List of railroad lines in Massachusetts

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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, to Millbury
Newton Highlands Branch, Riverside to
Newton Lower Falls Branch, Riverside to Newton Lower Falls
Saxonville Branch, Natick to Saxonville
Framingham Branch became part of the NYNH&H
Chester Becket
Grand Junction Railroad Allston East Boston
North Brookfield Railroad East Brookfield North Brookfield
Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad North Adams
Webster East Village Branch, to
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, to Chicopee Falls
East Deerfield Branch, to
Easthampton Branch, Mount Tom to Easthampton

Eastern Division[]

The Eastern Division was the former Eastern Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Wenham Asbury Grove
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, to Rockport
Marblehead Branch, to Marblehead
Swampscott Branch, Swampscott to Marblehead
Salem North Andover Salem Harbor Branch, Salem to
Newburyport
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
South Ashburnham Ashburnham
Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad Worcester Winchendon
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
Hudson South Acton
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
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 Woburn
Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad West Cambridge Lexington aka: Lexington and Arlington Railroad
Lowell and Lawrence Railroad Lowell Lawrence
Lowell New Hampshire state line in Tyngsborough
Middlesex Central Railroad Lexington Middlesex Junction
Salem and Lowell Railroad Tewksbury Junction Peabody
East Woburn Stoneham
Stony Brook Railroad Chelmsford Ayer
Woburn Branch Railroad Winchester Woburn
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
Wakefield Danvers Junction
Danvers Junction Georgetown
Lowell and Andover Railroad Lowell Junction Lowell
Medford branch Medford Junction Medford Square
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
Monson 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 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

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 Rhode Island state line in Blackstone Ridge Hill Branch, Charles River to east from Cook Street Junction to Brookline became part of the B&A
Ashland Milford
Norfolk County Railroad Dedham Blackstone
Norfolk Medway
Midland Railroad Boston Dedham Branch, to Dedham
Milford
Rhode Island state line in Douglas
Rhode Island state line in North Attleborough
Rhode Island state line in Wrentham
Rhode Island state line in North Attleborough
Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad Blackstone
Connecticut state line in Webster
Connecticut state line in Douglas
Southbridge
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 Westfield
New Haven and Northampton Company Connecticut state line in Southwick Turner's Falls Branch, South Deerfield to Turners Falls
Williamsburg Branch, to Williamsburg

Old Colony Division[]

The Old Colony Division was the former Old Colony Railroad.

Name From To Branches Notes
Agricultural Branch Railroad Lancaster Mills Branch, to
Marlborough Branch, to Marlborough
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, to Rhode Island state line in Attleboro
Needham Branch, West Roxbury to Needham Junction
Boston and Worcester Railroad Framingham Branch Framingham
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
Harwich Chatham
Dighton and Somerset Railroad South Braintree Part was built by the
Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad Neponset Mattapan
Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad Cohasset Kingston
Stoughton Easton
Fairhaven Branch Railroad Fairhaven
Fall River Branch Railroad Myricks Fall River
Fall River Railroad Braintree Highlands Myricks
Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad Fitchburg
Fore River Railroad East Braintree Quincy Point Owned by Bethlehem Steel
Framingham and Lowell Railroad Framingham Lowell
Atlantic Braintree
Hanover Branch Railroad North Abington Hanover
Mansfield and Framingham Railroad Mansfield Framingham
Middleborough and Taunton Railroad Middleborough
Nantasket Beach Railroad Nantasket Junction
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 Easton
Old Colony Railroad Elmwood Branch Elmwood
Old Colony Railroad Raynham Branch Raynham
Old Colony Railroad Wrentham Branch 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
South Shore Railroad Braintree Cohasset
Stoughton Branch Railroad Canton Junction Stoughton
Taunton Branch Railroad Taunton Mansfield Attleboro Branch, to Attleboro
Taunton River Branch, Weir Village to Old Brewery Wharf
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
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
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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