Norwich and Worcester Railroad

Last updated

Norwich and Worcester Railroad
West portal detail of Taft Tunnel, December 2017.JPG
The west portal of the Taft Tunnel in 2017
Overview
Current operator Providence and Worcester Railroad (since 1976)
Dates of operation1839–present
Successor New York and New England Railroad in 1869
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length70.9 miles (114.1 km)

The Norwich and Worcester Railroad (N&W) was a railroad in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Its north-south mainline ran between its namesake cities of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Norwich, Connecticut, (later extended to Groton). The Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) owns the ex-N&W line and operates freight service.

Contents

The railroad was chartered in 1832 in Connecticut, and in 1833 in Massachusetts; the two companies merged in 1836. Construction began in 1835. The line opened between Norwich and Plainfield in 1839, and the full length to Worcester in 1840. An extension to Allyn's Point was completed in 1843 to improve connecting steamboat operations. The line was leased by the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad in 1869, and became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (the New Haven) system in 1898. The following year, a second extension to Groton was completed.

A section of the line was electrified for streetcar service from 1907 to 1925. Local passenger service ended in 1928, but resumed from 1952 to 1971. The line from Plainfield south was included in Conrail in 1976, while the remainder reverted to the N&W. The Norwich and Worcester tried to convince regulators and politicians it could resume service on its line, but was defeated by the efforts of the P&W, which took over operations that year. P&W purchased the remainder of the line from Conrail in 1980, and has operated it since.

History

An 1859 advertisement for the company, showing connecting steamship routes 1859 Norwich and Worcester Line advertisement.jpg
An 1859 advertisement for the company, showing connecting steamship routes

Formation and construction

The Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad was chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly in May 1832, with charter authority to build a railroad from Norwich, Connecticut, towards both Boston and Long Island Sound. Described by contemporary press as "extremely liberal", the charter did not specify a route, leaving the paths to both destinations up to the discretion of the company. [1] Connecting to either the Boston and Worcester Railroad in Worcester, Massachusetts, or the Boston and Providence Railroad in Providence, Rhode Island, was also authorized. [1] Surveyor William Gibbs McNeill completed a survey for a route between Norwich and Worcester that same year. [2] McNeill estimated a cost of $1.07 million (equivalent to $36 million in 2023) for the 59-mile (95 km) line. [3]

The chosen route ran south and slightly west from Worcester to Norwich. Much of the route closely followed industrial river valleys: the French River from Webster, Massachusetts, to Mechanicsville, Connecticut; the Quinebaug River from Mechanicsville to Putnam and from Jewett City to Taftville; and the Shetucket River from Taftville to Norwich. The segment along the rocky ledges of the southern portion of the Quinebaug was the most difficult to construct. Just east of Taftville, the line passed through the 300-foot (91 m)-long Taft Tunnel – the first common carrier railroad tunnel to be completed in the country. [4]

In 1833, the Worcester and Norwich Railroad was chartered in Massachusetts, with the authority to build the Massachusetts portion of the line. The Connecticut and Massachusetts companies were merged in June 1836 as the Norwich and Worcester Railroad. [5] [3] Construction of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad commenced in November 1835 from Norwich, and the company ran its first trains from Norwich to Plainfield, Connecticut, in September 1839. Construction reached Worcester in November of that year, but the balance of the line was not opened until March 9, 1840. [2] [4] Two steamships, the Worcester and the New York, were purchased by the Norwich and Worcester to complete the route to New York City. [6] The final cost of the line was about $1.5 million; only substantial loans from Massachusetts and the town of Norwich kept the company afloat during the Panic of 1837. [3]

Operations

As an independent railroad, the Norwich and Worcester only found moderate success. Revenues were lower than expected, and the company spent the 1840s in financial trouble. [3] Much of the line's traffic connected with New York steamships at Norwich, competing with the Stonington Line and Fall River Line for Boston–New York traffic. The railroad was assisted by a federally funded dredging of the Thames River channel. [3] [7] However, the upper portion of the river iced over in winter, interfering with steamship operations. In December 1843, the railroad opened a 6-mile (9.7 km) extension southward along the east bank of the Thames to Allyn's Point in Ledyard, allowing year-round ship connections. [8]

