Grafton & Upton Railroad (G&U) Discussion

On Q1 & 2, Mr. Barlow, earlier 2000's CSX did serve a box-making plant that is now the G-P packaging store, IIRC it was JJ Folding Box or JJ Corrugated. I would think CSX retains the Franklin IT rights more probably given the increased liability and requirements that would go to the G&U if they co-mingled with commuter rail passenger trains to access the Franklin Industrial than a possibility as well to maintain a barrier and/or for potential future sites for rail conversion.

Here's the "Motion to Dismiss or Discontinue" filing the MBTA posted re: its proposed acquisition of the Milford Secondary and resulting exclusive freight rights going to G&U & CSX. It runs 388 pages and contains much historic Conrail - MBTA agreement documentation from 1985, among other things.

https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 306143.pdf

Here are a few excerpts:

MBTA is purchasing the Assets as part of the Commonwealth’s plan to extend its passenger service footprint and to further integrate the lines of MBTA’s existing commuter operations. Through its purchase, MBTA will secure ownership of strategic assets critical to its Franklin/Foxborough passenger service. MBTA intends that the route improvements expected from the proposed transaction would alleviate road congestion and impacts by attracting commuters who at this time must otherwise drive from Franklin, Bellingham, or Milford into Boston, or to other outlying MBTA stations. This transaction could also be a step toward enabling MBTA to re-deploy locomotives and rolling stock along three of its southern and western service routes by interconnecting certain of those service routes through future railroad asset transactions. Further, purchase of the Assets will allow MBTA greater latitude in planning and implementing infrastructure and service improvements throughout its network, in the joint interest of freight and commuter rail service.

G&U will continue its operations on the Milford Secondary consistent with the newly-assigned Milford Freight Easement from CSXT as described above. The Milford Freight Easement carefully defines terms such as “Trackage,” “Railroad Purposes,” and “Rail Freight Service” to guarantee to G&U the “right to use all Trackage and the Property for the exclusive provision of Rail Freight Service.”15 To that end, the Milford Freight Easement broadly defines “Rail Freight Service as “[t]he transportation by rail of property and movable articles of every kind, character and description over the property, including but not limited to rail freight transportation service to current and future industries, customers, and facilities located along the Property, and supporting activities . . .”
The Milford Freight Easement is perpetual until “abandoned or terminated . . .” But CSXT’s assignment of the Milford Freight Easement to G&U is for a term of years, such that CSXT will hold the right to reacquire the easement from G&U at some future date pursuant to then-applicable Board authorization. This potential CSXT reacquisition of the Milford Freight Easement is discussed in Motion Subsection II, C, 3, below.
G&U’s exercise of its rights under the Milford Freight Easement would be governed by the aforementioned Milford Operating Agreement (Exhibit B), which, among other things, allows G&U to pursue and serve additional freight business. This agreement contains provisions under which, for example, MBTA may install railroad infrastructure (such as switches, siding tracks, and roadside signals) intended to improve or expand commuter and/or freight service on the Milford Secondary. As noted in the Verified Statement of Jon Delli Priscolli, who owns and serves as Chief Executive Officer of G&U, this agreement has provisions which are specifically designed to protect G&U’s post-transaction ability and rights to conduct freight service without unreasonable interference from MBTA, thereby protecting common carrier service on the Milford Secondary

I might be missing something here . Is the MBTA hinting at a new spending spree ? Purchasing the stubby little Milford Industrial alone is not going to create all this operational advantages extolled in the excerpts . The State already owns the whole Framingham Secondary and chooses to utilize only the Walpole - Foxboro section on a regular basis . Side note; Franklin already has 2 MBTA stops.
Also perhaps the MBTA should spend more time and money finishing the projects they have already started before they start new ones . The South Coast expansion is a good example .

There might be future conflicts with high-level ADA platforms. Is there layover yard space for future theoretical passenger service? What is this stuff about additional transaction and interconnecting three of their southern and western service routes? The commuter rail division must plan far ahead or service will be impossible. Look what happened to South Station when it was sold to the City of Boston (Boston Redevelopment Authority) and it took decades and how many millions to undo some of the damage.

There are two things about this that surprised me: number one that I could've sworn this transaction was already done some time ago, and number two that CSX was retaining freight rights on the Franklin Industrial Track. I thought G&U was getting the freight rights from Milford down to Franklin and on to Walpole, where it would have a secondary interchange with CSX.

BandA wrote:There might be future conflicts with high-level ADA platforms. Is there layover yard space for future theoretical passenger service? What is this stuff about additional transaction and interconnecting three of their southern and western service routes?

The Franklin Line currently does not have a layover. I don't know what the overnight operations look like now, but looking at the current weekday schedule the 5:44am inbound Foxboro train is apparently deadheaded in from Boston as the last inbound train of the night leaves after the last outbound train arrives at that station, and there are three inbound trains that leave Forge Park before the first outbound train arrives there, but no inbound trains after the last outbound train arrives there so it's possible one trainset spends the night there. Pre-COVID, there was at least one trainset that was deadheaded in from Boston (I know because I saw it) and would sit just past Forge Park, and then a scheduled outbound train that would leave South Station at 4:00am, go down the Dorchester Branch, and actually make flag stops at Norwood Central, Walpole, and Franklin/Dean College before turning around (I've actually ridden that train myself!) and becoming the first inbound train of the morning, followed by the second inbound which was the trainset that had deadheaded earlier. So a layover facility (or two) would make operations a lot easier to manage.

