The neighboring MetroWest towns of Sudbury and Hudson have made a splash lately on trail progress. A true network of trails is coming together on the ground, with more segments moving forward in CAD.
There’s the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Phase 2D extension to South Sudbury that had a soft opening this past year. Intersecting with it — at a new regional trail hub — is the 7.6-mile Mass Central Rail Trail link between Sudbury and Hudson, which was also paved in 2025, is already being used, and should see finishing touches and a ribbon cutting in 2026, as StreetsblogMASS has chronicled. This trail emerged from a partnership that included Eversource, who installed a new underground power line on the MBTA-owned corridor, and MassDCR, who installed the pavement on top of it.
Over in Hudson, the new 7.6-mile link actually connects to another regional trail, the Assabet River Rail Trail, which was extended north from Marlborough in 2005. So you can see how important of a connecting thread this new section is.
Even more good news
And Hudson isn’t stopping there. The Town just received two MassTrails grants to design the next MCRT segments westward:
- Phase 1 (Priest St. to Felton St.), $727,760 to get to 100% PS&E, completing design
- Phase 2 (Felton St. to the Berlin town line), $230,000 to bring design to 25% plans
Hudson planners have touted the economic benefits to the community of these trail connections. Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development Pam Helinek is summarized/quoted in the above-linked (December 2025) Community Advocate article, noting that
the trail will provide safe access to Downtown Hudson in all directions and “connect us to multiple Massachusetts communities as well as other rail trails.”
Keep up the good work, Hudson!
Jeff Brubaker 