Fall River Branch Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1845 |
| Fate | Merged into Old Colony and Fall River Railroad in 1854 |
| Headquarters | Fall River, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Rail transportation |
The Fall River Railroad served as a rail connection between Fall River and Braintree in Massachusetts. Created in 1845 through the consolidation of three separate railroads, it commenced operations in stages by 1846 and was incorporated into the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad by 1854.
History
In March 1845, the United Corporation of the Middleborough Railroad Corporation with the Fall River Branch Railroad Company and the Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad Corporation was established by uniting three distinct railroads:
- The Fall River Branch Railroad, incorporated in 1844, linked Fall River—a burgeoning center for textile manufacturing—to the north at Myricks Junction or Taunton with the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad, thereby providing access to Boston, New Bedford, and Providence.
- The Middleborough Railroad, incorporated in 1845, extended southward from Bridgewater through Middleborough to connect with the Fall River Branch near Myricks.
- The Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad, also incorporated in 1845, stretched north from Bridgewater through Randolph to join the Old Colony Railroad at either Braintree or Quincy.
Operations began on June 9, 1845, with the segment between Myricks and downtown Fall River.[1]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name By April 1846, the company adopted the simpler name "Fall River Railroad".[2]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Subsequent extensions were completed as follows: from Myricks to Middleborough in mid-1846; South Braintree to Randolph by August 1846; Randolph to North Bridgewater by October; and finally North Bridgewater to Middleborough on December 21, 1846.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 1847, under the leadership of Richard Borden, the railroad extended its reach southward to Fall River Wharf. This expansion facilitated the commencement of scheduled steamship operations to New York City known as the Fall River Line, which became a vital transportation corridor linking Boston and New York for many years.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
By 1854, the railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad to form the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad, which was renamed Old Colony and Newport Railway in 1863 and later Old Colony Railway in 1872. The system was acquired by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. Passenger services between Myricks and Middleborough were discontinued in 1931; freight operations ended by 1932 with formal abandonment occurring in 1937. South of Myricks, passenger service ceased in 1958 while freight traffic persisted on remaining segments.[2]
Currently, portions of this historic line operate as the Middleborough Main Line (connecting Middleborough to Boston) and the Fall River Secondary (running from Myricks to Fall River). The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reinstated passenger service along these corridors through the Middleborough/Lakeville Line in 1997 and further expanded service with the inauguration of the Fall River/New Bedford Line in 2025 as part of the South Coast Rail initiative.[2]