Continued railroad building brought new connections and business to the Norwich and Worcester. By 1841, the Western Railroad (Worcester to Springfield, Massachusetts) had begun construction, and a survey was completed for the Worcester and Nashua Railroad (Worcester to Nashua, New Hampshire). [9] Another connecting line under construction was the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); when completed, the Norwich and Worcester estimated that an eleven-hour journey would be possible between Boston and New York, via a steamship connection from Norwich to the LIRR terminus at Greenport, New York. [9]

Attempts to build a further extension to Long Island Sound at Groton were defeated by interference from the New London Northern Railroad, operator of a parallel line across the Thames River. [10] However, the two railroads did complete a short connecting track along the Norwich waterfront and over the Yantic River in February 1854. The N&W obtained trackage rights over the New London Northern's line to New London to run its passenger trains to the port there. [10] The N&W ended this arrangement in November 1855, but revived it in April 1859. [10] The first N&W roundhouse and car shops were located in downtown Norwich, adjacent to the passenger station. They were supplemented in 1868 by a new facility in the Greeneville section of Norwich. [11]

Lease and successors

Plainfield station in the early 20th century. At left is a streetcar running on the N&W between Norwich and Central Village. At right is a Providence-bound train on the ex-NY&NE. Plainfield station postcard.jpg
Plainfield station in the early 20th century. At left is a streetcar running on the N&W between Norwich and Central Village. At right is a Providence-bound train on the ex-NY&NE.

The Norwich and Worcester Railroad was leased in 1869 by the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which in 1875 became the New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE). [10] The initial lease was at an unusually high annual rate of ten percent of the stock value; the struggling NY&NE cancelled the lease in 1884 and re-leased it at eight percent. [7] In 1876, a section of the line was realigned in Norwich, using a new bridge over the Shetucket and a short tunnel under the side of Laurel Hill. [12] The New London Northern and the N&W initially continued to use their separate stations in Norwich; not until 1892 did local criticism and a state order prompt the construction of a union station. [13]

The NY&NE was absorbed by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (the New Haven) in 1898. With southern New England's dominant railroad in control, the 6-mile (9.7 km) extension from Allyn's Point to Groton finally received approval. Work began in October 1898, and the extension opened in June 1899. Since the Thames River Bridge had opened in 1899 between Groton and New London, the extension allowed the trackage rights over the New London Northern to be given up. [10] The New Haven sold the Greeneville facility around 1900; it saw other industrial uses and is largely extant. [11] The downtown Norwich facility remained in use until the 1930s, when it was demolished for a parking lot. [14]

In the early 20th century, the New Haven experimented with electrification of branch lines. [15] The company strung trolley wire over the line between Taftville and Central Village for use by streetcars, connecting its existing streetcar lines in eastern Connecticut. [16] Hourly streetcar service between Norwich and Central Village began on June 17, 1907, sharing the tracks with steam trains. [17] [18] The streetcar service became part of New Haven subsidiary Connecticut Company in 1910, and was among its lines leased by the Shore Line Electric Railway from 1913 to 1920. [19] In 1918, daily service included 17 streetcars in each direction, five northbound and four southbound passenger trains, and a northbound freight train. [20]

The streetcar service ended on December 1, 1925. [20] By this time, local passenger service on the line was provided by a self-propelled gas-electric railcar as a cost-cutting measure. Local service ended in September 1928, though New York City–Maine express trains including the State of Maine Express and Bar Harbor Express continued to use the line until April 1946. [16] Local passenger service resumed on June 9, 1952 using a Budd Rail Diesel Car. The railroad was surprised by the ridership generated by the two daily round trips; a third round trip, additional stops at Jewett City and Plainfield, and Sunday service were all added later in 1952. [21] The Washington, D.C.–Maine East Wind was routed via Hartford and Putnam from 1953 to 1955, using the line between Putnam and Worcester. [22] [23] The line was not included in the initial Amtrak system; the New London–Worcester service ended on April 30, 1971 – the day before Amtrak took over intercity passenger service in the country. [3] [16]

Independence attempt and merger

The line passes through Naval Submarine Base New London (actually located in Groton) Aerial view of the US Naval Submarine Base New London c1990.jpg
The line passes through Naval Submarine Base New London (actually located in Groton)

