. 30 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  8. ^ City of Woonsocket. "City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island - Commuter Rail Feasibility Study" (PDF). Greater City Providence. City of Woonsocket. p. 2. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  9. ^ Mavrides, Melanie J. (July 15, 1990). "MBTA Norfolk expansion criticized". Boston Globe West Weekly. pp. 1, 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Howe, Peter J. (June 2, 1988). "MBTA opens new station". Boston Globe – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The Rail Lines of Southern New England. Branch Line Press. pp. 304–306. ISBN 0942147022.
  12. ^ "Milford Secondary Acquisition" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. February 24, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Didtamo, Rob (November 18, 2019). "Franklin Double Track" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  14. ^ . Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020.
  15. ^ "FMCB Approves Franklin Line Double Track Phase 2 Work and Phase 3 Preliminary Design Work" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. November 18, 2019.
  16. ^ "Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority FY23-27 Capital Investment Plan (CIP): Proposed" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. March 2022. p. 60.
  17. ^ "Special trains planned for Patriots' stadium". Boston Globe. July 17, 1971. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Patriots halt train service". Boston Globe. October 25, 1973. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "MBTA provides Patriots' train". Boston Globe. September 3, 1986. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "MBTA to run trains to Patriots' games". Boston Globe. September 2, 1988. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "How to get to the game". Boston Globe. December 4, 1994. p. 63 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "How to get to the game". Boston Globe. September 10, 1995. p. 93 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ . Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010.
  24. ^ . Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011.
  25. ^ Jacobs Engineering Group (September 1, 2010). "Foxboro Commuter Rail Feasibility Study: Final Report" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  26. ^ Jessen, Klark (16 June 2015). "MassDOT Completes Framingham Secondary Rail Line Acquisition" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  27. ^ "MBTA Board Approves Foxborough Commuter Rail Pilot". Foxborough, MA Patch. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  28. ^ Gomes, Alexandra (November 1, 2017). "Foxboro's MBTA pilot program won't launch until 2019". Sun Chronicle. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  29. ^ Bentley, Jimmy (November 29, 2018). "Foxborough Starting Pilot For Commuter Rail Service To Boston". Foxoborough Patch.
  30. ^ Vaccaro, Adam (March 27, 2019). "Foxborough train service pushed back to fall". The Boston Globe.
  31. ^ Hand, Jim (December 12, 2019). "Foxboro train service slow to attract riders". The Sun Chronicle.
  32. ^ DiAdamo, Rob (September 14, 2020). "Fall 2020 Commuter Rail Schedule Changes" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  33. ^ Paget-Seekins, Laurel; Benesh, Kat (November 9, 2020). "Forging Ahead: Scenario and Service Planning" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 21.
  34. ^ Enwemeka, Zeninjor (December 14, 2020). "MBTA Control Board Votes To Scale Back Bus, Train And Ferry Service". WBUR. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  35. ^ Paget-Seekins, Laurel; Benesh, Kat (December 14, 2020). "Forging Ahead: Service Proposal" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 17.
  36. ^ "Commuter Rail to Temporarily Operate Reduced Service Schedule Starting December 14" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. December 10, 2021.
  37. ^ "Reminder: Spring 2021 Commuter Rail Schedules Take Effect April 5" (Press release). Keolis Commuter Services. April 1, 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Franklin Line Spring 2021 Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. April 5, 2021.
  39. ^ "Ruggles Elevators and Commuter Rail Platform Now Complete" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. April 7, 2021.
  40. ^ Coholan, Ryan (May 24, 2021). "Commuter Rail Performance Update" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 7.
  41. ^ "Franklin Line 2022 Spring/Summer Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. May 23, 2022.
  42. ^ "MBTA Commuter Rail Spring/Summer Schedule to Take Effect May 23" (Press release). Keolis Commuter Services. May 10, 2022.
  43. ^ "Commuter Rail Adding Service at Forest Hills in Anticipation of Increased Ridership after Labor Day" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 1, 2022.
  44. ^ . Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 15, 2022. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022.
  45. ^ "Foxboro Weekday Commuter Rail Service Pilot to Start September 12" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. August 24, 2022.
  46. ^ "Franklin/Foxboro Line: 2022 Spring/Summer Schedule" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 19, 2022.
  47. ^ "Foxboro Station, Commuter Rail Pilot's Success Leads to Permanent Weekday Service Beginning October 2" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 28, 2023.
