Andover and Haverhill Railroad

Boston and Maine Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1835
Defunct	1983 (integrated into Pan Am Railways)
Fate	Integrated into Pan Am Railways system in 1983; mostly acquired by CSX in 2022
Headquarters	Boston , United States
Area served	Northern New England, United States
Products	Freight and passenger rail transport
Parent	Pan Am Railways (from 1983)

The Boston and Maine Railroad (; often abbreviated as Boston & Maine or B&M) was a prominent U.S. Class I railroad that primarily served northern New England. Established in 1835, it eventually became integrated into the Pan Am Railways system in 1983, which was subsequently mostly acquired by CSX in 2022.

By the year 1970, B&M managed of route spanning over of track (not counting Springfield Terminal). That same year, it reported revenue freight totaling and .

History

The Andover and Wilmington Railroad was chartered on March 15, 1833, with the purpose of constructing a branch line from the Boston and Lowell Railroad at Wilmington, Massachusetts heading north to Andover, Massachusetts, which commenced operations on August 8, 1836. It was renamed the Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, later extending its reach to Haverhill, Massachusetts within that year. On April 3, 1839, it became known as the Boston and Portland Railroad and had reached the New Hampshire border by 1840.

The Boston and Maine Railroad received its charter in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835. Meanwhile, the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was established on March 12, 1839, in Maine, both working towards extending the line to South Berwick, Maine. By 1840, the railroad had arrived at Exeter, New Hampshire. These companies united with the Boston and Portland on January 1, 1842, to form the new Boston and Maine Railroad.

B&M extended service to Agamenticus on the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad line in South Berwick on February 23, 1843. Earlier that January, B&M and the Eastern Railroad reached an agreement to jointly lease the PS&P as a route to Portland.

Following a dispute over trackage rights fees with the Boston and Lowell Railroad, the Boston and Maine Railroad Extension was incorporated on March 16, 1844. This extension merged into B&M by March 1845 and opened on July 1 of that year, permitting abandonment of the original connection to B&L. In 1848, a new route from Wilmington to North Andover, Massachusetts was constructed to better serve Lawrence, Massachusetts, replacing an earlier segment.

In 1873, a newly built alignment from South Berwick to Portland was inaugurated, completing what became known as B&M's "main line," later referred to as the Western Route Main Line.

Acquisitions

Throughout its growth phase, B&M absorbed several former competitors including:

Eastern

On March 28, 1883, boards of both B&M and the Eastern Railroad Company agreed to lease Eastern Railroad to B&M; however, formal contract signing occurred only on December 2, 1884. Subsequently, on May 9, 1890, B&M acquired Eastern Railroad outright. This purchase secured an additional route to Maine and eliminated direct rivalry between Boston and Portland. Alongside Eastern Railroad came multiple branch lines such as the Conway Branch, Saugus Branch, South Reading Branch, plus branches serving Marblehead and Rockport.

Worcester, Nashua and Portland

The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was established in 1845 and began operations in 1848 between Worcester and Nashua, New Hampshire. The Nashua and Rochester Railroad was founded in 1847 to extend this line to Rochester. The W&N leased N&R in 1874 before merging into the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883. Boston and Maine leased this railroad starting January 1, 1886. This acquisition included the stretch from Rochester to Portland, originally constructed by the York and Cumberland Railroad, incorporated in 1846. After reorganization as the Portland and Rochester Railroad in 1867, it was fully operational by 1871 and worked jointly with the Worcester line.

Boston and Lowell

On April 1, 1887, the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) secured a lease agreement with the Boston and Lowell Railroad, significantly broadening its network in the Boston vicinity. This expansion also granted B&M control over several other lines: the Central Massachusetts Railroad extending to Northampton, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad reaching into northern New Hampshire, the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad serving northwestern Vermont, and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad running from White River Junction into Quebec. In 1889, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad was separated and merged with the Concord Railroad to create the Concord and Montreal Railroad. B&M then leased this new entity on April 1, 1895, securing a direct route between Nashua and Concord. Although the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad was leased to the Maine Central Railroad by 1912, ownership remained with B&M. Meanwhile, the Central Massachusetts Railroad and Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (also known as the Passumpsic Division) continued under B&M’s control.

Northern

The Northern Railroad was initially leased by Boston and Lowell in 1884 but operated autonomously until 1890. After Boston and Lowell became part of B&M, this lease was renewed, allowing it to manage several routes extending westward from Concord.

Connecticut River

Effective January 1, 1893, B&M took on a lease for the Connecticut River Railroad, which ran from Springfield, Massachusetts northward along the Connecticut River up to White River Junction, Vermont. This line connected seamlessly with the previously acquired Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad. The lease also encompassed the Ashuelot Railroad, which had been acquired by B&M in 1877.