The rest of the Milford Secondary is very windy and has a lot of grade crossings, however the ROW at the end of the line between Depot Street and Central Street in Milford widens considerably, with more than enough space for them to build a new layover facility there. What this would mean for Foxboro is that trainsets have to deadhead either from Boston or from Milford to Walpole and then reverse to Foxboro. On the other hand, there is space at the end of the Framingham Secondary in Mansfield for another layover facility.

There is a layover at Franklin, and it holds 3 trains & is inadequate for service levels of yesteryear or today. The current schedule requires 4 sets for AM rush hour, and one of those sets are deadheaded from Readville.

Pre-covid Forge Park required 6 sets of equipment for AM rush; 3 from the layover made up the later trains (on a good day), 1 was the red eye from Boston making flag stops, and the other two were coupled together at Readville, and broken apart on the Milford Industrial. If all went according to plan, you had 3 trains between Forge Parkway and the Garelick Farms switch in the 4am hour.

I seem to recall that G&U may have been getting overhead rights in commuter territory Forge to Walpole, for the secondary exchange. Will need to look into it further.

Out of curiosity, I took a look at the area mentioned in Milford. I agree that there's plenty of room.

Dormant railroad yard site back in use - Grafton & Upton Railroad - Milford, MA - 3/1/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHufxb05ML0

Any idea what it's for? Temporary or permanent transload location? Preparation of something new for MBTA? Just curious on why the activity at that site.

From the G&U Linkedin site about the activities at the Milford Yard:

GU was able to coordinate rail shipments of steel from Mexico with the help of CJ Shaughnessy crane to support the tremendous growth in Boston. Collaboration between GU’s John DeWaele, CSX, Grupo Recall and CJ Shaughnessy crane was the key in keeping the move on rail! #railroad #growth #collaboration

Going back to the discussion about the MBTA purchase of the Milford Industrial and part of the Franklin Industrial tracks from CSX - they're only purchasing the portion of the Franklin Industrial that runs parallel to where the existing commuter rail operates. CSX is still retaining the 1-3/4 miles of track between Union Ave and the end of track at (depending on whose milepost markers you use) either QVF 18.80 (Conrail-based) or QVF 29.70 (MBTA-based).

I'm guessing the MBTA may have in mind to either add some additional layover space or at least eliminate the reverse curve that trains have to make when switching to what was the former #1 track just south of the Franklin station.

The railroad and town of Hopedale continue to battle -
G&U's latest missive: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 306517.pdf (filed on 4/26)
And the town's response: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 306597.pdf (filed on 5/11)

One interesting nugget in the town's response:
"IX. GURR IS HAMSTRUNG BY INTERNAL STRUGGLES
In addition to the uncertainty created by the state court litigation over Hopedale’s Chapter 61 rights, GURR is embroiled in litigation between two of its principals, Mr. Delli Priscoli and Mr. Milanoski, over ownership and control of GURR. Although it is not necessary for the Board to understand the substance of that litigation, it is important to understand that the litigation has effectively paralyzed GURR’s ability to pursue projects like the putative transload facility on the Forestland. Mr. Jack Merrill, who represents GURR in that litigation has stated that GURR “cannot fully operate, it can’t put any kind of – getting loans out or encumbering any debts, so it’s effectively crippled right now” by the dispute over its ownership. See Rule 12 Hearing Before Hon. Valerie A. Yarashus at 1-21, Jon Delli Priscoli v. Michael Milanoski, et al., Docket No. 2385CV00022 (Worcester Superior Court Jan. 10, 2023) (attached as Exhibit 6)."

I haven't seen any mention of this previously in this thread - anyone have any idea what's going on? Reading through the transcript, I can't really make heads or tails of it.

Joshua

Priscoli is selling the railroad, but it's a litigated question as to whether sale should go to ex-G&U President Milanoski and ex-G&U General Manager DeWaele with their executed 12/22 Letter of Intent supporting a $36m + assumption of $8m. debt purchase price or instead to Dana Transport et. al. pre-empted by their exercising a sale right-of-first-refusal within a 2009 agreement with the G&U.

As a consequence of this dispute, Milanoski and DeWaele are no longer employed by the G&U with both now independently pursuing railroad site and transloading development.

With the above, Hopedale is attempting to use this as part of their argument disputing the rail-use pre-emption issue in their actions against G&U land development in that the railroad is unable (at this time) to move on using the disputed land for railroad use because of this ownership litigation.

Really? That's very surprising. Delli Priscoli has worked miracles bringing the G&U back to life and building business. Maybe he has another project in mind? Would love to see his successful experience here reproduced in other places.

Jon Deli historically is a wheeler dealer. Buys low sells very high. With all the traffic they have now, and with the prospect of more csx line pickings to ponder, plus some very possible mbta adventures, it's a premium short line ie very short and very traffic sweet. JD management summary: time to cut the umbilical.