Brattleboro and Fitchburg Railroad

Fitchburg Railroad
Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1842
Fate	Leased to Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Northern Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire
Products	Rail transport services

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Brattleboro and Fitchburg Railroad, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 23 July 2025

The Fitchburg Railroad was a U.S.-based rail company responsible for constructing a route across northern Massachusetts, notably passing through the Hoosac Tunnel. In 1900, it was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad. Today, the main route from Boston to Fitchburg operates as the MBTA Fitchburg Line, while freight services on other sections are managed by Pan Am Railways.

Early history

In 1828, plans emerged for a horse-powered railway connecting Boston to Brattleboro, Vermont, passing through Fitchburg.

The Charlestown Branch Railroad was established on April 4, 1835, as a brief spur from the Boston and Lowell Railroad near Lechemere Point in Cambridge to the Charlestown waterfront at Swett's Wharf, close to the Charlestown Navy Yard. This line commenced operations in January 1840 using horse-drawn carriages.

Incorporated on March 3, 1842, the Fitchburg Railroad aimed to link Boston with Fitchburg. After securing land adjacent to the Charlestown Branch in May 1843, construction started that same month. The initial segment reaching Waltham opened on December 20, 1843, initially run by the Charlestown Branch until May of the following year. Subsequent extensions connected Concord in June 1844, Acton in October 1844, Shirley in December 1844, and finally Fitchburg by March 1845. The Fitchburg Railroad leased the Charlestown Branch in September 1845 and fully acquired it in January 1846.

Originally ending southwest of City Square in Charlestown, the line was redirected over a newly built Charles River bridge in 1848 to reach a Boston terminal on Causeway Street downtown. This terminal was replaced by North Union Station in 1893, which served until the 1920s.

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau voiced doubts about the Fitchburg Railroad near Walden Pond but also examined its environmental effects along its route.

A third track was added between Waltham and Roberts in 1886. On July 1, 1900, the Boston and Maine Railroad leased the Fitchburg for a period of ninety-nine years, incorporating it as their Fitchburg Division.

Grade crossing eliminations

Initially, several level crossings existed within Somerville along the railroad. The diamond crossing with the Boston and Lowell Railroad was replaced by an elevated Lowell line on "Red Bridge" in 1857. Bridges were constructed over Washington Street and Prospect Street during the nineteenth century; pedestrian subways were installed under Sacramento and Kane Streets during the 1890s. Beginning in 1900, efforts commenced to remove the remaining eleven grade crossings in Somerville, including five located on the Fitchburg Route mainline.

A plan proposed in 1906 sought to elevate approximately 1.8 miles of track between Beacon Street and Somerville Avenue to eliminate five level crossings; however, this plan was not implemented. The Somerville Avenue crossing of both the Fitchburg Route and Grand Junction Branch was replaced by a road bridge constructed between 1908 and 1909. Webster Street followed with a bridge completed in 1911. By early 1913, Dane Street had a road bridge and Medford Street an underpass installed, leaving Park Street as the sole remaining grade crossing.

Additional grade crossing removals took place across Massachusetts during the 1930s. These included crossings at Boston Post Road (Route 20) near Stony Brook station in 1930, Beaver Brook in 1936, Mohawk Trail in Littleton in 1932, and Leominster–Shirley Road around 1936. In 1935, Somerville requested construction of a Park Street bridge under a Works Progress Administration initiative; however, this structure was never built and collisions persist at that location. In Waverley Square, tracks were lowered in 1952 to eliminate two more grade crossings.

Service Reductions

On January 19, 1958, train operations were curtailed from Troy to Williamstown. The Cheshire Branch and the Maynard–South Acton routes were discontinued on May 18 as part of widespread system reductions. By December 30, 1958, service west of Greenfield was terminated, resulting in the closure of stations at Williamstown, North Adams, Hoosac Tunnel, Zoar, Charlemont, and Shelburne Falls. A further reduction occurred on June 14, 1959, when seven stations between Greenfield and Fitchburg—Montague, Lake Pleasant, Erving, Royalston, Baldwinville, East Gardner, South Ashburnham—and Stony Brook were eliminated. Subsequently, on April 23, 1960, the four daily round trips west of Fitchburg were discontinued, ending connections to Greenfield, Millers Falls, Athol, Orange, and Gardner.