  48. ^ "Franklin rail line could expand to Milford and Hopedale". Milford Daily News. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  49. ^ Central Transportation Planning Staff (January 2004) [May 2003]. (PDF). 2004 Program for Mass Transportation. Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  50. ^ "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.

External links edit

KML is from Wikidata

  Media related to MBTA Franklin/Foxboro Line at Wikimedia Commons

  • MBTA – Franklin/Foxboro Line

franklin, foxboro, line, line, york, city, franklin, avenue, line, formerly, franklin, line, part, mbta, commuter, rail, system, runs, from, boston, south, station, southwesterly, direction, toward, franklin, massachusetts, most, trains, northeast, corridor, b. For the line in New York City see BMT Franklin Avenue Line The Franklin Foxboro Line formerly the Franklin Line is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system It runs from Boston s South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin Massachusetts Most trains use the Northeast Corridor before splitting off onto the namesake Franklin Branch at Readville though some trains use the Dorchester Branch Fairmount Line to reach Readville Most weekday trains and all weekend trains bypass Hyde Park Franklin Foxboro LineAn inbound train leaving Readville station in 2014OverviewOwnerMassachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityLocaleSoutheastern MassachusettsTerminiSouth StationForge Park 495 FoxboroStations17ServiceTypeCommuter railSystemMassachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityTrain number s 700 731 741 758 weekday 1700 1717 Saturday 2700 2717 Sunday Operator s Keolis North AmericaDaily ridership8 771 October 2022 1 TechnicalLine length27 4 miles 44 1 km 2 Track gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm Route mapLegend0 0 mi0 km South StationGreenbush Old Colonylimited service via Fairmount Orange to Oak Grove1 2 mi1 9 km Back Bay Framingham Worcester Massachusetts Avenue2 2 mi3 5 km RugglesRoxbury CrossingJackson SquareStony BrookGreen StreetForest Hills Orange Needham6 5 mi10 5 km Mount Hope8 4 mi13 5 km Hyde Parklimited service via Fairmount9 5 mi15 3 km ReadvilleDedham BranchProvidence Stoughton NEC 10 9 mi17 5 km Endicott11 8 mi19 km Dedham Corporate Center12 5 mi20 1 km Islington14 3 mi23 km Norwood Depot14 8 mi23 8 km Norwood Central16 6 mi26 7 km Windsor Gardens17 7 mi28 5 km PlimptonvilleLewis s Wye19 1 mi30 7 km WalpoleFramingham Secondaryto Framingham22 6 mi36 4 km FoxboroFramingham Secondaryto Mansfield23 0 mi37 km NorfolkFranklin Layover27 5 mi44 3 km Franklin Dean College30 3 mi48 8 km Forge Park 495Milford Secondary36 4 mi58 6 km BlackstoneSouthern New EnglandTrunkline TrailThis diagram viewtalkeditFoxboro station is located on the Framingham Secondary branch line which connects with the Franklin Line at Walpole Previously trains only served the station during special events at Gillette Stadium Pilot weekday service to Foxboro ran from October 2019 to November 2020 it resumed in May 2022 and was made permanent in October 2023 Contents 1 History 1 1 MBTA era 1 2 Double tracking 1 3 Foxboro service and COVID 19 changes 1 4 Milford extension 2 Station listing 3 References 4 External linksHistory edit nbsp Union Station in Walpole nbsp The line was extended to Forge Park 495 station in 1988The earliest predecessor to the Franklin Line began in 1835 when the Boston and Providence Railroad built a branch from Dedham to Readville connecting with the main line from Boston to Providence This was followed in 1848 by the Norfolk County Railroad which ran from Dedham to Walpole 3 After various mergers and acquisitions the line become part of the New York and New England Railroad until 1898 the New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad until 1968 and ultimately Penn Central until its 1970 bankruptcy What is today s Franklin Branch was a portion of the Midland Line of the New Haven s Midland Division the New Haven s secondary route between Boston and New York the MBTA s Dorchester Branch and the abandoned segments from Franklin to Willimantic Connecticut via Blackstone were the remaining components of the Midland Line In 1910 the passenger route on the Midland Line was a regional inter city train that continued to New York via the Highland Line segment of the Highland Division between Willimantic and Waterbury Connecticut then continuing down the Housatonic Railroad to the New Haven Line 4 Service was eventually shortened to Waterbury in 1937 5 However in the 1940s and early 1950s service including the New Haven s Nutmeg and several unnamed trains from Boston to Hartford and Waterbury continued 6 It was shortened to Blackstone when the two southern spans of the bridge crossing the Quinebaug River in Putnam Connecticut washed out during Hurricane Diane in 1955 The bridge was never repaired and the line was abandoned between Willimantic and Putnam in 1959 MBTA