Concord and Montreal

B&M initially acquired the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1887 but divested it two years later in 1889 to facilitate its merger with the Concord Railroad, forming the Concord and Montreal Railroad. Despite underperformance, B&M leased this company beginning April 1, 1895, thereby consolidating its dominance over most rail lines within New Hampshire.

Fitchburg

On July 1, 1900, B&M entered into a lease agreement for the Fitchburg Railroad, which primarily operated a main line stretching west from Boston through the Hoosac Tunnel to Albany, New York, along with various branch lines. Subsequently, on December 1, 1919, B&M completed a full purchase of the Fitchburg Railroad.

At one stage, B&M held a controlling interest in the Maine Central Railroad, which extended from Quebec through northern New Hampshire down to southern and eastern regions of Maine.

20th century

During the late 19th century and early decades of the 20th century, B&M prospered as it served New England’s thriving mill towns; however, financial difficulties emerged over time. Around 1910, control briefly shifted to financier J. P. Morgan and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, but subsequent antitrust measures restored B&M’s autonomy. The company faced substantial debt burdens due to infrastructure investments and its acquisition of the Fitchburg Railroad, prompting corporate restructuring in 1919.

Beginning in the 1930s, freight traffic steadily declined as regional manufacturing stagnated and competition from trucking intensified. In 1925 alone, B&M reported carrying 2,956 million net ton-miles of freight alongside 740 million passenger-miles across 2,291 route-miles (excluding certain subsidiaries).

Among its notable passenger services were trains such as the Alouette, Ambassador, Cheshire, Day White Mountains, East Wind, Green Mountain Flyer, Gull, Kennebec, Minute Man, Montrealer/Washingtonian, Mountaineer, Pine Tree, Red Wing, and State of Maine. Despite marketing initiatives such as the Timetable Marble radio advertisement campaign, increasing automobile ownership steadily diminished passenger revenues.

Passenger service reductions

Passenger numbers around Boston reached their highest point in 1920 but began to fall as automobiles gained popularity and World War I necessitated service cutbacks. During the mid-1920s, less profitable lines were discontinued, while self-propelled railcars were introduced to improve efficiency. The Great Depression led to additional service eliminations between 1931 and 1936. Although World War II temporarily increased ridership, the subsequent postwar decline, while slower than that of other railroads, remained substantial. To lower operating expenses, Budd Rail Diesel Cars were brought into service in the early 1950s.

Throughout the 1950s, key intercity routes gradually disappeared: service on the Eastern Route from Portland to Portsmouth ended in September 1952; the New York–Montreal Green Mountain Flyer/Mount Royal ceased operation in 1953 following the Rutland Railroad’s passenger termination; the northern Boston–Wells River line was discontinued in 1954; Concord–Claremont Junction service ended in 1955; the Boston segment of the Ambassador was scaled back in 1956; and Fitchburg mainline service was curtailed by the late 1950s.

By 1958, B&M faced financial losses and responded with aggressive passenger service cuts. On May 18 of that year, reductions affected commuter lines including the Maynard Branch, Saugus Branch, Essex Branch, Stoneham Branch, and parts of the Central Mass Branch. Numerous stations serving inner suburbs were closed. Intercity routes to Bellows Falls and Brattleboro were also eliminated. Additional cutbacks continued into the early 1960s, with significant discontinuations such as the final New York City–Maine through trains like the State of Maine Express and Gull. By 1962, B&M petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) for permission to terminate most remaining passenger operations.

In response to these declines, public interest in maintaining commuter rail services increased. Between January 1963 and March 1964, Massachusetts experimented with fare subsidies and service adjustments. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was created on August 3, 1964, to provide financial support for suburban commuter rail. Agreements with B&M allowed subsidies within roughly of Boston’s metropolitan area, while municipalities outside this zone could also fund services independently.

After receiving ICC approval, nearly all interstate passenger services ended on January 4, 1965—including Concord–Laconia and Montreal routes via White River Junction—although limited Boston–Concord trips were retained. Service on the Western Route to Portland and Eastern Route to Portsmouth ceased entirely, with only a few trips maintained on certain lines. Additional cuts on January 18 reduced commuter routes within the MBTA district boundaries; some communities beyond these limits later chose to subsidize extensions.

The Montrealer was discontinued in September 1966, alongside local Connecticut River Line service that same year. Remaining single daily round-trips gradually ended between 1971 and 1977, though some were later reinstated through local funding efforts. On December 27, 1976, MBTA acquired B&M’s commuter equipment along with much of the trackage north of Boston. In March 1977, B&M secured contracts to operate southside commuter lines formerly owned by New Haven and Boston & Albany Railroads—resulting in unified management of Boston’s commuter rail system until 1987.

