List of railroad lines in Massachusetts

This is a list of all freight railroad (not streetcar or rapid transit) lines that have been built in Massachusetts, and does not deal with ownership changes from one company to another. The lines are named by the first company to build or consolidate them.

B&A lines and related railroads

These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Boston and Albany Railroad, later part of the New York Central Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Boston and Worcester Railroad Boston Worcester Brookline Branch, Beacon Street to Brookline
Milford Branch, Framingham to Milford
Millbury Branch, Millbury Junction to Millbury
Newton Highlands Branch, Riverside to Cook Street Junction
Newton Lower Falls Branch, Riverside to Newton Lower Falls
Saxonville Branch, Natick to Saxonville
Framingham Branch became part of the NYNH&H
Chester and Becket Railroad Chester Becket
Grand Junction Railroad Allston East Boston
North Brookfield Railroad East Brookfield North Brookfield
Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad North Adams Junction North Adams
Providence, Webster and Springfield Railroad Webster Junction Webster East Village Branch, Webster Mills to East Village
Spencer Railroad South Spencer Spencer
Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad Athol Junction Athol
Ware River Railroad Palmer Winchendon Massachusetts Central Railroad today, operating between Palmer and South Barre
Western Railroad Worcester New York state line in West Stockbridge

B&M lines and related railroads

These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Boston and Maine Railroad.

Connecticut River Division

The Connecticut River Division was the former Connecticut River Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Connecticut River Railroad Springfield Vermont state line in Northfield Chicopee Falls Branch, Chicopee Junction to Chicopee Falls
East Deerfield Branch, Deerfield Junction to East Deerfield
Easthampton Branch, Mount Tom to Easthampton

Eastern Division

The Eastern Division was the former Eastern Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Asbury Grove Railroad Wenham Asbury Grove
Chelsea Beach Railroad Oak Island Junction Saugus River Junction
Eastern Railroad East Boston New Hampshire state line in Salisbury Amesbury Branch, Salisbury to Amesbury
Charlestown Branch, Revere to Boston
Essex Branch, Wenham to Essex
Gloucester Branch, Beverly Junction to Rockport
Marblehead Branch, Castle Hill to Marblehead
Swampscott Branch, Swampscott to Marblehead
Essex Branch Railroad Salem North Andover Salem Harbor Branch, Salem to Salem Harbor
Newburyport City Railroad Newburyport Newburyport Wharf
Saugus Branch Railroad West Lynn Everett
South Reading Branch Railroad Peabody Wakefield

Fitchburg Division

The Fitchburg Division was the former Fitchburg Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Ashburnham Railroad South Ashburnham Ashburnham
Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad Worcester Winchendon
Brookline and Milford Railroad Squannacook Junction New Hampshire state line in Pepperell
Charlestown Branch Railroad Charlestown Belmont
Deerfield River Railroad Hoosac Tunnel Vermont state line in Rowe never owned by the B&M or Fitchburg
Fitchburg Railroad Boston Fitchburg
Harvard Branch Railroad Somerville Harvard Square never owned by the B&M or Fitchburg
Lancaster and Sterling Railroad Hudson South Acton
Marlborough Branch Railroad Marlborough Hudson
Monadnock Railroad Winchendon New Hampshire state line in Winchendon
Peterborough and Shirley Railroad Ayer Junction New Hampshire state line in Townsend
Troy and Greenfield Railroad Greenfield Vermont state line in Williamstown
Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad Fitchburg Greenfield Turners Falls Branch, Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls original main line north from Millers Falls became part of the Central Vermont Railroad
Watertown Branch Railroad Waltham West Cambridge
Winchendon Railroad South Ashburnham New Hampshire state line in Winchendon