The New Haven went bankrupt in 1961, and never recovered. The company's bankruptcy trustees eventually disaffirmed the Norwich and Worcester Railroad lease, but per an Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) order, the New Haven continued to operate the N&W. [24] The short connector in Norwich, freight-only since 1899, was abandoned in 1966. [5] The New Haven was succeeded by Penn Central Transportation Company at the end of 1968, and the order to continue operations transferred as well. [24] Penn Central declared bankruptcy in 1970, and as a result was selected for inclusion in government-formed Conrail, which was to begin operations in 1976. [25] Never merged into any of the companies that leased it, the Norwich and Worcester became nominally independent. It disputed being included in Conrail, arguing that with the disaffirming of the lease it was not actually part of Penn Central. [24]

In addition to Conrail, the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) was also interested in acquiring the Norwich and Worcester's line. As an active railroad, the P&W could point to its track record of profitable operations and had trains and crews available to operate the line, along with existing facilities in Worcester, plus a guarantee of financing from a bank to purchase the line. [26] [27] In contrast, the Norwich and Worcester had no train crews nor trains, but insisted it could secure funding to run its own railroad. [27] [28] A coalition of industry groups, rail unions, and several members of Connecticut's congressional delegation (including representative Chris Dodd and senator Lowell Weicker) all endorsed the P&W's takeover request. [26] [27] [28]

Conrail's Final System Plan, prepared by the United States Railway Association (USRA), divided the Norwich and Worcester main line into two segments – the southern portion between Groton and Plainfield, with heavier rail traffic, would be included in Conrail, while the remainder of the line would instead go to the Providence and Worcester. [24] [25] By that time, the southern section was served by a weekday freight, while the northern section only had twice weekly service and was no longer used as a through route to Worcester. [16] However, the USRA also included a contingency allowing 60 days for the Norwich and Worcester to submit a comprehensive plan showing how it would establish rail service comparable to that which Conrail and the P&W would provide. [24] Within the same 60-day window, the P&W also had the opportunity to purchase the entire line, should the N&W agree to sell. [24] Finally, failing the previous options occurring, the USRA issued a non-binding recommendation that Conrail and P&W reach an agreement for the latter to operate the entirety of the line. [24]

A Providence and Worcester Railroad locomotive at Plainfield in 2023 P&W 3094 at Plainfield Yard, April 2023.JPG
A Providence and Worcester Railroad locomotive at Plainfield in 2023

Ultimately, P&W and Conrail took over their respective segments in 1976 as outlined in the Final System Plan. [25] P&W subsequently purchased the remainder of the line from Conrail in 1980. [25] Left without a railroad, the Norwich and Worcester's outstanding shares were surrendered between 1985 and 1986, and the company merged into the remnants of Penn Central. [29]

Providence and Worcester Railroad operations

The remains of the downtown Norwich shops, including the foundations of roundhouses built in 1860 and 1889, were found in 1998 during surveys prior to construction of a then-planned transportation center. [14] By 2015, the P&W ran weekday local freights between Groton and Plainfield, plus a daily through freight between Plainfield and Worcester. [30] P&W also operates a train between Plainfield and Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven, Connecticut. [31] Facilities at Plainfield include a locomotive paint shop and a maintenance facility for repairing P&W trucks. [31]

Station listing

The former Putnam station, now a restaurant Putnam station from parking lot (1), October 2020.jpg
The former Putnam station, now a restaurant
Norwich station now serves as the headquarters of the Norwich Bulletin. Norwich station, December 2018.JPG
Norwich station now serves as the headquarters of the Norwich Bulletin.
Early-20th-century postcard of the now-demolished Gales Ferry station Gales Ferry station postcard.jpg
Early-20th-century postcard of the now-demolished Gales Ferry station

Former stations remain at Auburn (built circa 1839–40), Mechanicsville (1865), Putnam (1907), and Norwich (1899). [13] [30] The Auburn station building was built by the N&W, the Putnam and Norwich stations were built by the New Haven Railroad to replace earlier N&W structures. Worcester Union Station – built by the New Haven, the Boston and Albany Railroad, and the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1911 – remains in passenger use. It replaced an earlier union station, which had been built in 1875 to replace separate stations used by the various railroads. [13]

