177:
63:
243:
Paper mills along the line between Ayer and Hollis kept the train moving north of Ayer
Junction until 1981 when the B&M stopped all service. In 1982, the line north of Ayer Junction was abandoned and the tracks removed two years later. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts acquired this portion of
160:
By 1901, the B&M found they had three parallel lines between
Massachusetts and Maine, due to the various mergers and leasings. There was enough business for all three lines during the first decade and a half of the new century, but by 1915, passenger service was rerouted down the
260:
on the line to allow for future passenger service. After acquiring Pan Am in 2022, CSX rebuilt the line to allow 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) between
Worcester and Clinton, and 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) between Clinton and Harvard.
251:
The W&N still survives between Ayer and
Worcester, operated by CSX whereby it is now designated as that railroad's New England Division, Worcester Sub-Division. The line sees daily through-freight usage. In 2011, the
124:
was formed in 1847, extending a railway line to
Rochester, New Hampshire, on the Maine border. The Worcester and Nashua (W&N) leased the Nashua and Rochester (N&R) in 1874, and the two companies merged into the
1230:
1074:
113:) in July 1848 and to Nashua in December. The line opened up New Hampshire to southern and western New England and plans were made to connect the line with southern
1286:
1185:
1099:
1059:
1306:
1311:
184:
The B&M began the process of abandoning portions of the WN&P division in 1932 when two large sections were discontinued from
1296:
1291:
303:
1178:
134:
207:, to a point one mile from Union Station in Nashua. Later that year, the line was wiped out from Union Station across the
1171:
1238:
1154:
1135:
419:
1301:
146:
166:
248:. The one mile of track between Union Station in Nashua and an industrial park was abandoned finally in 1993.
153:
in
Portland, and was completed to Rochester in 1871. The three lines were tied together by the B&M as its
1254:
176:
133:
leased the line in 1886. This acquisition also included the continuation from
Rochester to Portland, via the
1194:
378:
236:
system. Today only portions of the line in
Westbrook and Portland still see traffic, being serviced by the
853:
230:
1246:
1222:
170:
79:
105:
was organized in 1845 to link
Worcester to the growing mill city of Nashua. The line opened as far as
66:
Boston & Maine
Railroad timetable for the Worcester, Nashua & Portland Division, October, 1900
764:
237:
130:
781:
677:
553:
459:
298:
83:
47:
31:
1060:"MassDOT Board Approves Agreement to Build New Lechmere Station, Crucial to Green Line Extension"
408:
245:
106:
1075:"A year after acquisition, CSX continues making improvements to former Pan Am Railways trackage"
713:
694:
631:
488:
429:
189:
730:
614:
573:
536:
204:
193:
185:
165:
line, and freight service had dropped off as well. By 1930, the construction of a new wye in
43:
660:
197:
162:
87:
8:
1163:
517:
150:
110:
51:
229:, which also operated trackage between Springvale and Sanford that was once part of the
1262:
747:
223:
1150:
1131:
1124:
215:
1206:
972:
880:
219:
91:
1001:
257:
208:
35:
842:
825:
1280:
955:
926:
909:
863:
699:
138:
71:
39:
522:
142:
70:
In 1845, Worcester was becoming an important railroad junction in central
1062:(Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. May 3, 2011.
145:
and was extended in 1853. The York and Cumberland was reorganized as the
95:
1147:
The Rail Lines of Southern New England - A Handbook of Railroad History
233:
54:
railroads (typical of the earliest North American railways) together.
62:
203:
The next abandonment came in 1942 when the line was cut off from
75:
114:
94:. But there was not a rail link with the cities in northern
1100:"Worcester Nashua And Portland Division Main Line Stations"
253:
1193:
244:
the right of way; in 2002 it was officially opened as the
200:. Service between Gonic and Rochester lasted until 1982.
141:, in 1851 under the direction of Maine railroad pioneer
214:
The portion of the line in Maine between Rochester and
1123:
218:was gone in 1952, but the line from Springvale to
30:was a railroad line that was to link the city of
1278:
169:rerouted all freight up the Stony Brook and the
1144:
1121:
439:Connection with Central Massachusetts Railroad
400:Connection with Central Massachusetts Railroad
334:Connection with Worcester and Hillsboro Branch
180:A locomotive of Portland and Rochester Railroad
74:, with numerous rail lines linking the city to
1287:Predecessors of the Boston and Maine Railroad
1179:
1186:
1172:
157:and covered over 147 miles (237 km).
1307:1845 establishments in the United States
1072:
175:
127:Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad
61:
28:Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad
155:Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division
137:which was formed in 1846. It opened to
1279:
1312:Railway companies established in 1845
1167:
13:
420:Fitchburg & Worcester Railroad
222:operated from 1949 to 1961 as the
149:in 1867, with a connection to the
90:, with another line linking it to
14:
1323:
1297:Defunct New Hampshire railroads
1292:Defunct Massachusetts railroads
1073:Stephens, Bill (June 8, 2023).
147:Portland and Rochester Railroad
1215:Worcester, Nashua and Portland
1092:
1066:
1052:
1:
1045:
122:Nashua and Rochester Railroad
103:Worcester and Nashua Railroad
227:Sanford and Eastern Railroad
135:York and Cumberland Railroad
7:
264:
50:, by merging several small
10:
1328:
1126:Lost Railroads New England
821:
569:
294:
171:Nashua and Lowell Railroad
57:
1202:
1195:Boston and Maine Railroad
1104:www.nashuacitystation.org
1038:
1000:
971:
925:
879:
780:
630:
572:
487:
458:
428:
377:
297:
238:Portland Terminal Company
131:Boston and Maine Railroad
1145:Karr, Ronald D. (1995).
