Grafton & Upton Railroad faces resistance for expansion in Mass.
Written by RT&S Staff
File photo
Grafton & Upton Railroad could use the space, but not everyone in Hopedale is willing to budge.
Hundreds of petitions have been filed to prevent the railroad company from acquiring a 155-acre piece of land. Grafton & Upton Railroad, which has three rail yards in the Massachusetts region, wants to add five tracks capable of holding 200 rail cars on either side of the existing track in Hopedale, and construct a building.
According to paperwork filed by Grafton & Upton, the railroad company is currently operating a maximum capacity and needs to expand to meet current customer demand.
The opposition of expansion, however, is strong. The latest petitioner, Metacomet Land Trust, claims the area is needed to connect Upton State Forest and the Hopedale Parklands.
Grafton & Upton Railroad says it will not know exactly what it can do until officials and crews can access the site after purchase. In the meantime, residents have until Sept. 9 to file a petition.
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