Southern Division

The Southern Division was the former Boston and Lowell Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Andover and Haverhill Railroad Andover Bradford
Andover and Wilmington Railroad Wilmington Andover
Billerica and Bedford Railroad North Billerica Bedford
Boston and Lowell Railroad Boston Lowell Mystic River Branch in Charlestown
branch, Somerville Junction to Lake Street
Central Massachusetts Railroad North Cambridge Junction Northampton
Horn Pond Branch Railroad Horn Pond Woburn
Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad West Cambridge Lexington aka: Lexington and Arlington Railroad
Lowell and Lawrence Railroad Lowell Lawrence
Lowell and Nashua Railroad Lowell New Hampshire state line in Tyngsborough
Middlesex Central Railroad Lexington Middlesex Junction
Salem and Lowell Railroad Tewksbury Junction Peabody
Stoneham Branch Railroad East Woburn Stoneham
Stony Brook Railroad Chelmsford Ayer
Woburn Branch Railroad Winchester Woburn
Woburn Branch Extension Railroad Woburn North Woburn Junction

Western Division

The Western Division was the original Boston and Maine Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Boston and Maine Extension Railroad Boston Wilmington Junction
Boston and Portland Railroad Wilmington New Hampshire state line in Haverhill Methuen Branch, Lawrence to New Hampshire state line in Methuen
Danvers Railroad Wakefield Danvers Junction
Danvers and Georgetown Railroad Danvers Junction Georgetown
Lowell and Andover Railroad Lowell Junction Lowell
Medford Branch Railroad Medford Junction Medford
Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad Acton New Hampshire state line in Dunstable
Newburyport Railroad Bradford Newburyport
West Amesbury Branch Railroad Merrimac New Hampshire state line in Merrimac

Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division

The Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division was the former Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Worcester and Nashua Railroad Worcester New Hampshire state line in Dunstable

Central Vermont lines and related railroads

These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Central Vermont Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Flynt's Granite Branch Railroad Monson Flynt and Company Granite Quarries (Flynt Quarry) not owned by the Central Vermont
New London Northern Railroad Connecticut state line in Monson Millers Falls
Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad Millers Falls Vermont state line in Northfield The rest of the V&M became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

NYNH&H lines and related railroads

These railroads were owned by or closely related to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

Berkshire Division

The Berkshire Division was the former Berkshire Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Berkshire Railroad West Stockbridge Connecticut state line in Sheffield
Stockbridge and Pittsfield Railroad Van Deusenville Pittsfield
West Stockbridge Railroad West Stockbridge New York state line in West Stockbridge (at the Boston and Albany Railroad junction)

Central New England Division

The Central New England Division was the former Central New England Railway.

Name From To Branches Notes
Central New England Railway Springfield Branch Connecticut state line in Agawam Agawam Junction

Hartford Division

The Hartford Division was the former Hartford and New Haven Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Hartford and Springfield Railroad Connecticut state line in Longmeadow Springfield

Midland Division

The Midland Division was the former New England Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Charles River Railroad Cook Street Junction Rhode Island state line in Blackstone Ridge Hill Branch, Charles River to Ridge Hill east from Cook Street Junction to Brookline became part of the B&A
Hopkinton Railway Ashland Milford
Norfolk County Railroad Dedham Blackstone
Medway Branch Railroad Norfolk Medway
Midland Railroad Boston Dedham Junction Dedham Branch, Dedham Junction to Dedham
Milford, Franklin and Providence Railroad Bellingham Junction Franklin Junction
Milford and Woonsocket Railroad Milford Bellingham Junction
Providence and Springfield Railroad Rhode Island state line in Douglas Douglas Junction
Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad Rhode Island state line in North Attleborough
Rhode Island state line in Wrentham
Rhode Island state line in North Attleborough
Franklin Junction
Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad Blackstone
Connecticut state line in Webster
Connecticut state line in Douglas
Southbridge
Worcester and Norwich Railroad Connecticut state line in Webster Worcester

Northampton Division

The Northampton Division was the former New Haven and Northampton Company.

