New MBTA stop in Foxborough bringing worry, traffic to people in the area

WALPOLE, Mass. — Passengers are frustrated with the Commuter Rail's new Foxborough stop – and it's not even open yet.

People who use the Fairmont and Franklin lines are worried that the new stop will create too much congestion.

The pilot program will add several weekday stops to the new Foxborough station by Patriot Place, while taking away several stops from Walpole. Some commuters told Boston 25 News that it'll not only be more inconvenient traveling from Walpole, but it'll also have a ripple effect over in Norwood.

"I mean it's good they're adding more stops to the T to accommodate more people who work in the city, but at the same time it's going to be tricky for people who want to park here," said Marty Metz, a commuter from Walpole.

"It definitely sucks for the people that live in Walpole that are going to get their stop taken away, but it's already a pretty packed schedule," said Ismene Markogiannakis, a commuter.

Now with the schedule changes, many Walpole commuters told Boston 25 News that they plan to try to catch the train from Norwood Central instead. But lately, parking there has already been jam-packed.

"If you get here past like 7:50, then you're taking that later train and the lot's completely full," Metz said.

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"The police were here giving tickets out because the cars were parked illegally," said Carrie Driscoll of Norwood. "It's hard to even maneuver through the parking lot because there's so many cars."

We found a few cars parked illegally at Norwood Central Tuesday, with so many more people now moving to the station for their commute to Boston.

"So they're not really spots, so it's like the fire lane actually, so a fire truck wouldn't be able to get by because it's like the width of a car," Driscoll said.

Commuters in both Walpole and Norwood are now worried there won't be enough parking or seats on the train during peak hours with the new station in Foxborough.

"It's such a big stop over here that adding more people will just add to the chaos," Markogiannakis said.

The pilot program that'll add stops in Foxborough begins on October 21. The MBTA says they'd love to hear your feedback as they try out this new schedule.

Cox Media Group