Mayor Marty Walsh and Patriots owner Robert Kraft are friends. But two of their pet projects could be on a collision course.



On one side, we’ve got the long-gestating plans to bring commuter rail service to Foxborough. The Kraft Group would kick in up to $217,000 and make 500 parking spaces available to make a test run happen.



Meanwhile, Walsh wants rapid-transit service along the Fairmount Line(i.e., more frequent trains than typical commuter rail) for the inner-city neighborhoods it serves. Governor Charlie Baker shelved plans in 2015 to buy new trains for that goal. But local activists hope another solution -- such as shortened train sets -- could be coming.



Here’s where these two concepts could collide. Nearly all the trains in theMBTA’s test run of the Foxborough service would be Fairmount trains, driven south of the city to pick up commuters near Gillette Stadium then driven back to gather Fairmount riders.



City Hall’s party line: Walsh supports the Foxborough extension. But Chris Osgood, Walsh’s chief of streets, told the MBTA’s fiscal management boardlast week that city officials are concerned the 12-month Foxborough pilot could disrupt efforts to bring subway-style service to the Fairmount.



The Conservation Law Foundation’s Rafael Mares recommends redesigning the test run to include mitigation, such as using Charlie Card readers along the line and promising double-decker trains if enough riders board at Foxborough to take all the seats.



The MBTA is saying there would be no disruption to the existing Fairmount service.



But the dream of rapid service along the line could be delayed yet again.

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