StateLocationStation [32] Miles (km) [32] Connecting lines
MA Worcester Worcester 0.0 (0.0) Boston and Albany Railroad, Providence and Worcester Railroad, Gardner Branch, Worcester Branch
South Worcester0.9 (1.5)Providence and Worcester Railroad
Cambridge Street1.6 (2.6)
Auburn Auburn4.5 (7.3)
Stones Crossing5.7 (9.1)
Maywood7.1 (11.4)
Oxford North Oxford8.8 (14.2)
Oxford11.2 (18.0)
Webster North Webster14.9 (23.9)
Webster16.0 (25.7) Southbridge Branch
Perrys17.7 (28.5)
CT Thompson Wilsonville18.6 (29.9)
North Grosvenordale20.4 (32.9)
Grosvenordale21.9 (35.3)
West Thompson23.5 (37.9)
Mechanicsville24.0 (38.6)
Putnam Putnam 26.0 (41.8) New York and New England Railroad
Killingly Dayville31.1 (50.1)
Danielson33.9 (54.6)
Plainfield Wauregan38.5 (61.9)
Central Village39.8 (64.0)
Plainfield42.9 (69.0)New York and New England Railroad
Griswold Jewett City49.2 (79.2)
Norwich Tafts55.8 (89.8)
Greeneville57.5 (92.5)
Norwich58.8 (94.6)Branch to Norwich Union Station
Preston Fort Point61.6 (99.2) Norwich and Westerly Railway freight spur
Poquetanuck Drawbridge63.1 (101.6)
Ledyard Stoddard's Wharf63.9 (102.9)
Allyns Point 64.9 (104.5)
Gales Ferry66.1 (106.4)
Breakwater67.7 (108.9)
Groton Navy Yard 68.8 (110.8)
Fairview70.0 (112.6)
Groton 70.9 (114.1) New York, Providence and Boston Railroad (now Northeast Corridor)

Notes

  1. 1 2 "From The Rail Road Journal". Jamestown Journal. July 18, 1832. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 Karr 2017, p. 125.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Turner, Gregg M.; Jacobus, Melancthon W. (1986). Connecticut Railroads: An Illustrated History. The Connecticut Historical Society. pp. 36–46. ISBN   0-940748-89-4.
  4. 1 2 Farnham, Elmer F. (1973). The Quickest Route: The History of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad. Pequot Press. pp. 14–21. ISBN   0871061155.
  5. 1 2 Karr 2017, p. 124.
  6. ↑ Norwich and Worcester Railroad 1841, p. 9.
  7. 1 2 Harlow, Alvin Fay (1946). Steelways of New England. Creative Age Press. pp. 204, 206, 220.
  8. ↑ Karr 2017, pp. 125–126.
  9. 1 2 Norwich and Worcester Railroad 1841, p. 8-10.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Karr 2017, p. 126.
  11. 1 2 Karmazinas, Lucas A. (June 24, 2015). "Norwich & Worcester Railroad". Making Places. Preservation Connecticut. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ Plummer, Dale S. (June 13, 1894). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Downtown Norwich Historic District". National Park Service. p. 7.
  13. 1 2 3 Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 79–80, 83, 128, 275–276. ISBN   9780942147087.
  14. 1 2 Westervelt, Robert (May 28, 1998). "Dig at future transportation site reveals rail yard remnants". The Day. New London, Connecticut. p. B3.
  15. ↑ New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Electrification. Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. June 1924. p. 8.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Karr 2017, p. 127.
  17. ↑ "Central Village Benefits". Boston Globe. June 17, 1907. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Electric Road Opened". Boston Evening Transcript. June 18, 1907. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Connecticut Motor Coach Museum (2004). New London County Trolleys. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 7, 8. ISBN   9780738535807.
  20. 1 2 Cummings, O.R. (2007). The Shore Line Electric Railway Company. Central Electric Railfan's Association. pp. 80, 101. ISBN   978-0-915348-39-8.
  21. ↑ "The 'New Haven' Leads Again". Transportation. Vol. 7. Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. August 1953. pp. 39, 41–42 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  22. ↑ "Echo Grange Will Hold 24th Fair September 12". Hartford Courant. July 10, 1953 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ THE SCENIC SHORELINE ROUTE SERVING NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. April 24, 1955. pp. 14, 24 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 United States Railway Association (1975). Final System Plan for Restructuring Railroads in the Northeast and Midwest Region Pursuant to the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973: Part 1. Introduction and summary. Part 2. Designations. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 228.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Karr 2017, pp. 127–128.
  26. 1 2 "Dodd Supports Rail Unit". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. January 28, 1976. p. 35.
  27. 1 2 3 "Rail Takeover Given Support". The Day. New London, Connecticut. January 24, 1976. p. 3.
  28. 1 2 "Weicker Bolsters RR For Area". The Day. New London, Connecticut. February 3, 1976. p. 18.
  29. ↑ Directory of Obsolete Securities. Financial Information, Incorporated. 1989. p. 509. NORWICH & WORCESTER RAILROAD CO . ( Connecticut & Massachusetts ) Merged into Penn Central Corp... certificates surrendered between 5/1/85 and 12/31/86.
  30. 1 2 Karr 2017, p. 128.
  31. 1 2 Hartley 2016, p. 53-55.
  32. 1 2 "Table 39: Worcester to New London via Norwich". Summer Schedule: Lines East of New London and Willimantic. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. August 9, 1915. p. 26.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston and Maine Railroad</span> Former railroad in New England

