Fall River Railroad (1846)

Fall River Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Transportation
Founded	1845
Fate	Merged into Old Colony and Fall River Railroad in 1854
Headquarters	Massachusetts , United States
Products	Rail transport

The Fall River Railroad connected Fall River and Braintree in Massachusetts. It was created in 1845 through the consolidation of three railroads and began operations in stages throughout 1845 and 1846. In 1854, it was absorbed into the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad.

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 combining three railroads that had not yet commenced service:

• The Fall River Branch Railroad, incorporated in March 1844, ran from Fall River northward to intersect with the New Bedford and Taunton Railroad at either Myricks Junction or Taunton, providing connections to Boston, New Bedford, and Providence.
• The Middleborough Railroad, also incorporated in March 1845, extended south from Bridgewater through Middleborough to join the Fall River Branch near Myricks.
• The Randolph and Bridgewater Railroad, incorporated the same month, stretched north from Bridgewater through Randolph to link with the Old Colony Railroad at either Braintree or Quincy.

The first section between Myricks and downtown Fall River opened on June 9, 1845. In April 1846, the company shortened its name to "Fall River Railroad." Subsequent expansions included extending from Myricks to Middleborough by mid-1846; from South Braintree to Randolph in August 1846; reaching North Bridgewater by October; and finally connecting North Bridgewater to Middleborough by December 21, 1846, thereby completing the entire route.

In 1847, under the leadership of Richard Borden, the railroad extended further south to Fall River Wharf and initiated scheduled steamship operations to New York City. This service became widely known as the Fall River Line, serving as a vital travel corridor between Boston and New York City for many years.

The Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad in 1854, creating the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad. It was renamed Old Colony and Newport Railway in 1863 and later became Old Colony Railway in 1872 before being 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 abandonment completed by 1937. Passenger service south of Myricks ceased in 1958, followed by termination north of Middleborough in 1959. Freight traffic continued on remaining portions.

Currently, the segment from Middleborough to Boston—including the Braintree–Boston section originally constructed by Old Colony—is referred to as the Middleborough Main Line. The portion from Myricks to Fall River is designated as the Fall River Secondary. The Cape Cod and Hyannis Railroad operated passenger trains along this route from 1984 until 1988. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reinstated passenger service over the entire Middleborough Main Line with the launch of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line in 1997. In 2025, this service will be extended as part of phase one of the South Coast Rail project, restoring passenger rail operations on the Fall River Secondary between Fall River station and Myricks.

See also

• Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum