2026 World Cup: What England and Scotland fans heading to Boston need to know about Foxborough trains

England and Scotland fans travelling to Boston for the 2026 World Cup are being urged to plan carefully, with special matchday trains the only direct public transport option to the stadium.

Boston Stadium, better known as Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, is around 22 miles south of the city centre. There is no subway or standard MBTA bus service to the ground on World Cup matchdays.

Instead, supporters will have to use special ‘Boston Stadium Train' services running between South Station and Foxboro Station.

Boston train tickets are mandatory and cost £60 return during 2026 World Cup

Fans cannot simply turn up and board a train to the stadium.

A special Boston Stadium Train ticket is required for every passenger and must be bought in advance through the MBTA mTicket app. Tickets are priced at $80 (£60) for a return and include travel to and from the match.

Only supporters with a valid same-day World Cup ticket can buy one. Tickets are non-refundable, cannot be transferred and every traveller, including children under 11, needs their own ticket.

Five group-stage matches are already on sale, while tickets for the Round of 32 and quarter-finals will be released closer to the tournament.

South Station will be extremely busy before England and Scotland matches

On every matchday, 14 express trains will run directly between South Station in central Boston and Foxboro Station next to the stadium.

The journey takes around an hour, with no stops along the way.

However, supporters should expect major congestion. Transport officials believe South Station could be crowded from up to six hours before kick-off, with as many as 20,000 fans using the service.

Every train ticket is assigned a boarding group, from A to E. The letter on the ticket tells supporters when they must arrive at South Station to queue.

Fans should not ignore this. The final train to Foxboro Station is scheduled to arrive roughly 90 minutes before kick-off, meaning anyone who misses their allocated departure could struggle to reach the stadium in time.

Before boarding, supporters must activate their ticket in the mTicket app and be ready to show both their train ticket and their match ticket.

There is no subway to Gillette Stadium during the 2026 World Cup

Many fans staying in Boston may assume they can use the subway to reach the stadium. They cannot.

The MBTA says the Boston Stadium Train is the only direct service to Gillette Stadium on matchdays.

Although some supporters may try using ordinary commuter rail routes through Norwood Central or on the Providence/Stoughton line, these services are expected to be much busier than normal and may not stop close to the stadium.

Foxboro Station itself could also be closed to regular commuters on matchdays to help manage crowds.

What England and Scotland fans need to know after the match

All Boston Stadium Trains include a return journey back to South Station.

The first trains will leave Foxboro around 30 minutes after the final whistle, with departures roughly every 15 minutes until all passengers have left.

South Station will remain busy for hours after each game, but fans will then be able to connect to Boston’s subway and bus network.

To cope with the World Cup crowds, the MBTA says subway services will run later than usual – until around 2am after weekday matches and 4am after weekend fixtures.

Supporters heading to official Fan Festival events at City Hall Plaza can continue by subway from South Station, with Government Center, State and Downtown Crossing all within walking distance.