The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad</span> American Class I railroad (1872–1968)

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of the New York and New Haven and Hartford and New Haven railroads, the company had near-total dominance of railroad traffic in Southern New England for the first half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence and Worcester Railroad</span> Regional railroad in the Northeastern United States

The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad operating 612 miles (985 km) of tracks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York via trackage rights. The company was founded in 1844 to build a railroad between Providence, Rhode Island, and Worcester, Massachusetts, and ran its first trains in 1847. A successful railroad, the P&W subsequently expanded with a branch to East Providence, Rhode Island, and for a time leased two small Massachusetts railroads. Originally a single track, its busy mainline was double-tracked after a fatal 1853 collision in Valley Falls, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston and Albany Railroad</span> American railroad line (1867-1961)

The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Passenger service is provided on the line by Amtrak, as part of their Lake Shore Limited service, and by the MBTA Commuter Rail system, which owns the section east of Worcester and operates it as its Framingham/Worcester Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York and New England Railroad</span> Defunct railroad in southern New England

The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed from several smaller railroads that dated back to 1846. After a bankruptcy in 1893, the NY&NE was reorganized and briefly operated as the New England Railroad before being leased to the competing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk County Railroad</span>

The Norfolk County Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts, United States. Chartered as two different companies in 1846 and 1847, it completed a rail line between Dedham and Blackstone in 1849. A branch to Medway, Massachusetts was built in 1852. The railroad was leased by the Boston and New York Central Railroad, succeeded by the Boston and Providence Railroad and the East Thompson Railroad, before the Norfolk County Railroad returned to independent operation in 1858. In 1866, the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad leased the Norfolk County. The Rhode Island and Massachusetts Railroad was completed in 1877 from Franklin southward to Valley Falls, Rhode Island, and became a branch of the Norfolk County mainline. The northernmost portion of the main line from Islington to Dedham was rerouted to the east in 1881, and the original alignment abandoned two years later. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad assumed operation of the Norfolk County lines in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York, Providence and Boston Railroad</span> New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad subsidiary

The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island. It is now part of Amtrak's high-speed Northeast Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central New England Railroad</span> Shortline railroad in Connecticut

The Central New England Railroad is a railroad in and near Hartford, Connecticut. It began operations in 1995 on former Conrail trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Southern Railroad</span> Freight railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts

The Connecticut Southern Railroad is a 90-mile (140 km) long short-line railroad operating in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The company was formed in 1996 as a spinoff of Conrail by shortline holding company RailTex and subsequently acquired in 2000 by RailAmerica. Since 2012, it has been a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming. CSO is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, site of its Hartford Yard. The company also operates East Hartford Yard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Junction Branch</span> Railroad line

The East Junction Branch is a rail line in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally built by the Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) in 1835, the line connects Attleboro, Massachusetts, and East Providence, Rhode Island via Seekonk, Massachusetts. As built, the line continued across the Seekonk River to Providence via the India Point Railroad Bridge; this connection was removed during the 1970s. The East Junction Branch meets the Northeast Corridor in Attleboro at a point known as East Junction, and ends at a connection to the East Providence Branch in East Providence. CSX Transportation operates freight service on the branch in Attleboro, while the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) operates freight service in East Providence and across the state line into Seekonk. The line is owned by the P&W in Rhode Island, and by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Company</span> US electric street railway company

The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which also controlled most steam railroads in the state. After 1936, when one of its major leases was dissolved, it continued operating streetcars and, increasingly, buses in certain Connecticut cities until 1976, when its assets were purchased by the state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford and New Haven Railroad</span> Defunct railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts

