Off the wall question....what is the purpose of the Westborough yard? The spot used to be an auto unloading facility back about 20 years ago, but what is it serving today? Between the yard and Framingham I don't know of any customers, and between the yard and Worcester I knew of 1 customer and the connection with the G & U. Other than a couple customers there in Westborough, why maintain a yard at this location?
Westboro yard provides the base of local operations serving the G&U, Regency Warehouse, Inteplast, Transflo and a corn syrup distributor, though probably most importantly, provides the local yard capacity for constructive placement of cars for Regency and the corn syrup distributor, ie., storage of inbound loads awaiting spotting for unloading, when needed, while in Framingham Nevens yard serves the function of a receiving/departure yard while North yard serves as the classification yard for traffic heading north toward Leominster, east to Readville yard, and south to southeastern MA and the Cape.
On a historic note that informs CSX's current New England play for the purchase of PAR and 50% of PAS, the land of which part was developed as the existing Westboro yard was purchased in the 1950's by the New York Central railroad for the planned purpose of the eventual closure and move of Beacon Park yard in Allston that occurred some 60 years later.