The final B&M passenger route—the Woburn Branch—was closed on January 30, 1981 due to deteriorating track conditions. Under public ownership, several previously discontinued lines resumed operations; intercity service to Portland returned with Amtrak’s Downeaster launch in 2001.

Revitalization

In December 1970, B&M filed for bankruptcy and utilized this interval to restructure by refurbishing locomotives, leasing newer equipment, and obtaining capital for improvements to tracks and signaling systems. The company faced financial hardships throughout the 1970s, coming close to dissolution during 1973–74. Despite receiving an offer to merge into Conrail in 1976, B&M chose not to proceed.

By 1980, the railroad began to rebound through vigorous marketing efforts and the acquisition of branch lines within Connecticut. Increased coal shipments and piggyback service expansions also played a role in this recovery. The purchase of B&M by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries in 1983 for $24 million marked the conclusion of the Boston & Maine corporate identity and initiated significant transformations, including labor conflicts during 1986–87 and major cost reductions such as the closure of the Mechanicville, New York rail yard in 1990.

21st century

In 2006, Guilford Rail System was renamed Pan Am Railways (PAR). Up until its acquisition by CSX Transportation on June 1, 2022, Boston & Maine Corporation functioned as a non-operating entity holding property assets and employing railroad police, while its subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway handled train operations and maintenance to better control labor expenses. Following the acquisition, CSX became the owner of Pan Am Railways and its subsidiaries.

In April 2009, Pan Am established a joint venture with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) called Pan Am Southern (PAS). PAR contributed 155 miles of mainline track stretching from Mechanicville, New York, to Ayer, Massachusetts—including key infrastructure such as the Hoosac Tunnel and Fitchburg line—along with 281 miles of secondary lines and trackage rights across five states. Norfolk Southern invested $140 million in cash and assets, allocating $87.5 million specifically for capital enhancements on the Patriot Corridor, including terminal expansions and track improvements. Springfield Terminal is responsible for providing all railroad services for PAS.

Service at B&M’s former Mechanicville yard was reinstated in January 2012 as an intermodal and automotive terminal operating under PAS.

Accidents

Throughout its history, numerous notable accidents involved Boston & Maine equipment unless specified otherwise.

On November 26, 1905, an express train collided from behind with a local passenger train in Lincoln, Massachusetts, resulting in the deaths of 15 passengers and two employees.

On October 4, 1906, a military special train rear-ended a stationary passenger train at Lansingburgh, New York, causing five immediate fatalities and one additional death later in hospital.

Near Canaan, New Hampshire on September 15, 1907, a southbound Quebec-to-Boston express collided head-on with a northbound freight train; this disaster led to 26 fatalities and 17 severe injuries due to a dispatch communication error.

On October 2, 1907, at Barber’s Crossing in Worcester, Massachusetts, a passenger train and freight train crashed head-on; multiple passengers and crew members were injured when the passenger train engineer ignored a block signal.

Two freight trains collided head-on south of Haverhill, New Hampshire on March 20, 1908, resulting in four crew deaths.

On September 21, 1909 near Pattee station in West Canaan, the Montreal Express rear-ended the Quebec Express. While no passengers died, two crew members and a trespasser lost their lives because of insufficient warnings from the Quebec Express.

A passenger train was rear-ended by a freight train on September 10, 1918 in Dummerston, Vermont, killing three passengers and injuring twenty-five others.

On August 19, 1949, a switching mistake at Canaan caused northbound and southbound editions of the Ambassador, running between Boston and Montreal, to collide head-on; there were no fatalities but forty-four injuries were reported.

The Boston-bound Red Wing overturned in Nashua, New Hampshire on November 12, 1954; one woman died and nineteen were injured due to brake failure. This incident was the railroad’s first fatal accident since 1918.

On February 28, 1956 in Swampscott, Massachusetts, a Buddliner collided with a stationary local train from behind causing thirteen deaths.

A Buddliner struck a stalled oil truck owned by Oxbow Transport Corporation at a crossing in Everett, Massachusetts on December 28, 1966; the resulting fire claimed eleven passengers’ lives along with two crew members.

Named passenger trains

The B&M managed numerous named passenger trains, frequently distinguished intercity routes operated in collaboration with railroads including Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), Central Vermont Railway (CV), Maine Central Railroad (MEC), New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NH), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Quebec Central Railway (QC), and Rutland Railroad (RUT). Services originating from New York City or Washington, D.C. passed through Springfield or Worcester, avoiding Boston. Additionally, some commuter trains catering to upscale passengers bore names and continued into the MBTA period. The tables below detail the primary named intercity trains operated by B&M.

