Eastern Railroad

Eastern Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	April 14, 1836 (1836-04-14)
Defunct	May 9, 1890 (1890-05-09)
Fate	Leased and later purchased by Boston and Maine Railroad
Headquarters	Boston , United States
Area served	Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine

The Eastern Railroad operated a rail connection between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine, competing against the Boston and Maine Railroad until Boston & Maine took over its lease in December 1884. Today, much of the former Massachusetts main line serves the MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line, while some disused stretches have been transformed into rail trails.

Origins and construction

The Eastern Railroad Company of Massachusetts was officially chartered on April 14, 1836, with plans to establish a coastal route linking North Shore communities such as Lynn, Massachusetts, Salem, Massachusetts, Beverly, Massachusetts, and Newburyport, Massachusetts. Its Boston terminus was situated in East Boston, accessible via ferry service, thereby bypassing the complicated harbor navigation required to reach downtown.

Following approval of its route and receipt of state funding, construction commenced in August 1837. The initial section from East Boston to Salem, spanning 13 miles, began operations on August 27, 1838. Subsequent extensions reached Ipswich (12 miles) by December 1839, Newburyport (9 miles) in August 1840, and the New Hampshire border (10 miles) by November 1840. Additional branches were developed to Marblehead (1839), Gloucester (1847), Amesbury (1848), and an extension to Rockport in 1861. The Eastern leased the Essex Branch Railroad in 1846 and fully acquired it by 1865.

In New Hampshire, a separate charter was granted in June 1836 for the line's continuation; construction completed by 1840. This section was leased to the Massachusetts company under a 99-year agreement beginning February 18, 1840.

By 1843, the Eastern had negotiated shared track usage with Boston & Maine on Maine’s Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, allowing both railroads to provide service between Boston and Portland. They jointly leased this line for a 99-year term starting April 28, 1847.

Competition and decline

During the 1850s, the Eastern Railroad encountered difficulties due to its terminal location in East Boston being less convenient compared to competitors. The rival Boston & Maine Railroad had established a downtown Boston terminal north of Haymarket by 1845, which improved its market position significantly.

To enhance connectivity between Eastern’s North Shore routes and Boston & Maine’s city access points, several branch lines were constructed. The South Reading Branch Railroad (1850) linked Salem with Wakefield, while the Saugus Branch Railroad (1853) connected Lynn to Malden. Eastern acquired these lines in 1851 and 1866 respectively as part of its network expansion strategy.

In 1852, Eastern leased the Grand Junction Railroad, which connected East Boston’s waterfront to major railroads including Boston & Maine and Boston & Lowell. This lease enabled Eastern to establish a downtown Boston terminal near what is now North Station, thereby increasing its competitive presence. The company also rerouted the Saugus Branch southward to connect with the Grand Junction in Everett. Although ownership of Grand Junction transferred to the Boston and Worcester Railroad in 1866, Eastern retained essential trackage rights.

Throughout the 1870s, Eastern extended its reach into New Hampshire through long-term leases: the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad for 60 years, the Wolfeborough Railroad for 68 years, and the Portsmouth and Dover Railroad for half a century. Additionally, it leased the Newburyport City Railroad for two decades starting in 1872 and acquired full ownership of the Portland, Saco, and Portsmouth Railroad that same year. The Chelsea Beach Railroad was also leased by Eastern in 1881.

A pivotal change occurred on December 23, 1883, when Boston & Maine secured a lease of Eastern for a period of 54 years; this culminated on May 9, 1890 with Boston & Maine purchasing Eastern outright and dissolving it as an independent entity. The former Eastern assets were absorbed into Boston & Maine’s Portland Division, broadening route options toward Maine and reinforcing service on the North Shore corridor.

In 1893, North Station opened as a consolidated terminal serving four railroads including Eastern and Boston & Maine. By 1905, operations at East Boston’s Grand Junction and Eastern terminals were unified under Boston & Maine management to streamline infrastructure use.

