Charlestown Branch Railroad

Fitchburg Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	March 3, 1842 (1842-03-03)
Fate	Leased by Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Northern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
Products	Rail transportation (passenger and freight)

The Fitchburg Railroad played a significant role in establishing a rail connection across northern Massachusetts, including passage through the Hoosac Tunnel. In 1900, it was leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad, and its primary route from Boston to Fitchburg currently functions as the MBTA Fitchburg Line. Other sections of the line are used for freight operations, which are handled by Pan Am Railways.

Early history

The Charlestown Branch Railroad was chartered on April 4, 1835, to serve as a brief spur linking the Boston and Lowell Railroad near Lechemere Point in Cambridge with the Charlestown waterfront at Swett's Wharf, close to the Charlestown Navy Yard. This line commenced operations in January 1840, initially utilizing horse-drawn railcars.

The Fitchburg Railroad was established on March 3, 1842, with the objective of connecting Boston and Fitchburg. After securing property adjacent to the Charlestown Branch in May 1843, construction began on May 20. The first segment reached Waltham by December 20, 1843. The line extended further to Concord on June 17, 1844; Acton on October 1, 1844; Shirley by December 30, 1844; and finally Fitchburg on March 5, 1845. The Fitchburg Railroad leased the Charlestown Branch starting September 1, 1845, and completed its acquisition by January 31, 1846.

Initially ending southwest of City Square, Charlestown, the railroad was redirected in 1848 to cross a new Charles River bridge leading to a terminal located on Causeway Street in downtown Boston. This terminal was eventually replaced by North Union Station in 1893.

In 1886, a third track was installed between Waltham and Roberts. On July 1, 1900, the Boston and Maine Railroad secured a 99-year lease of the Fitchburg Railroad, incorporating it as its Fitchburg Division.

Grade crossing eliminations

Several level crossings were present in Somerville along the railroad’s original route. The diamond crossing with the Boston and Lowell Railroad was substituted with the Lowell elevated "Red Bridge" in 1857. Washington Street and Prospect Street were elevated via bridges during the late 19th century; meanwhile, pedestrian subways were constructed beneath Sacramento Street and Kane Street in the 1890s. Efforts to remove the remaining eleven grade crossings in Somerville—including five located on the Fitchburg mainline—were initiated around 1900.

A plan proposed in 1906 to elevate approximately 1.8 miles of track between Beacon Street and Somerville Avenue to eliminate five grade crossings was ultimately not implemented. The Fitchburg Route’s Somerville Avenue crossing—alongside the neighboring Grand Junction Branch—was replaced by a road bridge constructed between 1908 and 1909. Webster Street followed with a bridge in 1911. The Dane Street road bridge and Medford Street underpass were completed early in 1913, leaving only the Park Street crossing as a remaining grade crossing.

Additional grade crossing removals took place across Massachusetts during the 1930s; on the Fitchburg Route these included Boston Post Road (Route 20) at Stony Brook in 1930, Beaver Brook in 1936, Mohawk Trail at Littleton in 1932, and Leominster–Shirley Road around 1936. In 1935, Somerville petitioned for a grade separation at Park Street through a Works Progress Administration initiative; however, this project was never realized, resulting in ongoing collisions at that location. In 1952, track lowering through Waverley Square eliminated two additional grade crossings.

Service Reductions

On January 19, 1958, operations were curtailed from Troy to Williamstown. The Cheshire Branch along with the Maynard–South Acton route ceased operations on May 18 as part of broad system reductions. By December 30, 1958, service westward from Greenfield was terminated, discontinuing stops at Williamstown, North Adams, Hoosac Tunnel, Zoar, Charlemont, and Shelburne Falls. Another set of cuts on June 14, 1959, eliminated seven stations between Greenfield and Fitchburg, including Stony Brook. The four daily round trips extending west of Fitchburg ended on April 23, 1960, halting service to Greenfield, Millers Falls, Athol, Orange, and Gardner.

Service was reduced to West Concord on January 18, 1965, but reinstated up to Ayer on June 28 of the same year. On March 1, 1975, the line was cut back further to South Acton. The MBTA acquired the Boston-to-Fitchburg segment from B&M on December 27, 1976. Service to Fitchburg and Gardner resumed on January 13, 1980; however, Gardner service ended on January 1, 1987 when Amtrak assumed the MBTA contract during a dispute with Guilford as MBTA's ownership extended only to Fitchburg. In 2016, the line was extended to include Wachusett station.

Guilford Transportation took over the former B&M in June 1983. The section of the Fitchburg Line west of the former Stony Brook Railroad now forms a portion of Pan Am Railways' main corridor connecting Mattawamkeag in Maine with Mechanicville in New York.

Harvard

The Harvard Branch Railroad, established in 1849, branched off from the Fitchburg line in Somerville heading towards Harvard Square. This branch was never leased or owned by Fitchburg and ceased operations in 1855 due to poor performance.

