World Cup, New England Patriots Fans Will Experience Changes at New Foxboro Rail Station

Massachusetts state officials and MBTA leaders officially celebrated the completion of a major, $35 million overhaul of the Foxboro Commuter Rail Station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. The massive project was finished in under a year, which made it the fastest permanent station construction in MBTA history.

According to Boston News25, the upgrades feature a new, fully accessible, high-level platform designed to accommodate larger crowds and drastically speed up the train boarding process. The stations new strategy to ease traffic congestion will be put to the test later this month when the 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in the state. 

During the World Cup, the MBTA plans to run 14 trains per match, transporting roughly 20,000 soccer fans to and from the venue. MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng says the changes are a "game-changer" and without it, moving that many people would take over six hours, while the new platforms cut that time down to just 3.5 hours. 

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and Kraft Group CEO whose company contributed over $5 million to the project, highlighted the fact that the station will serve daily commuters long after the tournament ends. Governor Maura Healey echoed this sentiment, stating that the project successfully transforms a major sporting event into a permanent, accessible win for local residents and regional travelers alike.