era edit Service to Blackstone was discontinued in April 1966 when the MBTA began subsidizing the line Franklin and beyond were not in the MBTA district meaning that the towns themselves had to subsidize service and only Franklin agreed to do so 7 The easternmost bridge over the Blackstone River was washed out in the March 17 19th flooding of the river in 1968 the line beyond Franklin was abandoned 3 years later 8 and is now preserved in full as the Southern New England Trunkline Trail Between 1973 and 1976 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts bought almost all track assets in Southeastern Massachusetts including the Franklin Branch from the Penn Central s bankruptcy trustees Ridership on the line tripled from 1982 to 1990 9 From the start of MBTA operations Franklin was the terminus of the line Service was extended to Forge Park 495 station on June 2 1988 although the line retained its original name 10 7 Forge Park 495 is not on the former NY amp NE main line to Woonsocket but instead on the former Milford and Woonsocket Railroad which last saw passenger service in 1938 11 The MBTA leased the branch from Conrail for the extension with the possibility of future purchase 7 In February 2020 the MBTA voted to purchase the line from Franklin to Milford for 13 million 12 Double tracking edit In early 2019 the MBTA begin installation of an additional 3 8 miles 6 1 km of double track 3 3 miles 5 3 km of new track plus the conversion of an existing siding between Walpole and Norfolk 13 Major construction was completed in April 2020 14 The 30 million construction of an additional phase and preliminary design of a third were announced in November 2019 Phase 2 will add 3 5 miles 5 6 km of double track between Franklin and Norfolk with completion by the end of 2020 it will allow headways to drop from 45 to 35 minutes Phase 3 is planned to complete double tracking between just north of Franklin Dean College station and just south of Readville station including the modification of several stations 15 13 Total cost of the projects is expected to be 68 million 16 Foxboro service and COVID 19 changes edit nbsp A train at Foxboro station in 2020From 1971 to 1973 and 1986 to 1988 Boston Foxboro service for Foxboro Stadium events ran over the Franklin Line to Walpole then over the Framingham Secondary to Foxboro 17 18 Intermediate stops for the 1980s iteration were at Readville and Norwood Central plus Back Bay in 1988 19 20 The service ran over the Providence Stoughton Line from 1989 to 1994 with a reverse move at Mansfield It was routed back to the Franklin Line in 1995 with intermediate stops at Back Bay Dedham Corporate Center and Norwood Central 21 22 Norwood Central was dropped from these trains beginning with the 2011 season 23 24 In September 2010 the MBTA completed a study to determine the feasibility of extending regular commuter rail service to Foxboro station 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 25 The MBTA planned to purchase trackage prior to restoring service the Framingham Secondary which provides access to Foxboro station was acquired by the MBTA effective June 17 2015 CSX Transportation the former owner of the branch retained trackage rights over it 26 In August 2017 the MBTA Fiscal Control Board approved an 11 month pilot program to test commuter rail service to Foxboro with service planned to begin sometime in late 2018 or early 2019 although Fairmount Line advocates warned it might reduce service quality to existing Fairmount Line stations 27 In October 2017 the MBTA indicated that service would begin on May 20 2019 28 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 29 The launch date was later delayed to October 21 2019 30 7 By December 2019 daily boardings at Foxboro averaged 70 one third of the projected ridership 31 Substantially reduced schedules were in effect from March 16 to June 23 2020 7 Foxboro pilot service was suspended on November 2 2020 with the intention for it to resume in Spring 2021 32 In November 2020 as part of service cuts during the pandemic the MBTA proposed to close Plimptonville along with five other low ridership stations on other lines 33 On December 14 the MBTA Board voted to enact a more limited set of cuts including indefinitely closing Plimptonville and four of the other five stations 34 35 That day temporary reduced schedules were again put into place 36 On January 23 2021 reduced schedules went into place with no weekend service on seven lines including the Franklin Line 7 Service changes on April 5 2021 added midday service as part of a transition to a regional rail model with hourly service between Walpole and Boston and less frequent service south of Walpole Foxboro service was not resumed at that time 37 38 As part of that schedule change all Franklin Line trains operating via the Southwest Corridor began stopping at Ruggles station after an additional platform there was completed 39 38 Weekend service on the Franklin Line and