Moulton talks trains, Hanscom, and more on Acton stump
“Broadly speaking, we should be investing in fast rail, not in highways.”
As planners mull a Route 2 rotary redesign, Democratic Senate candidate Seth Moulton says he’s committed to bringing more federal dollars to the commonwealth.
He also says the real answer is prioritizing trains.
“Broadly speaking, we should be investing in fast rail, not in highways,” he told The Acton Bridge during an eleventh-hour campaign stop here.
Moulton, who currently represents the state’s 6th Congressional District, is challenging incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in the September 1 state primary. He shook voters’ hands, met with supporters at the Colonial Inn, and spoke with The Bridge on August 21.
The Markey campaign didn’t respond to Bridge interview requests.
State plans for the Route 2 rotary remain in flux.
Advocates and some town officials have bristled at a project scope they call too narrow. In addition to things like a new pedestrian bridge, some want the state to get more cars off the road by improving MBTA Commuter Rail service.
“We need to completely overhaul what we have and build what the rest of the world has, which is electrified, fast, frequent regional rail,” Moulton told The Bridge.
The lawmaker also answered Bridge questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights out of Hanscom Field.
Some advocates want Hanscom’s quasi-public operator, Massport, to help them track flights. They’ve also appealed to Gov. Maura Healey, who previously demanded that ICE stop using the airfield.
“Governor Healey is very firm on this and doing everything in her power,” said Moulton, who has called for abolishing ICE. “We want to hear citizen concern, but I think there are also some — unfortunately — legitimate restrictions on just what can be done.”
Among other local issues, a federal limit capping how much treated wastewater Acton discharges from its sewage system has limited the town’s capacity and, according to some experts, its development prospects.
Moulton pointed to a “cod task force” of environmentalists, fishermen, and regulators he created to gather data and better inform commercial fishing rules.
For Acton, “Let’s use science to figure this out,” Moulton said. “If the water is clean enough, then it should be discharged. We’ll make that case to the [Environmental Protection Agency]. If it’s not, we need to fix it so that it is.”
Acton’s 2026 state Democratic Party convention delegation was “pretty well divided between Markey and Moulton support,” Democratic Town Committee Chair Matt Boger said this month.
Moulton outraised Markey in the current election cycle through the end of June, campaign finance disclosures show. He kept that lead locally, raising $56,362 from Acton donors to Markey’s $29,130 since the beginning of 2025.
Two new statewide polls this month showed Markey leading Moulton by double digits.