Service was truncated to West Concord on January 18, 1965; however, it was reinstated to Ayer by June 28 of the same year. Later reductions saw the line cut back to South Acton on March 1, 1975. The MBTA purchased the Boston-to-Fitchburg segment from B&M on December 27, 1976. Service resumed to Fitchburg and extended to Gardner beginning January 13, 1980; nonetheless, Gardner service ceased on January 1, 1987 after Amtrak took over the MBTA contract amid disagreements with Guilford. Ownership by the MBTA remained limited to Fitchburg. In 2016, service was extended once again to Wachusett station.

In June 1983, Guilford Transportation acquired the former B&M Railroad. The section of the Fitchburg Line west of the former Stony Brook Railroad now constitutes part of Pan Am Railways’ primary route running between Mattawamkeag in Maine and Mechanicville in New York.

Harvard

The Harvard Branch Railroad, established in 1849, diverged from the Fitchburg line in Somerville heading toward Harvard Square. This branch was never leased or owned by Fitchburg and ceased operations in 1855 due to insufficient profitability.

Lexington

Chartered in 1845 and commencing service in 1846, the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad branched off near North Cambridge en route to Lexington. Fitchburg managed operations from its inception and leased the line between 1847 and 1859. Renamed as the Lexington and Arlington Railroad in 1868, it was subsequently purchased by the Boston and Lowell Railroad in 1870. Passenger services ended following a severe blizzard in 1977; freight traffic continued until ceasing by 1981. The route was abandoned in 1991 and later transformed into the Minuteman Commuter Bike Trail.

Watertown

Incorporated in 1847 and soon acquired by Fitchburg, the Watertown Branch Railroad connected Cambridge with Watertown and extended to Waltham. Opening in 1851 as a vital passenger corridor and one of the few double-tracked branches in the system, passenger service ended by 1938. The central segment was abandoned in 1960 which divided the branch into two parts. By around 2000 most of the western section was abandoned while the eastern portion served only Newly Weds Foods until early 2007. Today, this branch is entirely out of operation or abandoned with sections converted into the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway rail trail.

Marlborough

The Lancaster and Sterling Railroad, established in 1846 and promptly merged with Fitchburg, stretched southwest from South Acton to Hudson, commencing operations in 1850. The Marlborough Branch Railroad, formed in 1852 and leased by Fitchburg in 1853 (with full acquisition in 1863), extended the line from Hudson to Marlborough. This branch transformed South Acton into a key junction featuring maintenance facilities. Passenger trains on the Marlborough to Maynard segment were discontinued by the mid-1900s; various portions were abandoned between 1943 and 1980. Today, this corridor has been repurposed as the Assabet River Rail Trail.

Peterborough and Shirley

Incorporated in 1845, the Peterborough and Shirley Railroad began service as a branch from Fitchburg’s line at Ayer to West Townsend in 1848, reaching Mason, New Hampshire by 1850. Fitchburg leased it in 1847 and fully acquired it by 1860, subsequently extending the route to Greenville, New Hampshire by 1876.

The Squannacook River Rail Trail—a 3.7-mile path running from Townsend to the Bertoxxi Wildlife Management Area—opened in 2020. In July of that year, the state allocated $100,000 for track removal and paving on the trail’s western section; further funding was secured in 2022 for a 0.6-mile extension through Groton.

Milford

The Brookline and Milford Railroad, incorporated and built in 1892, connected the Peterborough and Shirley at Squannacook Junction northward to the Wilton Railroad in Milford, New Hampshire. This line was merged into the Fitchburg Railroad by 1895.

Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad

Chartered in 1844, the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad simultaneously merged with Vermont’s Brattleborough and Fitchburg Railroad. Its initial segment from Fitchburg to Baldwinville opened in 1847 under Fitchburg’s operation until 1849. Extensions reached Athol and Miller's Falls by 1848 and Brattleboro by 1850, with branches serving Greenfield (via Grout's Corner) and Turner's Falls completed by 1871.

