FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Governor Maura Healey joined transportation officials and community leaders Monday to mark the completion of a major reconstruction of Foxboro Commuter Rail Station, with state officials describing the project as the fastest permanent station construction in the history of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
The newly upgraded station officially opened to passengers on Monday, less than nine days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins.
Seven matches of the tournament are scheduled to take place at Gillette Stadium — referred to in tournament branding as Boston Stadium — making the Foxborough complex one of the most significant venues in the U.S. portion of the multi-host competition.
For thousands of fans expected to travel from across New England and beyond, the station will serve as a primary transit gateway to the matches, replacing what officials acknowledged would otherwise have been a much heavier reliance on highway traffic to a venue roughly 30 miles south of downtown Boston.
Built in Under a Year
The reconstruction was completed in less than 12 months, according to state officials, a timeline that included a winter of record-setting snowfall and the need to keep the station operational throughout the project to accommodate ongoing events at Gillette Stadium, including New England Patriots and New England Revolution games and concerts.
“As Massachusetts prepares to welcome the world this summer, we’re delivering the modern transportation infrastructure needed to support residents, visitors, and our regional economy,” Healey said in remarks issued by her office. “These upgrades at Foxboro Station will help thousands of fans safely and efficiently travel to World Cup matches and other major events while creating lasting transportation improvements for commuters for years to come.”
Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng described the construction timeline as unprecedented for the agency.
“Not only did we accelerate the full construction of this station in under a year, but we found ways to progress work during a challenging winter with record snowfall, while still providing service to the station, and supporting many special events at Gillette in parallel with construction,” Eng said.
According to the governor’s office, the construction partner was Suffolk Construction, with additional design and engineering work led by VHB. The project was carried out in close coordination with the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium and the surrounding Patriot Place complex.
What the Upgrades Include
The completed station includes an 800-foot fully accessible platform with level boarding, designed to accommodate substantially larger passenger volumes than the previous facility could handle. According to materials released by the MBTA, the project also includes expanded passenger capacity, improved lighting and signage, new seating, canopies, upgraded communications systems, and additional accessibility features.
The MBTA estimates that up to 20,000 passengers per match could use the dedicated event train service to the station during the World Cup. According to State Representative Michael Chaisson (R-Foxborough), the upgrades were specifically accelerated in preparation for the tournament.
“I am excited about the expansion of the Foxboro train station and the opportunities it creates as we prepare to welcome the world to Foxborough for the FIFA World Cup,” Chaisson said in the governor’s announcement. “This investment will improve transportation, support local businesses, and help ensure fans have a great experience when they visit our community.”
State Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) framed the project as part of a broader transportation investment serving both major events and daily commuters.
“Whether it’s for the people of our region that live here and work in Boston and want to avoid sitting in soul-crushing traffic on the highway, or the folks that are staying in Boston coming here to spend money and support our local businesses, the completion of upgrades to the Foxborough MBTA Station reflects the Commonwealth’s real investment in transportation infrastructure,” Feeney said.
The Town’s Perspective
For Foxborough itself, a town of roughly 18,000 residents, the World Cup represents the largest international event in its history.
Foxborough Town Manager Paige Duncan said the upgraded station carries significance well beyond the seven matches scheduled this summer.
“The completion of the new Foxboro Station is a significant milestone for our community and the region,” Duncan said. “While the station will play an important role during this historic summer, its benefits will extend far beyond the World Cup by improving connectivity and expanding transportation options for residents, employees, and visitors for years to come.”
Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, characterized the project as a demonstration of effective public-private coordination.
“Foxboro Station represents what can be achieved when public and private partners work together toward a common goal,” Kraft said. “This investment will benefit fans, commuters and visitors to Gillette Stadium year-round while helping us welcome the world back to Foxborough for the FIFA World Cup.”
Mike Loynd, president of Boston 26 — the local organizing committee responsible for the Boston portion of the tournament — credited the project as part of broader preparations for a fan-ready experience.
“The completion of the Foxboro Commuter Rail Station marks a major milestone in our tournament preparations as we work toward delivering a safe and welcoming experience for fans,” Loynd said.
Affordability and Access
The MBTA has separately announced a series of summer fare promotions on the Commuter Rail system, designed in part to encourage more transit use during the tournament.
According to the Healey administration, monthly passholders are expected to save between $321 and $639 over the summer, depending on their route, through programs including Free Fridays and a 50 percent discount on monthly passes throughout June, July, and August.
The fare promotions, paired with the increased capacity at Foxboro Station, are intended to address one of the practical concerns of any major event held at Gillette Stadium: traffic congestion on Route 1 and the surrounding highway network.
For the Haitian and Caribbean diaspora communities across Greater Boston, concentrated in Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Brockton, and Randolph, the new station offers a direct and affordable path to one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. With Haiti returning to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in over 50 years, demand for travel to matches involving Caribbean nations is expected to be especially high.
Commuter Rail service from South Station and Back Bay reaches Foxboro Station in approximately 50 minutes, providing a far more predictable alternative to driving Route 1 on match days. For families traveling from outside Boston, the station offers a transit option that avoids navigating parking constraints at the Gillette Stadium complex.
The first of the seven World Cup matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium is set to take place later this month.
Note to Readers:
This article was originally written and published in English. Versions in other languages are translations generated by artificial intelligence tools. While CTN strives for accuracy across all language editions, only the original English version should be considered authoritative. Caribbean Television Network assumes editorial responsibility solely for the original English text and is not liable for translation errors, omissions, or misinterpretations that may appear in non-English versions.
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