Name From To Branches Notes
Holyoke and Westfield Railroad Holyoke Westfield
New Haven and Northampton Company Connecticut state line in Southwick Shelburne Junction Turner's Falls Branch, South Deerfield to Turners Falls
Williamsburg Branch, Williamsburg Junction to Williamsburg

Old Colony Division

The Old Colony Division was the former Old Colony Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Agricultural Branch Railroad Framingham Centre Pratt's Junction Lancaster Mills Branch, Lancaster Mills Junction to Lancaster Mills
Marlborough Branch, Marlborough Junction to Marlborough
Attleborough Branch Railroad Attleboro North Attleborough later operated as a streetcar line
Boston and Providence Railroad Boston Rhode Island state line in Attleboro Dedham Branch, Forest Hills to Readville via Dedham
East Providence Branch, East Junction to Rhode Island state line in Attleboro
Needham Branch, West Roxbury to Needham Junction
Boston and Worcester Railroad Framingham Branch Framingham Framingham Centre
Bridgewater Branch Railroad Whitman Junction Bridgewater Junction
Cape Cod Railroad Orleans Provincetown
Cape Cod Branch Railroad Middleborough Hyannis Woods Hole Branch, Buzzards Bay to Woods Hole
Cape Cod Central Railroad Yarmouth Orleans
Chatham Railroad Harwich Chatham
Dighton and Somerset Railroad South Braintree Somerset Junction Part was built by the Easton Branch Railroad
Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad Neponset Mattapan
Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad Cohasset Kingston
Easton Branch Railroad Stoughton Easton
Fairhaven Branch Railroad West Wareham Junction Fairhaven
Fall River Branch Railroad Myricks Fall River
Fall River Railroad Braintree Highlands Myricks
Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad Fitchburg Sterling Junction
Fore River Railroad East Braintree Quincy Point Owned by Bethlehem Steel
Framingham and Lowell Railroad Framingham Lowell
Granite Branch Railroad Atlantic Braintree
Hanover Branch Railroad North Abington Hanover
Mansfield and Framingham Railroad Mansfield Framingham
Middleborough and Taunton Railroad Middleborough Middleborough Junction
Nantasket Beach Railroad Nantasket Junction Pemberton
New Bedford and Fall River Railroad short connecting track at Taunton
New Bedford and Taunton Railroad Taunton New Bedford Fall River Branch, New Bedford to Fall River
Old Colony Railroad Boston Plymouth
Old Colony Railroad Easton Branch Matfield Easton
Old Colony Railroad Elmwood Branch Westdale Elmwood
Old Colony Railroad Raynham Branch Whittenton Junction Raynham
Old Colony Railroad Wrentham Branch Adamsdale Junction Norwood Central
Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Fall River Rhode Island state line in Fall River
Plymouth and Middleborough Railroad Plymouth Middleborough
Shawmut Branch Railroad Milton Harrison Square
South Shore Railroad Braintree Cohasset
Stoughton Branch Railroad Canton Junction Stoughton
Taunton Branch Railroad Taunton Mansfield Attleboro Branch, Attleboro Junction to Attleboro
Taunton River Branch, Weir Village to Old Brewery Wharf
Warren and Fall River Railroad Rhode Island state line in Swansea Fall River

Providence and Worcester Division

The Providence and Worcester Division was the former Providence and Worcester Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Providence and Worcester Railroad Connecticut state line in Blackstone Worcester

Other railroads

Name From To Branches Notes
Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad East Boston Lynn Winthrop Branch, Orient Heights to loop through Winthrop see also Boston, Winthrop and Point Shirley Railroad and Eastern Junction, Broad Sound Pier and Point Shirley Railroad, which built lines and later abandoned them
Cape Ann Granite Railroad Pigeon Cove Harbor Cape Ann Granite Company quarries
Grafton and Upton Railroad North Grafton Milford Upton Loop, West Upton to Upton
Hampden Railroad Springfield Bondsville never opened, built by the Boston and Maine Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Lancaster Railroad Lancaster Hudson never opened, built by the Boston and Maine Railroad
Martha's Vineyard Railroad Oak Bluffs South Beach
Nantucket Railroad Nantucket Siasconset
Southern New England Railway Palmer Rhode Island state line in Blackstone never finished, built by the Grand Trunk Railway
Union Freight Railroad connecting lines in downtown Boston

See also

References

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