MA Man Eyes World Record For MBTA Rides

CANTON, MA - Fitchburg man Martyn Royce has a passion for trains. He is using his love of them as a vehicle to raise money and awareness about train travel benefits and breast cancer, the latter in honor of his mother-in-law.

In a story on Boston 25 Tuesday, Royce explained that he took on the two-day challenge beginning Monday to go to every stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority's commuter rail system - all 132 of them -to set a mark recognized by the Guiness World Records.

He began Tuesday's journey before dawn, hitting Worcester before going to Back Bay to switch to the Providence/Stoughton line to visit Wickford and ride to Canton Junction.

Trains are what drives Royce. An immigrant of the United Kingdom, he had a decade of history working on their transit system, according to his fundraiser page with the American Cancer Society, aptly titled "Royce on the Rails."

He currently works for Keolis, the company that operates and maintains the commuter rail system. This gave him the knowledge on how to best plan his journey of 684 miles.

While others have set the world record for the fastest times on the subway system, Royce chose to make his mark on the commuter rail to promote rail travel.

"Cancer has affected my family in so many different ways, and it affects millions of families each and every day," he said on his fundraising page. "In March 2018, I lost my closest cousin to bowel cancer. And most recently, back in September of 2021 my mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer."

His mother-in-law is finishing her eighth round of chemotherapy before undergoing radiation.

Along the way, Royce said he chatted with conductors, most of whom were enthusiastic about his driven mission to support his mother-in-law.

"But it’s fair to say a few of them, in equal measure, think I’m absolutely nuts," he said in the television interview. "Which is fine. They’re not wrong.”

To donate to Royce's cause, click here. As of Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., he raised $850 toward his $1,000 goal. One donation came from Colorado.

Attempts to reach Royce were unsuccessful to see if he accomplished his goal.

Kelly Banks, the director of development for the American Cancer Society, thanked Royce for raising funds and awareness.

"We are grateful how Martyn Royce is using his passion for rail travel to uniquely pull out all the stops to shed light on the devastation of cancer on individuals and their caregivers," Banks said. "The American Cancer Society is there for patients and families, providing free, comprehensive information and support to all those touched by breast cancer.

Phone and live chat are available with a cancer information specialist 24/7 at 800-227-2345 or at cancer.org. People can also donate at the site anytime.

"The American Cancer Society is thankful to him and his supporters for contributing to advance our mission," Banks added, "knowing that dollars raised support today’s research investments, ensuring greater access to quality care, influencing public policy, and providing patient support.

Banks urged people to support the effort in another way - by getting screened for mammograms.

"American Cancer Society is working in communities across the country to increase mammogram and breast screening that may have been delayed in the last year due to COVID 19," Banks said. "Cancer screening tests should be a regular part of your life and can detect changes before cancer develops, or can catch cancer early, when it may be easier to treat. Learn more at cancer screenings at this link.

American Cancer Society estimates 290,560 breast cancer diagnoses will be made this year in the United States, and 6,710 female breast cancer cases in Massachusetts alone. It also predicted 42,190 new cancer cases in the state of Massachusetts alone, 12,520 which are expected to succumb to cancer death in 2022.

Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, according to ACS data. But the death rate from breast cancer dropped by 41% from 1989 to 2018 as a result of earlier detection through increased awareness and mammography screening, as well as advances in treatments. Currently there are more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States today including those who completed treatment and those still undergoing treatment.