Grand Junction Railroad

Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company

Company type	Rail corridor
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1847-04-24
Fate	Portions abandoned or converted; western segment operational
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts , United States
Area served	Boston metropolitan area
Products	Freight rail services, rail corridor

The Grand Junction Railroad served as a rail corridor in the Boston, Massachusetts region, facilitating connections between railroads located to the west and north of Boston. The western portion, stretching from Beacon Park Yard to Somerville, continues to operate under the name Grand Junction Branch. Conversely, the eastern stretch leading toward East Boston has largely been abandoned or converted for alternative uses such as a busway, bypass roadway, and rail trail.

Early history

Established on April 24, 1847, as the Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company, its primary objective was to link railroads entering Boston from northern and western directions with the wharves in East Boston. This formation involved rechartering the earlier Chelsea Branch Railroad, which had been incorporated in 1846.

The inaugural segment opened in 1849, extending from East Boston to the Boston and Maine Railroad in Somerville. Originating at a significant waterfront yard on Boston Harbor—positioned between terminals of the Eastern Railroad and Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad—the line proceeded northward with at least two tracks. It crossed at-grade near Curtis Street, featuring connections that enabled Eastern Railroad trains to access the Grand Junction. In 1905, this portion was reconstructed below ground level with dual tracks.

In 1852, the Eastern Railroad leased the stretch between Somerville and Chelsea. Utilizing this route for access into downtown Boston, Eastern constructed a cutoff in 1854 linking their main line to the Grand Junction in Chelsea and extended a new alignment into the city center. Additionally, in 1855, Eastern realigned the Saugus Branch Railroad to feed into the Grand Junction.

The final segment was finished in 1856, connecting with the Boston and Worcester Railroad in Allston (currently part of Boston). Rather than merging directly with the Fitchburg Railroad, it ran parallel along its northern side before turning southward through Cambridge on an independent alignment. A junction with the Fitchburg Railroad facilitated interchange between Grand Junction trains bound for East Boston and those headed toward Fitchburg.

In 1862, it reorganized as the East Boston Freight Railroad before being acquired by the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A) in 1869. Subsequent ownership passed through New York Central, Penn Central, and Conrail. Service on the Chelsea Creek segment ended after a drawbridge failure in 1955; thereafter, B&A trains reached East Boston via trackage rights over B&M lines through Revere until operations ceased around 1972.

A related company, the Union Railroad, incorporated in 1848 with similar intentions, merged into Grand Junction in 1854.

Western segment

The western portion remains operational for CSX freight services, supporting shipments to the Schnitzer scrap facility on Everett’s waterfront and freight deliveries to Chelsea Produce Market. It is also employed by the MBTA for relocating southside commuter rail equipment to and from the MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility, as well as by Amtrak for transferring Downeaster trainsets to Southampton Street Yard. The track’s loading gauge is limited to Plate B standards. MassDOT holds ownership of this section of track, while MIT owns land beneath two segments subject to rail use easements.

Route

The Grand Junction line between the now-defunct Beacon Park Yard and the Fitchburg Line primarily runs through Cambridge, with brief portions crossing into Allston and Somerville. Departing from what was once part of the Boston and Worcester Railroad (later under Boston and Albany Railroad control), it crosses the Charles River using the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge situated beneath the Boston University Bridge. The route passes through Cambridge alongside MIT’s main campus.

Between the Fitchburg Line and Haverhill Line (which is shared with Newburyport/Rockport Line services), track arrangements allow freight transfers among four major northside rail lines. The Newburyport/Rockport Line runs adjacent to the Grand Junction right-of-way up to Broadway in Chelsea.

Within Cambridge, the line diverges from the former Fitchburg Railroad alignment, passes beneath the old B&L mainline with connecting tracks, then proceeds into Charlestown. It crosses over the Mystic River Branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad before joining with the Boston and Maine Railroad south of Cambridge Street. Following this junction, it runs along B&M’s main line eastern side toward Boston, crossing over the Mystic River once more before continuing through Everett and northern Chelsea.

In Everett, much of the Grand Junction right-of-way is occupied by freight yard tracks.

History

Prior to 2018, CSX Transportation maintained daily freight operations serving the New England Produce Center and scrap yards located in Everett. Additionally, the Barnum and Bailey Circus train frequently utilized the Grand Junction for parking during its visits to Boston.

On October 2, 2008, the state government revealed a deal with CSX to acquire and modernize several freight corridors, including the western segment of the Grand Junction. This agreement was officially completed on September 23, 2009. The initial closing on June 11, 2010, handed over dispatch control to the MBTA's commuter rail division. Subsequently, the second closing on October 4, 2012, transferred ownership of the Grand Junction and other essential lines to the state, finalizing a transaction valued at $100 million.

