02 – Which old railroad in Sudbury is the focus of current attention?

Answer

Two railroads criss-cross Sudbury.

One is the former Mass. Central Railroad that ran east-west roughly paralleling Route 20.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is pursuing negotiations to lease this line from the MBTA and construct the Wayside Rail Trail extending from Waltham through Sudbury to Hudson and ending in Berlin. This project is occurring at the state level and, specifically, is not part of the Committee’s charter. Local communities, including Sudbury, are not now engaged in this project as it proceeds at the state level.

The town’s current focus is on the former Lowell Secondary line that runs from Framingham to Lowell. The section of the rail bed in Sudbury runs north-south roughly paralleling Nobscot Road, Union Ave. and Concord Road. While extending from the Concord-Sudbury border on the north to the Framingham-Sudbury border on the south, the line in Sudbury is split into two parts. From Crumble Station (the intersection of the north-south and east-west lines near AAA Limo by Union Avenue) heading north, the right of way is controlled by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW). From Crumble Station heading south, the line is owned by the CSXT corporation. At the 2008 Annual Town Meeting, Sudbury voted to acquire the CSXT owned portion of the right of way using Community Preservation Act funds. If this purchase is completed, the Town can determine to use that part of the right of way.

The northern portion of the right of way in Sudbury is still controlled by EOTPW. The RTCAC is tasked with investigating the north-south section controlled by EOTPW.