Boston trains

Name	#	Destination	Partner railroad(s)	Final B&M station	Year discontinued	Notes
Alouette	5/20	Montreal via Plymouth and Newport	CP	Wells River	1956	After 1954, rerouted through ; unnamed RDC service persisted until 1965.
Ambassador	307/332	Montreal through White River Junction and	CV	White River Junction	1956	New York segment operated until 1966.
Cannon Ball	313/320	Plymouth via Concord	–	–	1959
Cheshire	5505/5506	via Keene	CV	White River Junction	1958
Flying Yankee	15/16	Bangor via , Portland, and Auburn	MEC	Portland	1957
Green Mountain Flyer	64/65	Montreal via Bellows Falls, , and Burlington	RUT	Bellows Falls	1953
Gull	8/23	Halifax via Portland and Vanceboro	CN, CP, MEC	Portland	1960
Kennebec	11/12	Bangor via Dover, Portland, and	MEC	Portland	1958
Minute Man	58/59	Troy via Fitchburg	–	–	1958	Connected onward to Chicago through New York Central Railroad.
Mount Royal	5502/5511	Montreal via Bellows Falls, Rutland, and Burlington	RUT	Bellows Falls	1953
Mountaineer	2909/2924	Littleton via Dover and Conway	MEC	Intervale	1955
New Englander	302/325	Montreal via White River Junction and Essex Junction	CV	White River Junction	1953
Penobscot	22/27	Bangor via Dover, Portland, and Auburn	MEC	Portland	1957
Pine Tree	14/19	Bangor via Dover, Portland, and Brunswick	MEC	Portland	1958
Red Wing	302/325	Montreal via White River Junction and Wells River	CP	Wells River	1959	Exchanged cars with the Connecticut Yankee.
Speed Merchant	4/9	Portland via Dover	–	–	1965

New York/Washington trains via Springfield

Name	#	Destination	Partner railroad(s)	Final B&M station	Year discontinued	Notes
Ambassador	307/332	Montreal through White River Junction and Essex Junction	NH, CV	White River Junction	1966
Connecticut Yankee	74/79	Quebec City via White River Junction and Newport	CP, NH, QC	Wells River	1952	Shared through cars with the Red Wing.
Day White Mountains	72/77	Berlin through Wells River	NH	–	1956
Montrealer/Washingtonian	70/71	Montreal via White River Junction and Essex Junction	NH, CV, PRR	White River Junction	1966
Night White Mountains	71/76	Berlin through Wells River	NH	–	1956
North Wind	75/70	Whitefield or Bretton Woods via White River Junction	NH, CV, MEC	White River Junction	1956	Seasonal summer service.

New York/Washington services through Worcester

Train Name	Number	Endpoint	Collaborating railroads	Last B&M terminal	Year ended	Additional details
Bar Harbor Express	84/85	Bar Harbor (via connecting ferry) passing through REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system , Portland, and Bangor || PRR, NH, MEC || Portland || 1960 || Operated during summer months only.
East Wind	120/121	Bar Harbor (with ferry connection) via Ayer, Portland, and Bangor	PRR, NH, MEC	Portland	1953	Seasonal summer service.
State of Maine	81/82	Bangor traveling through Ayer and Portland	NH, MEC	Portland	1960

Preserved rolling stock

The 1935-built three-car trainset known as the Flying Yankee, which bore resemblance to the streamlined units produced by the Budd Company for the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Pioneer Zephyr, was withdrawn from service in 1957 and exhibited publicly for 36 years. Subsequently acquired by the State of Maine, restoration attempts were unsuccessful. In November 2023, New Hampshire offered it for sale to promote its relocation and refurbishment. By April 2024, ownership transferred to the Flying Yankee Association, which plans to restore and operate the trainset within the Mt. Washington Valley area, potentially utilizing the Conway Scenic Railroad. The trainset was relocated to North Conway where its trucks were reinstalled.

In the northeastern United States, five steam locomotives remain preserved: 0-6-0 number 410 located in Lowell, Massachusetts, 0-6-0 number 444 in Dunkirk, New York, 4-4-0 number 494 at White River Junction station, Vermont; 2-6-0 number 1455 housed at the Danbury Railway Museum, Connecticut; and 4-6-2 number 3713 preserved at Steamtown National Historic Site, Pennsylvania. Moreover, a sixth engine (4-6-2 number 3666) lies submerged in the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Related topics

• Northeast Airlines, established in 1931 originally as Boston-Maine Airways

External links

• Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society
• Official List of Officers, Agents and Stations as of July 1, 1923
• Complete Boston & Maine Pre-Guilford Diesel Roster
• Boston and Maine Annual Reports, Internet Archive; years covered: 1849–1965 (some missing)]