the six other lines resumed on July 3 2021 40 Four midday Foxboro round trips but no peak Foxboro service resumed on May 23 2022 The line was renamed the Franklin Foxboro Line at that time 41 42 Some Franklin Foxboro Line trains began stopping at Forest Hills on September 3 2022 to provide alternate service during a closure of the Orange Line 43 Some peak hour trains continued to stop after end of the closure on September 19 44 A new one year Foxboro pilot began on September 12 2022 45 As of September 2022 update weekday service consists of 10 1 2 Boston Foxboro round trips and 11 1 2 Boston Forge Park round trips weekend service has nine Boston Forge Park round trips with no Foxboro service 46 By October 2022 daily ridership was 8 711 75 of pre COVID ridership 1 Foxboro service and the line s renaming were made permanent effective October 2 2023 47 Milford extension edit In July 2011 the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization began studying the viability of extending Franklin Line commuter rail service to Hopedale and Milford The study would update a 1997 MBTA evaluation that concluded costs outweighed the benefits of a possible expansion Local officials believe increased population and track upgrades to the Grafton and Upton Railroad may increase the viability of an extension 48 8 miles of track from Franklin Junction to Milford were leased by the MBTA from Conrail for the Forge Park 495 extension and to establish the possibility of future service to Milford 7 A 2004 analysis determined that the extension would cost 70 5 million and attract about 1 800 additional riders per weekday 49 Station listing editFare zone Location Miles km 50 Station Connections and notes1A Boston 0 0 0 0 nbsp South Station nbsp Amtrak Acela Lake Shore Limited Northeast Regional nbsp MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Framingham Worcester Greenbush Needham Old Colony and Providence Stoughton lines CapeFlyer seasonal nbsp MBTA subway Red Line Silver Line SL1 SL2 SL3 SL4 nbsp MBTA bus 4 7 11 nbsp Intercity buses at South Station Bus Terminal1 2 1 9 nbsp Back Bay nbsp Amtrak Acela Express Lake Shore Limited Northeast Regional nbsp MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham Worcester Needham and Providence Stoughton lines nbsp MBTA subway Orange Line nbsp MBTA bus 10 392 2 3 5 nbsp Ruggles nbsp MBTA Commuter Rail Needham and Providence Stoughton lines nbsp MBTA subway Orange Line nbsp MBTA bus 8 15 19 22 23 28 43 44 45 47 CT2 CT35 0 8 0 nbsp Forest Hills nbsp MBTA Commuter Rail Needham and Providence Stoughton lines nbsp MBTA subway Orange Line nbsp MBTA bus 16 21 30 31 32 34 34E 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 50 516 5 10 5 Mount Hope Closed November 2 19791 8 4 13 5 nbsp Hyde Park nbsp MBTA bus 24 32 33 502 9 2 14 8 nbsp Readville nbsp MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line nbsp MBTA bus 32 33Dedham 10 9 17 5 Endicott11 8 19 0 nbsp Dedham Corporate Center3 Westwood 12 5 20 1 IslingtonNorwood 14 3 23 0 nbsp Norwood Depot14 8 23 8 nbsp Norwood Central4 16 6 26 7 Windsor GardensWalpole 17 7 28 5 Plimptonville Closed December 14 202019 1 30 7 Walpole Junction with Framingham Secondary to FoxboroFoxborough 22 6 36 4 nbsp Foxboro Located on the Framingham Secondary5 Norfolk 23 0 37 0 nbsp Norfolk nbsp GATRA Medway T shuttle6 Franklin 27 5 44 3 Franklin Dean College30 3 48 8 nbsp Forge Park 495 Located on the Milford SecondaryBlackstone 36 4 58 6 Blackstone Closed April 24 1966 Currently operating stationReferences edit a b Poftak Steve October 27 2022 GM Report PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority p 6 Ridership and Service Statistics PDF 14th ed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 2014 Dedham Historical Society Dedham Historical Society Retrieved 2010 08 10 Phillip A Blakeslee April 1953 A Brief History of Lines West The New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co Catskill Archive Railroad Enthusiasts Inc Retrieved 23 March 2015 Karr Ronald Dale 2017 The Rail Lines of Southern New England 2 ed Branch Line Press p 88 ISBN 9780942147124 Table 18 Waterbury Hartford Putnam Boston THE SCENIC SHORELINE ROUTE SERVING NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad April 24 1955 p 30 via Wikimedia Commons a b c d e f g Belcher Jonathan Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district PDF Boston Street Railway Association City of Woonsocket City of Woonsocket Rhode Island Commuter Rail Feasibility Study PDF Greater City Providence City of Woonsocket p 2 Retrieved 23 March 2015 Mavrides Melanie J July 15 1990 MBTA Norfolk expansion criticized Boston Globe West Weekly pp 1 8 via Newspapers com Howe Peter J June 2 1988 MBTA opens new station Boston Globe via Newspapers com nbsp Karr Ronald Dale 1995 The Rail Lines of Southern New England Branch Line Press pp 304 306 ISBN 0942147022 Milford Secondary Acquisition PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority February 