The northern main line beyond Miller's Falls was leased to the Rutland Railroad in 1870; Rutland subsequently leased itself to Vermont Central Railroad (later known as Central Vermont Railroad). The remainder of V&M was leased by Fitchburg Railroad in 1874, facilitating westward expansion toward Greenfield and beyond via the Troy and Greenfield Railroad.

Ashburnham

The Ashburnham Railroad, chartered in 1871 and opened three years later from South Ashburnham on the V&M line to Ashburnham, was purchased by Fitchburg Railroad in 1885.

Turners Falls

The Turners Falls Branch linked the main line at Turners Falls Junction directly to Turners Falls, beginning service in 1871.

Cheshire

Incorporated in New Hampshire in 1844, the Cheshire Railroad merged with Massachusetts’ Winchendon Railroad a year later. It opened various sections between 1847 and 1849, providing a connection between the Fitchburg Railroad and the Vermont Central Railroad through trackage rights. The Cheshire was absorbed into Fitchburg as its Cheshire Branch in 1890; passenger operations ceased in 1958, with abandonment completed by 1984 following multiple regional railroad insolvencies.

Monadnock

Established in 1848, the Monadnock Railroad commenced operations from Winchendon to Peterborough by 1871. Initially leased by the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad in 1874, the lease was transferred to the Cheshire Railroad in 1880 to avoid takeover by Boston and Albany. Control passed to Fitchburg in 1890.

Boston, Barre and Gardner

Originally chartered as the Barre and Worcester Railroad in 1847 and reorganized as the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad in 1857, this line opened between Barber and Gardner by 1871 and extended to Winchendon by 1874. It took on the Monadnock Railroad lease in 1874 but handed it over to Cheshire in 1880. The BB&G was merged into Fitchburg in 1885.

Troy and Greenfield

Incorporated in 1848, the Troy and Greenfield Railroad aimed to build a route from Williamstown, Massachusetts, through the Hoosac Tunnel to Greenfield. The railroad reached North Adams by 1859; the tunnel became operational in 1875. Initially leased by the Troy and Boston Railroad, it was absorbed into Fitchburg by 1887.

The Southern Vermont Railroad, chartered in 1848 to establish a Vermont-to-New York connection, opened in 1859 and was first leased then purchased by Troy and Greenfield. Fitchburg acquired it directly in 1891.

The Troy and Boston Railroad, chartered in 1849, extended westward to Troy, New York, before merging with Fitchburg in 1887. The Troy and Bennington Railroad, formed in 1851 to link Hoosick Junction with Bennington, Vermont, opened in 1852 and connected with the Western Vermont Railroad system.

Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western

The Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway started service in 1879 between the Massachusetts border and Mechanicville, New York, running parallel eastward from Johnsonville alongside the Troy and Boston line. It expanded westward to Rotterdam Junction by 1884. Fitchburg obtained controlling stock interest in 1887 and fully acquired it by 1892. Ambitions for further extension toward Buffalo and Oswego were overtaken by developments involving the West Shore Railroad.

Both the Hoosac Tunnel and Saratoga Railway and the Saratoga Lake Railway were chartered in 1880; these lines were leased by BHT&W in 1882 and merged into the Troy, Saratoga and Northern Railroad by 1886. This railroad stretched from Mechanicville northward and westward to Saratoga Springs, including a branch to Schuylerville. Fitchburg leased this consolidated route starting in 1887.

Station and junction listing

Presented here is a compilation of stations and junctions along the original Fitchburg Railroad corridor between Boston and Fitchburg. Minor station relocations are not included. A current station list is also available for reference.

10.6 11.5 12.2 13.2 13.7 14.7 16.7 17.8 18.7 20.1 21.9 25.3 26.8 28.9 30.1 31.5 33.5 36.1 39.2 42.1 45.2 49.5

Miles

City

Station

Connections and notes

0.0

Boston

North Station

0.6

Charlestown

Flag stop following closure of original Charlestown terminal in 1848

0.7