Amtrak and MBTA train movements over the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge were restricted starting November 16, 2012; freight operations were banned entirely. Due to deteriorating conditions, the bridge was fully closed on November 21. Emergency repairs necessitated rerouting trains via Pan Am Railways between Ayer and Worcester, resulting in substantial detours. The bridge reopened in early January 2013 but required another closure from March through June for additional structural rehabilitation.

The City of Cambridge undertook a feasibility study exploring the addition of a "rail with trail" multi-use pathway known as the Grand Junction Community Path. This trail would link the Charles River Bike Path at Boston University Bridge through MIT and Kendall Square to a proposed extension of the Somerville Community Path near Twin City Plaza.

Proposals for more western service

In 2008, the preferred alternative for the Urban Ring initiative suggested implementing bus rapid transit along the Grand Junction corridor, which included plans to widen the existing railroad bridge to accommodate bus lanes.

Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray proposed in 2010 extending MBTA Commuter Rail service from Worcester to North Station via the Grand Junction line. However, by December 2011, MassDOT decided against this option in favor of expanding South Station to boost Worcester service capacity. MassDOT indicated that if South Station expansion encountered delays, revisiting the Grand Junction alternative might be considered due to its lower cost and simpler implementation.

In 2013, there was consideration given to using the Grand Junction for nighttime ethanol unit train deliveries to a tank farm in Revere. This plan was ultimately abandoned following community opposition and legislative resistance shortly before the Lac-Mégantic incident.

A 2014 proposal envisioned utilizing the western section of the line to connect a new West Station with North Station while adding an infill station within Cambridge.

In October 2024, the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) published an engineering feasibility report examining conversion of the Grand Junction for passenger transit as part of mitigation efforts related to Boston Properties' development in Kendall Square. The study identified urban rail employing electric multiple units (EMUs) or battery EMUs (BEMUs) as the most viable solution. Estimated costs for the Core Route between West Station and North Station ranged from $378 million to $667 million depending on train configurations, with projected daily ridership between 6,500 and 11,200 by 2040. An Extended Route connecting Everett, Chelsea, Revere, and Lynn was estimated at $516 million to $1.25 billion and would include four additional stations. This project aligns with broader strategic objectives aimed at improving regional transit integration and supporting economic growth within Greater Boston’s innovation hubs.

Eastern segment

The majority of the eastern portion no longer accommodates rail operations, with the former right-of-way adapted for various alternative uses. Active freight lead tracks persist only between the Mystic River and 2nd Street in Everett.

Silver Line SL3

In October 2013, MassDOT obtained financing to transform the stretch from Eastern Avenue to Sixth Street into a dedicated Silver Line bus corridor, accompanied by a $3 million investment in a multi-use greenway.

The Silver Line Gateway (SL3) busway was developed between Everett Avenue and Eastern Avenue in Chelsea. CSX initiated abandonment proceedings for the segment extending from 2nd Street in Everett to Saratoga Street in East Boston back in 2002; this process was underway when it became part of the 2009 agreement. By 2010 and again in 2012, further sections westward in Everett were acquired by MassDOT. The SL3 Silver Line service to Chelsea commenced operations on April 21, 2018, broadening MassDOT’s transit network and improving access to South Station.

Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road

The Grand Junction railroad bridge spanning Chelsea Creek was dismantled, and control of the segment from Curtis Street to Lovell Street passed to Massport. This section was repurposed into the Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road, a two-lane commercial corridor facilitating traffic flow to and from Logan Airport. The roadway opened on November 26, 2012, enhancing transportation efficiency for airport-related commerce.

Bremen Street Park and East Boston Greenway

During the 1970s, Conrail discontinued service on the line between Lovell Street and the East Boston docks. The rail yards located north of Route 1A were converted into a private "Park'N'Fly" facility serving Logan Airport. In 1989, the Massachusetts Highway Department aimed to acquire this land through eminent domain as part of the Big Dig project. With increased traffic to Logan Airport due to the Third Harbor Tunnel, plans were made to transform the area into a public park, compensating for the loss of Wood Island Park in 1969 caused by airport expansion. After a controversy involving land acquisition that implicated political leaders such as Speaker Charles Flaherty and U.S. Representative Bud Shuster, Massport completed an outright purchase of the property in 2001. Bremen Street Park officially opened on this site in 2007.

The southern portion remained dormant until Conrail donated it to The Trust for Public Land in 1997. Following eight years of development efforts, the East Boston Greenway was inaugurated in 2007, providing enhanced green space and improved urban connectivity within East Boston.

External links

• Grand Junction Transit Feasibility Study