Incidents

On September 28, 1841, abolitionist Frederick Douglass and future mayor of Lynn, James N. Buffum, were forcibly ejected from a train at Lynn station after Douglass declined to sit in a segregated "Jim Crow car," igniting protests against racial segregation on railroads. In response, railroad superintendent Stephen A. Chase temporarily ceased stops at Lynn to avoid further conflicts. This incident played a significant role in galvanizing opposition to segregation practices on Massachusetts railroads.

A collision occurred on November 3, 1848, in Salem, Massachusetts, when a southbound train failed to switch tracks and collided head-on with a northbound train. The accident caused six fatalities and approximately forty injuries. Notably, both trains were carrying political campaigners from rival parties ahead of the 1848 presidential election.

On August 26, 1871, dispatching mistakes caused the Portland Express to crash into a stalled local train in Revere, Massachusetts, sparking a fire that claimed 29 lives and injured 57 individuals. The tragedy involved several prominent Boston residents and remains the deadliest railroad disaster in Massachusetts history.

Portland Division Eastern Mainline

18.33 | United Shoe Machinery Company || || |- 20.84 | || || |- 22.74 | Hamilton | || Junction with Essex Branch |- 27.76 | Ipswich | || || |- 31.13 | Rowley | || || |- 34.44 | Newbury | Newbury || || |- 37.27 | Newburyport | || || |- 39.32 | Salisbury | Salisbury || || |- 41.47 | rowspan="7" |New Hampshire 41.47 | rowspan="2" |Seabrook Atlantic || || |- 42.66 | Seabrook || || |- 44.36 | Hampton Falls Hampton Falls || || |- 46.52 | Hampton Hampton || || |- 48.69 | North Hampton North Hampton || || |- 51.40 | Greenland Breakfast Hill || || |- 56.91 | Portsmouth Portsmouth || || |- 57.70 | rowspan="14" |Maine 57.70 | Kittery Kittery Junction || Junction with York Harbor and Beach Railroad Company |- 63.23 | Eliot Eliot || || |- 67.45 | rowspan="2" |South Berwick Jewett || || |- 69.94 | Agamenticus || || |- 74.68 | North Berwick North Berwick || || |- 79.93 | rowspan="2" |Wells Highpine || || |- 82.39 | Chicks || || |- 85.18 | Kennebunk West Kennebunk || || |- 93.63 | Biddeford Biddeford || || |- 94.83 | Saco Saco || || |- 100.12 | rowspan="3" |Scarborough West Scarboro |||||- 102.65 Oak Hill|||||- 104.84 Rigby|| Junction with Portland Western Division Mainline|- 108.46 Portland, Maine||||

Milepost	State	Town / City	Station	Location	Notes
0.00	MA	Boston	North Station
1.48		Somerville
3.20		Everett	Everett
3.75
4.59		Chelsea
5.76			Forbes
6.23		Revere	Revere
9.67		Lynn
10.07					Junction with Saugus Branch
11.61
12.27
12.80		Swampscott		Junction with Swampscott Branch
16.32		Salem		Junction with Marblehead Branch
18.33		Beverly

Current status

During the 1970s, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) took ownership of the Eastern Railroad's tracks along with several passenger lines formerly operated by Boston & Maine. Today, the MBTA provides commuter rail service on the Newburyport/Rockport Line, reaching Newburyport and Rockport by utilizing the original main line of Eastern and the Gloucester & Rockport branch.

Segments of the old Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad, which were once managed by Eastern and later became Boston & Maine's Conway Branch, continue to operate as the heritage Conway Scenic Railroad.

Several inactive portions of Eastern's former right-of-way have been transformed into rail trails. Examples include Maine's Eastern Trail, Newburyport’s Clipper City Rail Trail, Marblehead Rail Trail, and the Old Eastern Marsh Rail Trail located in Salisbury, Massachusetts. In 2019, New Hampshire allocated $5 million to purchase 9.6 miles between Hampton and Portsmouth to develop a rail trail.

The Newburyport City Branch, which was abandoned in 1971, was repurposed in 2019 as Phase II of the Clipper City Rail Trail. The following year, Massachusetts granted $100,000 to extend this trail by an additional 1,200 feet northward from Water Street.