24 2020 a b Didtamo Rob November 18 2019 Franklin Double Track PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Franklin Line Double Track Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Archived from the original on May 19 2020 FMCB Approves Franklin Line Double Track Phase 2 Work and Phase 3 Preliminary Design Work Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority November 18 2019 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority FY23 27 Capital Investment Plan CIP Proposed PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority March 2022 p 60 Special trains planned for Patriots stadium Boston Globe July 17 1971 p 19 via Newspapers com Patriots halt train service Boston Globe October 25 1973 p 50 via Newspapers com MBTA provides Patriots train Boston Globe September 3 1986 p 62 via Newspapers com MBTA to run trains to Patriots games Boston Globe September 2 1988 p 1 via Newspapers com How to get to the game Boston Globe December 4 1994 p 63 via Newspapers com How to get to the game Boston Globe September 10 1995 p 93 via Newspapers com New England Patriots 2010 2011 Football Trains to Gillette Stadium Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Archived from the original on November 26 2010 New England Patriots 2011 2012 Football Trains to Gillette Stadium Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Archived from the original on September 7 2011 Jacobs Engineering Group September 1 2010 Foxboro Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Final Report PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Jessen Klark 16 June 2015 MassDOT Completes Framingham Secondary Rail Line Acquisition Press release Massachusetts Department of Transportation Retrieved 25 June 2015 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 March 27 2019 Foxborough train service pushed back to fall The Boston Globe Hand Jim December 12 2019 Foxboro train service slow to attract riders The Sun Chronicle DiAdamo Rob September 14 2020 Fall 2020 Commuter Rail Schedule Changes PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Paget Seekins Laurel Benesh Kat November 9 2020 Forging Ahead Scenario and Service Planning PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority p 21 Enwemeka Zeninjor December 14 2020 MBTA Control Board Votes To Scale Back Bus Train And Ferry Service WBUR Retrieved February 5 2021 Paget Seekins Laurel Benesh Kat December 14 2020 Forging Ahead Service Proposal PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority p 17 Commuter Rail to Temporarily Operate Reduced Service Schedule Starting December 14 Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority December 10 2021 Reminder Spring 2021 Commuter Rail Schedules Take Effect April 5 Press release Keolis Commuter Services April 1 2021 a b Franklin Line Spring 2021 Schedule PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority April 5 2021 Ruggles Elevators and Commuter Rail Platform Now Complete Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority April 7 2021 Coholan Ryan May 24 2021 Commuter Rail Performance Update PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority p 7 Franklin Line 2022 Spring Summer Schedule PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority May 23 2022 MBTA Commuter Rail Spring Summer Schedule to Take Effect May 23 Press release Keolis Commuter Services May 10 2022 Commuter Rail Adding Service at Forest Hills in Anticipation of Increased Ridership after Labor Day Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority September 1 2022 Alerts Franklin Foxboro Line Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority September 15 2022 Archived from the original on September 16 2022 Foxboro Weekday Commuter Rail Service Pilot to Start September 12 Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority August 24 2022 Franklin Foxboro Line 2022 Spring Summer Schedule PDF Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority September 19 2022 Foxboro Station Commuter Rail Pilot s Success Leads to Permanent Weekday Service Beginning October 2 Press release Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority September 28 2023 Franklin rail line could expand to Milford and Hopedale Milford Daily News Retrieved 2011 08 14 Central Transportation Planning Staff January 2004 May 2003 Chapter 5C Service Expansion PDF 2004 Program for Mass Transportation Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization Archived from the original PDF on 20 February 2012 Retrieved 17 July 2012 Ridership and Service Statistics PDF 14th ed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 2014 External links editKML file edit help Template Attached KML Franklin LineKML is from Wikidata nbsp Media related to MBTA Franklin Foxboro Line at Wikimedia Commons MBTA Franklin Foxboro Line Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Franklin Foxboro Line amp oldid 1203709943 History, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.