The MBTA is considering expanding Foxboro service, but some neighbors and fiscal watchdogs are dead set against shuttling commuters to the New England Patriot's entertainment center.

MBTA service runs right to Gillette Stadium on some Patriots' game days. They're now considering adding daily service for customers and workers headed to the Patriot Place entertainment complex, where the state hopes more companies will open along the Route 1 corridor.

"The region will get investment, will get jobs and will get tax growth. I'm convinced that there are opportunities up and down Route 1, in communities that aren't in Foxboro as well, that will directly benefit from having train service in Foxboro," Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash said Monday at the T's board meeting.

That station is next to South Walpole, where residents and officials are fiercely opposed. Upgrading service to the station would cost the state $10 million.

Expanding any MBTA service is controversial, as the agency's board struggles to close operating debts and manage Keolis, the commuter rail operator that's received stiff criticism over its performance.

"It's either a conspiracy of ignorance or a culture of arrogance that would allow expansion when debt has not been paid off," Sen. James Timilty told the board. Timilty said Walpole residents do not want the T to spend money on expansion in an area already served by other Commuter Rail stations.

The Mattapan Trolley

The MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board also heard an update on trolley service to Mattapan.

The Mattapan High Speed service operates a fleet of ten nearly 70-year-old trolleys between Ashmont Station and Mattapan Square. The dedicated route makes stops through the southern part of Dorchester and into Milton.

For now, the T is investing $7.9 million to keep the ancient trolleys rolling. MBTA officials say they're open to investing more to revive the line or finding more cost-effective ways to get passengers to and from Mattapan. Options include buses that would operate along the same route or different vehicles like replica trolleys similar to the 1940s model.

4,600 riders take the 2.6 mile trolley route each weekday. The T will conduct community meetings on the future of the line throughout the spring.