1122:Karr, Ronald D. (1994).
173:to reach New Hampshire.
84:Providence, Rhode Island
32:Worcester, Massachusetts
1302:Defunct Maine railroads
1030:Portland Union Station
847:Sanford and Springvale
304:Worcester Union Station
246:Nashua River Rail Trail
190:Fremont, New Hampshire
181:
67:
1149:. Branch Line Press.
1130:. Branch Line Press.
602:Nashua Union Station
205:Hollis, New Hampshire
179:
65:
1255:Concord and Montreal
198:Gonic, New Hampshire
88:Norwich, Connecticut
854:Atlantic Shore Line
590:Nashua Main Street
231:Atlantic Shore Line
151:Grand Trunk Railway
413:Sterling Junction
182:
68:
1274:
1273:
1247:Connecticut River
1223:Boston and Lowell
1043:
1042:
1006:Deering Junction
989:Cumberland Mills
434:Clinton Junction
34:, to the city of
16:American railroad
1319:
1267:
1259:
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1235:
1227:
1219:
1211:
1188:
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1113:
1111:
1110:
1096:
1090:
1089:
1087:
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1070:
1064:
1063:
1056:
418:Connection with
269:
268:
167:North Chelmsford
92:Albany, New York
1327:
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1093:
1083:
1081:
1071:
1067:
1058:
1057:
1053:
1048:
317:Lincoln Square
267:
258:trackage rights
209:Merrimack River
107:Groton Junction
60:
36:Portland, Maine
24:
23:
22:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1325:
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888:
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852:Connection to
850:
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813:
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383:West Boylston
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20:
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9:
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1156:0-942147-02-2
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1137:0-942147-04-9
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438:
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431:
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417:
415:
412:
410:
407:
404:
403:
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397:
394:
391:
390:
387:
385:
382:
380:
379:West Boylston
374:
373:
370:
368:
365:
362:
361:
358:
356:
353:
350:
349:
346:
344:
341:
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309:
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195:
191:
187:
178:
174:
172:
168:
164:
158:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
139:Gorham, Maine
136:
132:
129:in 1883. The
128:
123:
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
72:Massachusetts
64:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
40:New Hampshire
37:
33:
29:
1214:
1197:subsidiaries
1146:
1125:
1107:. Retrieved
1103:
1094:
1082:. Retrieved
1078:
1068:
1054:
493:Still River
278:Town / City
250:
242:
226:
213:
202:
183:
159:
154:
143:John A. Poor
126:
121:
119:
102:
100:
69:
27:
25:
810:Rindgemere
786:West Gonic
769:Barrington
211:to Hudson.
192:, and from
163:Stony Brook
96:New England
80:Springfield
1281:Categories
1231:Passumpsic
1109:2020-07-14
1046:References
1018:Woodfords
977:Westbrook
931:Bar Mills
885:Waterboro
798:Rochester
765:Barrington
682:Hampstead
558:Pepperell
476:Lancaster
342:Greendale
234:interurban
216:Springvale
42:cities of
38:, via the
1263:Fitchburg
973:Westbrook
914:Bradbury
881:Waterboro
830:Eastwood
782:Rochester
678:Hampstead
636:Anderson
554:Pepperell
460:Lancaster
299:Worcester
284:Location
272:Milepost
256:acquired
224:shortline
220:Westbrook
52:shortline
48:Rochester
1239:Northern
1002:Portland
897:Wescott
718:Fremont
665:Hubbard
648:Windham
505:Harvard
447:Clinton
409:Sterling
395:Oakdale
354:Bradley
281:Station
265:Stations
1207:Eastern
1084:June 9,
1039:Source
1027:147.00
1015:145.45
998:144.38
986:141.31
969:140.40
960:Gorham
952:136.63
943:Buxton
940:131.56
923:129.09
906:126.94
894:121.86
877:118.79
868:Alfred
860:114.46
843:Sanford
839:110.58
826:Lebanon
819:103.78
735:Epping
714:Fremont
700:Sandown
695:Sandown
632:Windham
619:Hudson
578:Hollis
541:Groton
489:Harvard
464:Thayer
430:Clinton
366:Summit
329:Barber
58:History
1266:(1900)
1258:(1895)
1250:(1893)
1242:(1890)
1234:(1887)
1226:(1887)
1218:(1886)
1210:(1883)
1153:
1134:
1079:Trains
956:Gorham
927:Buxton
910:Hollis
864:Alfred
807:96.88
795:94.31
778:92.18
761:87.68
744:79.21
731:Epping
727:74.03
710:69.59
691:64.64
674:61.85
657:59.97
645:56.00
628:52.05
615:Hudson
611:48.28
599:45.86
587:45.16
574:Nashua
567:39.69
550:36.18
537:Groton
533:31.54
514:28.01
502:25.39
485:23.19
473:19.19
456:18.09
444:16.76
426:14.93
405:11.90
392:10.16
287:Notes
275:State
194:Epping
186:Hudson
86:, and
76:Boston
44:Nashua
661:Derry
375:8.76
363:4.61
351:4.21
339:3.52
326:2.92
314:0.76
292:0.00
115:Maine
109:(now
1151:ISBN
1132:ISBN
1086:2023
752:Lee
523:Ayer
518:Ayer
254:MBTA
120:The
111:Ayer
101:The
46:and
26:The
822:ME
748:Lee
570:NH
295:MA
196:to
188:to
21:Map
1283::
1102:.
1077:.
240:.
117:.
98:.
82:,
78:,
1187:e
1180:t
1173:v
1159:.
1140:.
1112:.
1088:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
