Pioneer Valley Railroad

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Coordinates: 42°8′32″N 72°43′36.5″W / 42.14222°N 72.726806°W / 42.14222; -72.726806

Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR)
Pinsly Logo.svg
PVRR Westfield Yard, August 2018.JPG
Westfield Yard in August 2018
Overview
HeadquartersWestfield, Massachusetts
Reporting markPVRR
LocaleHampden County, Massachusetts
Dates of operation1982–
PredecessorConrail
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Length17 miles (27 km)
Other
Websitepinsly.com

The Pioneer Valley Railroad is a Class III short line freight railroad operating the former Conrail (née-New York, New Haven & Hartford) trackage in the western part of Massachusetts in towns of Westfield, Holyoke, and Southampton.[1] Since being founded in 1982 railroad has been owned by the Pinsly Railroad Company with headquarters in Westfield, Massachusetts.

History[]

An engine for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the 1890s at a line of the present-day Pioneer Valley Railroad, now used for recreation at Holyoke Heritage State Park.

Before the PVRR (1847 - 1982)[]

The tracks that the PVRR operates on were originally constructed by the New Haven and Northampton (also known as the Canal Line) from 1842 to 1856 as part of the company's line between its namesake cities. The branch line connecting Westfield and Holyoke was built in 1871. Both lines passed to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (reporting mark NH) when it took control of the New Haven and Northampton in 1887.[2] The bankrupt New Haven was included in the newly formed Penn Central Railroad on January 1st, 1969, which abandoned the tracks north of Southampton. Penn Central promptly went bankrupt in what was at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history, and was folded into government created Conrail in 1976, which became the new operator.[2] Conrail ended operations on the tracks around Westfield in 1982, claiming the two lines were no longer profitable to operate. At this time, Pinsly Railroad Company purchased the line from Conrail for less than $300,000, plus a guarantee to commit $800,000 to track rehabilitation within 4 years of the purchase.[3] Upon purchasing the two lines, Pinsly began railroad operations on the line under the Pioneer Valley Railroad name.

Pioneer Valley Railroad begins operations (1982 - 2000)[]

The Pioneer Valley Railroad began operations with three locomotives of 1939 and 1949 vintage, 13 employees, and 24 miles of trackage.[3] In 1983, the railroad had a total of 40 customers. The company began to reverse the fortunes of its lines by dropping a $590 surcharge per car that was instated by Conrail, pursuing small customers that Conrail ignored, and forging good relationships with shippers.[3]

As traffic began to grow in the 1980s, the railroad received part of a $5.3 million appropriation from the United States Congress in the summer of 1987 to install heavier rail on its line between Westfield and Holyoke.[4]

The PVRR in the 21st century (2000 - present)[]

The PVRR was one of 6 railroad companies to receive a request for proposals from the state of Vermont in early 2000 to potentially operate a railroad line owned by the state between White River Junction and Wells River.[5] Ultimately, the state chose a railroad based in Vermont to operate the line.

On October 5, 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded PVR a $495,000 grant to complete the PVR Knowledge Corridor Service Interchange project that is planned to reduce local truck traffic by improving the connection between Pan Am Railways and Pioneer Valley Railroad in Holyoke.[6]

MassDOT awarded the railroad a grant of $384,022 in September 2021 to expand its yard facilities in Easthampton, matching PVRR's commitment of 40% of the total project cost.[7]

Routes[]

The PVRR operates two lines which connect at Westfield Main Yard in Westfield, Massachusetts, where the railroad interchanges with CSX Transportation.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Pioneer Valley Railroad". Pinsly Railroad Company. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
  2. ^ a b Karr, Ronald Dale (1995). The rail lines of southern New England : a handbook of railroad history. Pepperell, Mass.: Branch Line Press. pp. 68–73. ISBN 0-942147-02-2. OCLC 32604470.
  3. ^ a b c "Small Rail Confident It Can Beat The Odds". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. May 11, 1983. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "Committee OKs rail repairs". The Lewiston Journal. Lewiston-Auburn, Maine. June 30, 1987. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Associated Press (February 28, 2000). "Railroads push for freight contract". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Rail projects in Holyoke, Ware funded by state industrial freight access program". masslive.com.
  7. ^ Pennucci, Kristen (September 17, 2021). "MassDOT announces almost $3-million in Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) grants". WWLP. Retrieved September 22, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

External media
Images
image icon PVRR 7031 leading a Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts charter, Holyoke, 2019
Video
video icon Street Running with Pioneer Valley Railroad, May 7, 2012 – Workers for the PVRR work several of the old Holyoke and Westfield system's industrial tracks; by Gary Senecal
video icon Passenger Excursion Train, April 13, 2019
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