Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1840 |
| Defunct | 1869 |
| Fate | Merged with Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad |
| Headquarters | Fitchburg, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Massachusetts |
The Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad was established in 1840 with the purpose of linking Fitchburg and Worcester. Operations commenced on February 11, 1850, spanning an 18-mile route that passed through Leominster and Sterling to reach Sterling Junction, where it connected with the Worcester and Nashua Railroad.
In July 1866, the adjacent Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad extended its line by 14 miles from Northborough to link up with the Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad at Pratts Junction in Sterling, traversing Berlin and Clinton. These two railroads united in 1869. Subsequently, on June 1, 1876, the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad combined with the New Bedford Railroad to create the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad, which was leased by the Old Colony Railroad in 1879 and fully integrated into its system by March 5, 1883. The track section between Fitchburg and Pratts Junction was upgraded to double track in 1886.
The Old Colony Railroad itself was leased to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1893. By the 1960s, due to mounting competition from alternative transportation options, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad sought to merge into the newly formed Penn Central Transportation Company, with all assets transferred to Penn Central as of December 31, 1968. After Penn Central filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter, control passed to Conrail on April 1, 1976. Later, on August 22, 1998, the Surface Transportation Board authorized Conrail’s acquisition by CSX and Norfolk Southern, resulting in CSX taking over operations of the former Fitchburg and Worcester line.
The rails between Sterling Junction and Pratts Junction were eventually discontinued and mostly repurposed as the Sterling Rail Trail. Additionally, the stretch from Leominster to Fitchburg was abandoned. However, the portion from Leominster to Pratts Junction remains operational under CSX management, primarily facilitating the shipment of plastic pellets into Leominster.