Lexington

Chartered in 1845 and commencing service in 1846, the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad diverged from Fitchburg near North Cambridge towards Lexington. Fitchburg managed it from inception and leased it between 1847 and 1859. It reorganized as the Lexington and Arlington Railroad in 1868 before being acquired by the Boston and Lowell Railroad in 1870. Passenger services ended following a blizzard in 1977; freight operations stopped in 1981. The line was abandoned in 1991 and transformed into the Minuteman Commuter Bike Trail.

Watertown

Incorporated in 1847 and soon absorbed by Fitchburg, the Watertown Branch Railroad connected Cambridge through Watertown to Waltham, opening in 1851 as a significant passenger route and one of the few branches with double tracks. Passenger service terminated in 1938; by 1960 middle portions were abandoned effectively splitting the branch. The western segment was largely abandoned by 2000; the eastern portion served Newly Weds Foods until early 2008. Presently, the entire branch is either out of service or abandoned with sections converted into the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway rail trail.

Marlborough

The Lancaster and Sterling Railroad, founded in 1846 and immediately merged with Fitchburg, extended southwest from South Acton to Hudson, opening in 1850. The Marlborough Branch Railroad, incorporated in 1852 and leased by Fitchburg in 1853, pushed the line further to Marlborough by 1855. South Acton evolved into an important junction featuring servicing facilities. Passenger traffic from Marlborough ended in 1932; segments between Maynard and Hudson were abandoned by 1943. The Hudson-Marlborough section saw its final passenger trains via the Central Massachusetts Railroad in 1939 and continued MBTA-supported service until 1965 before full abandonment by 1980. Passenger service to Maynard through South Acton stopped in 1958 with official abandonment occurring in 1979. This corridor has been repurposed as the Assabet River Rail Trail.

Peterborough and Shirley

Established in 1845, the Peterborough and Shirley Railroad began operations as a branch line from Fitchburg in Ayer to West Townsend by 1848, further extending to Mason, New Hampshire by 1850. The Fitchburg Railroad initially leased this line in 1847, fully acquiring it by 1860, and subsequently expanded the route to Greenville, New Hampshire by 1876.

In 2020, the Squannacook River Rail Trail—a 3.7-mile pathway running between Townsend and the Bertoxxi Wildlife Management Area—was inaugurated. That July, state funding amounting to $100,000 was granted for track removal and trail paving, with further financial support provided in 2022 to facilitate construction of a 0.6-mile segment in Groton.

Milford

The Brookline and Milford Railroad, incorporated in 1892 to connect Squannacook Junction northward to the Wilton Railroad in Milford, New Hampshire, was integrated into the Fitchburg Railroad system by 1895.

Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad

Chartered in 1844, the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad promptly merged with Vermont’s Brattleborough and Fitchburg Railroad. Its initial segment from Fitchburg to Baldwinville opened in 1847 under Fitchburg’s operation until 1849. By 1848, the line extended to Athol and Miller's Falls; it reached Brattleboro, Vermont in 1850, alongside a branch from Grout's Corner to Greenfield established that same year. Around 1870, a short spur to Turner's Falls was added.

The original northern mainline beyond Miller's Falls was leased in 1870 to the Rutland Railroad, which subsequently leased itself to the Vermont Central Railroad (later known as the Central Vermont Railroad). Additionally, the New London Northern Railroad connected southward from Miller's Falls in 1867 and was also leased by Vermont Central.

In 1874, Fitchburg secured a lease on the remaining portions of the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad, thereby extending its western access through Greenfield via the Troy and Greenfield Railroad.

Ashburnham

The Ashburnham Railroad, chartered in 1871 and operational from South Ashburnham to Ashburnham, Massachusetts starting in 1874, became part of Fitchburg’s holdings in 1885.

Turners Falls

The Turners Falls Branch, which connected the main line at Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls, commenced service in 1871.

Cheshire

Formed in New Hampshire in 1844, the Cheshire Railroad merged with Massachusetts’ Winchendon Railroad in 1845. The route between South Ashburnham and Winchendon opened in 1847 and extended to Troy, New Hampshire within that year. By 1849, expansions reached Keene, New Hampshire and Bellows Falls, Vermont, establishing a connection between the Fitchburg Railroad and the Vermont Central Railroad.

Absorbed into Fitchburg as the Cheshire Branch in 1890, passenger operations ceased by 1958. The line was gradually abandoned over time: northern segments closed by 1970 with remaining sections discontinued by 1984.

Monadnock

Incorporated in 1848, the Monadnock Railroad launched service from Winchendon to Jaffrey, New Hampshire in 1870 and extended further to Peterborough a year later. The Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad leased Monadnock starting in 1874 but transferred this lease to Cheshire in 1880 to avoid Boston and Albany control. Fitchburg assumed control of Monadnock by 1890.

Boston, Barre and Gardner

The Barre and Worcester Railroad, originally chartered in 1847 and later reorganized as the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad in 1857, commenced service between Barber (utilizing trackage rights to connect with Worcester) and Gardner in 1871. By 1874, the route was extended to reach Winchendon.

Following the lease of the Monadnock Railroad in 1874, which was subsequently transferred to Cheshire in 1880, the BB&G was absorbed into the Fitchburg system in 1885.

Troy and Greenfield

Chartered in 1848, the Troy and Greenfield Railroad intended to establish a line from the Vermont border at Williamstown eastward through the Hoosac Tunnel to Greenfield. The railroad reached North Adams by 1859, with the tunnel itself opening in 1875. The Troy and Boston Railroad held a lease on T&G before its incorporation into Fitchburg in 1887.

The Southern Vermont Railroad, created to link T&G across southwestern Vermont to New York, began operations in 1859. Initially leased by Troy and Boston Railroad, it was acquired by T&G in 1860 and later purchased by Fitchburg in 1891.

The Troy and Boston Railroad expanded westward to Troy, New York and merged into Fitchburg in 1887. Established in 1851, the Troy and Bennington Railroad operated a branch toward Bennington, Vermont; it opened in 1852 and connected with the Western Vermont Railroad (which Troy and Boston leased until it reorganized as Bennington and Rutland Railway in 1865).

Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western

Operations of the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western Railway began in 1879 between the Massachusetts state line and Mechanicville, New York, running parallel eastward from Johnsonville alongside the Troy and Boston line. By 1884, it had extended westward to Rotterdam Junction. Fitchburg Railroad acquired controlling stock interest by 1887 and completed full ownership by 1892. Plans for further expansion to Buffalo and Oswego were ultimately pursued by the West Shore Railroad instead.

Chartered in 1880, both the Hoosac Tunnel and Saratoga Railway and Saratoga Lake Railway were leased by BHT&W in 1882; these were consolidated into the Troy, Saratoga and Northern Railroad by 1886. This route connected Mechanicville northward and westward to Saratoga Springs with a branch line serving Schuylerville. The Fitchburg Railroad leased this combined line starting in 1887.

Station and junction listing

Below is a table outlining stations and junctions along the original Fitchburg Railroad route from Boston to Fitchburg. Minor relocations of stations are not included here. A current station directory is maintained separately.

Miles	City	Station	Connections and notes
0.0	Boston	North Station
0.6		Charlestown	Flag stop following closure of original terminal in 1848
0.7		Boston Engine Terminal	Employee-only flag stop
1.4	Somerville	East Cambridge	Closed late nineteenth century
2.0		Union Square	Closed in 1938
2.6		Somerville	Closed in 1938
3.4	Cambridge		Previously known as North Cambridge and Cambridge
4.1		West Cambridge	Junction for Watertown Branch, Lexington Branch; Central Massachusetts Railroad (1927–1952)
5.5	Belmont	Hills Crossing	Connection with Fitchburg Cutoff
6.4			Originally named Wellington Hill
7.3
8.3	Waltham	Clematis Brook	Junction with Central Massachusetts Railroad; closed in 1978
9.3			Closed in 1978
9.9			Junction with Watertown Branch
10.6		""	"Closed in 1965" "|-" "|11.5"	""	"Originally Roberts" "|-" "|12.2"	"Weston, Massachusetts#Weston"	"Stony Brook"	"Closed in 1959" "|-" "|13.2"	""	"Originally Weston" "|-" "|13.7"	""	"Closed December 2020" "|-" "|14.7"	""	"Closed December 2020" "|-" "|16.7"	"Lincoln, Massachusetts#Lincoln"	""	"Originally South Lincoln" "|-" "|17.8"	"Baker Bridge station"	"" "|-" "|18.7"	"Concord, Massachusetts#Concord"	"Walden Pond"	"Served a late nineteenth-century amusement park." "|-" "|20.1"	""	"" "|-" "|21.9"	""	"Junction with Framingham and Lowell Railroad." "|-" "|25.3"	"Acton, Massachusetts#Acton"	""	"Junction with Marlborough Branch." "|-" "|26.8"	""	"Closed in 1975." "|-" "|28.9"	"Boxborough, Massachusetts#Boxborough"	"Boxboro station"	" " "|-" "|30.1"	"Littleton, Massachusetts#Littleton"	""	"|-" "|31.5 "	" "	'Closed in 1975." "|- " "|33.5 "	'Ayer, Massachusetts#Ayer'		'Junction with Stony Brook Branch after 1946; closed in 1961' '|- ' ' |36.1 '		'Junction with Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad and Peterborough and Shirley Railroad; Stony Brook Branch junction until 1946.' '|- ' ' |39.2 '		'|- ' ' |42.1 '	'Lunenburg, Massachusetts#Lunenburg'	'Lunenburg station' ' ' '|- ' ' |45.2 '	'Leominster, Massachusetts#Leominster'	' ' '|- ' ' |49.5 '	'Fitchburg, Massachusetts#Fitchburg'		'Junction with Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad' '|- ' '}' See also References