June 30, 2025

DCR expects the contractor to complete paving by June 30, 3025. Many other trail improvements such as plantings and fencings may continue past this date.

February 24, 2025

DCR will pave the gravel sub-surface, add signage and safe road crossings, and restore historical railroad artifacts.

January 2025

Hudson unanimously endorses completing the 104 mile Mass Central Rail Trail, including design of a section in Downtown and West Hudson to connect to the forthcoming Eversource/DCR section in East Hudson. With reference to the connecting Assabet River Rail Trail in Hudson: “This is the town’s second adventure in rail trails, so it’s very exciting,” said Director of Planning and Community Development Kristina Johnson.

November 21, 2024

Massachusetts passes the 2024 Climate law. The new law specifically calls out shared use and recreational paths and access to nature as appropriate mitigation for utility and other clean energy projects; an example being this successful Eversource-DCR partnership. For future projects, "The law establishes a 12-month deadline for municipal permitting and requires municipalities to issue a single permit at the end of their process. Similarly, state permits will be issued together by the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) after a 15-month period. Appeals will be directed the state Supreme Judicial Court, ending the years-long appeals process that has delayed vital infrastructure."

If it was in place a decade earlier, the MA Climate law would have dramatically reduced the time to permit and build the Sudbury-Hudson buried power reliability and partner DCR MCRT-Wayside projects.

November 1, 2024

Phase 1 construction completes. For the trail, Eversource built a gravel sub-base, restored and rebuilt three trail bridges, and built a tunnel under Chestnut Street in Hudson. Restorative work included removal of 3.5 acres of invasive plants, the installation of over 2000 native woody plants, and existing vernal pool enhancements.

July 2023

A variety of plaintiffs fought extensive legal battles to stop the buried power reliability project from September 2017 - July 2023. The final battles, filed by private abutter plaintiffs, additionally alleged the easement granted by the MBTA to DCR for trail use are void. Many of the lawsuits went up the Massachusetts courts to be decided by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, twice. There were also two decisions by the Surface Transportation Board in Washington, and two lawsuits challenging the MBTA's ownership of the railroad land were filed in Massachusetts Land Court.

All decisions are unanimously in favor of both projects. Abutter plaintiffs withdrew their Massachusetts Land Court cases.

November 2022

All permits for the buried reliability project from Sudbury to Hudson were eventually completed by October 2022. Shortly after, Eversource began Phase 1 construction along the inactive Wayside Trail corridor. This work involved burying the lines, performing civil construction, and preparing a compacted gravel sub-base for the trail.

December 18, 2019

The Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) approves the Sudbury-Hudson power reliability project, specifically buried as preferred by Eversource, DCR, MBTA, and Stow, subject to all applicable permits.

June 7, 2017

The Town of Stow Conservation Commission unanimously endorses the buried power project to increase power reliability in Stow, reduce costs for residents, and advance the Mass Central Rail Trail, which helps move towards links with the Assabet River Rail Trail.

April 2017

DCR endorses the Eversource power reliability project, specifically buried, which requires Eversource to work cooperatively with DCR to accelerate the trail build. This saves DCR an estimated $6-$10 million in trail construction costs. At the same time, Eversource now officially prefers this buried route specifically, despite the significantly lower cost to build overhead lines. Three months previously in January, the MBTA had entered an options agreement with Eversource for this easement, requiring a buried route to minimize tree clearing, although this meant sacrificing $2 Million in MBTA revenue.

DCR notes Eversource will create a gravel base for the trail, and will build pedestrian bridges and a tunnel.

"The development of a multi-use rail trail in this area will provide the missing link in the regional MCRT, from downtown Sudbury, past New England farmland and forests, to the Assabet River Rail Trail in Hudson, and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Lowell to Sudbury). This rail tail is a unique opportunity to provide public open space, promote regional connectivity and local commerce, encourage outdoor recreation and the health benefits derived therefrom, and inspire environmental and historic appreciation."

May 11, 2015

Sudbury proponents of a stone dust trail propose Sudbury pay for stone dust construction. Sudbury hard surface trail proponents note paving is more durable, and that Eversource is considering a buried power reliability project on MBTA property either way. If Eversource decides to move forward, a hard surface rail trail would be built at little or no cost to the Town.

The majority Town vote is against paying for a stone dust build. Sudbury hard surface trail proponents are proven correct; a paved trail will be built over the buried power reliability project at no cost to Sudbury, Hudson, and Stow.

2015

The Eversource power reliability project from Sudbury to Hudson is proposed, with a buried option. Sudbury town officials note this project will help build the Mass Central Rail Trail, which has otherwise long lacked funding. At this time, it is planned to be constructed over 2 years from 2018-2019. However, extensive permitting delays will push the start of construction until November 2022, which completes in November 2024.

2014

Following the 1997 Sudbury Town Meeting in favor of the Wayside Rail Trail, in 2014 a Sudbury Town Meeting in 2014 has three more positive votes for the MCRT-Wayside:

* To advise the Board of Selectmen to create the MCRT-Wayside in Sudbury

* To advise the Board of Selectmen to move forward with the design and construction of the MCRT-Wayside between Dutton Road and Union Avenue as the first phase

* To advise the Board of Selectmen to support a paved travel surface on the MCRT-Wayside in Sudbury, paid by State or Federal funds, and to make all reasonable efforts to secure funding for the build.

December 30, 2010

Shortly after the theft of MBTA property in Berlin is discovered, the MBTA agrees to lease it's property, at no cost, to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). DCR now has the right to construct a 23 mile State Park between Waltham and Berlin. Securing funding for design and construction will be an ongoing challenge.

The trail name is now: the Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside, in recognition that the 23 mile Wayside trail is a member of the 104 mile Mass Central Rail Trail.

December 8, 1997

While Berlin, Hudson, Sudbury, Wayland, Belmont, and even Weston first vote in favor of the Wayside Rail Trail, a second Weston town vote is negative. This delays progress on all sections of the Wayside Rail Trail, including here.

April 1997

The "Central Massachusetts Rail Trail Feasibility Study" was commissioned by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which found construction of a 25-mile (40 km) trail from Berlin to Belmont to be feasible.

The Wayside Rail Trail Committee, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is formed to advocate for the trail. WRTC President Andrew Greene quickly proposes the "Wayside" Rail Trail name. In Sudbury, the proposed trail is adjacent to the site of the former Wayside Inn Railroad Station, near the historic Wayside Inn, in turn associated with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic novel "Tales of the Wayside Inn".

December 1996

Once the Massachusetts Central Railroad chartered in 1869, this railroad section eventually became the MBTA's Central Mass Branch. Due to low ridership, the final passenger train rain in 1971, and by 1980 the final freight train. In 1996, the MBTA was directed to perform a feasibility study for the reactivation of passenger service. The MBTA concluded there would be very limited benefits for the major costs involved, as high as $177,931/rider.

Rail trail use over the MBTA's land is now a serious possibility.