The Hartford and New Haven Railroad (H&NH), chartered in 1833, was the first railroad built in the state of Connecticut and an important direct predecessor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The company was formed to connect the cities of New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. It built northwards from New Haven, opening its first segment in 1838, and reaching Hartford in December 1839. The company reached Springfield in 1844 under the auspices of the Hartford and Springfield Railroad, a subsidiary chartered in Massachusetts. Branches were later built to Suffield, New Britain, and Middletown and operated by the Hartford and New Haven. The H&NH merged with the New York and New Haven Railroad in 1872, forming the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housatonic Railroad (1836)</span> Railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts, US

The Housatonic Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, chartered in 1836. Opened between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and New Milford, Connecticut, in 1840, it was completed to a connection with the Western Railroad in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1842. Branches were later built to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Danbury, Connecticut, and Derby, Connecticut, the latter as part of the Housatonic Railroad's purchase of the New Haven and Derby Railroad in 1887.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad</span>

The Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1840 to provide a rail connection between Fitchburg and Worcester. Service began on February 11, 1850, running 18 miles from Fitchburg through Leominster and Sterling to Sterling Junction, where it connected with the Worcester and Nashua Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Valley Railroad</span> Defunct railroad in Connecticut

The Connecticut Valley Railroad was a railroad in the state of Connecticut founded in 1868. The company built a line along the Connecticut River between Hartford and Old Saybrook, which opened in 1871. It was reorganized as the Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad in 1880, and leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1887. Following partial abandonments by the New Haven Railroad and successor Penn Central Transportation Company between 1968 and 1972, the line south of Middletown was revived as the Valley Railroad, a heritage railroad, while the portion in Middletown and northward saw operation by several freight railroads. As of 2022, the Providence and Worcester Railroad and Connecticut Southern Railroad both operate portions of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackstone station</span>

Blackstone station was a railroad station in Blackstone, Massachusetts. Opened in 1847, it was a stop for Providence–Worcester service until 1960, and Boston commuter service until 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Hill Yard</span> Railway yard in New Haven, Connecticut, US

Cedar Hill Yard is a classification yard located in New Haven, North Haven and Hamden, Connecticut, United States. It was built by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the early 1890s in and around New Haven's Cedar Hill neighborhood, which gave the yard its name. Electrical catenary for electric locomotives was added to the yard in 1915. To handle increasing traffic as a result of World War I, the yard was greatly expanded between 1917 and 1920 with additional construction along both sides of the Quinnipiac River. The construction project added two humps where railroad cars were sorted into trains by gravity. The yard was further modernized in the 1920s, becoming one of the busiest railroad yards in the United States, and the most important yard in the entire New Haven Railroad system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railroads in New England</span> History of rail transportation in the New England region

Railroads have played an important role in New England ever since the Granite Railway, America's first commercial railway, began operations in Massachusetts in 1826. As industrialization spread across the region, hundreds of railroads were built throughout the 19th century. Railroad mileage peaked around World War I, and from that point on mileage began to shrink. Despite this, railroads continue to be important for freight and passenger transportation in the region, with the New Haven Line holding the title of busiest railroad line in the entire United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Central Railroad (1871)</span> Defunct railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts

The Connecticut Central Railroad was a railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts, which connected East Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1871, it was built between 1874 and 1876, and operated independently until being leased by the New York and New England Railroad in 1880. In the 21st century, the line remains in service between East Hartford and Scantic, Connecticut, and out of service to the Massachusetts state line, beyond which it has been abandoned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southbridge Branch (New England)</span> Railway line in Connecticut and Massachusetts

The Southbridge Branch was a railway line in Connecticut and Massachusetts, United States. It ran 16.9 miles (27.2 km) between Southbridge, Massachusetts and East Thompson, Connecticut, via Webster, Massachusetts. Originally planned to be part of the Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad, it was ultimately built in 1866–67 by the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad. It became part of the New York and New England Railroad in 1875, and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1898. Passenger service ended in 1930, and the eastern portion of the line was abandoned in 1937. The western half continued to be used for freight service; it passed to Penn Central in 1969, and to the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) in 1976 as the Southbridge Running Track. The P&W stopped serving the line in the 1980s, but did not abandon it until 2004. Much of the western half of the line in Massachusetts has been converted to the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail.

References

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Norwich and Worcester Railroad at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.