Middlesex and Boston Street Railway
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Natick Electric Street Railway, South Middlesex Street Railway |
| Founded | August 10, 1891 (as Natick Electric Street Railway) |
| Fate | Services incorporated into Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1972 |
| Headquarters | Boston suburbs, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | Western suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts |
| Products | Streetcar and bus services |
The Middlesex and Boston Street Railway (M&B) operated as a streetcar and subsequently a bus service provider in the western suburbs of Boston. Streetcar operations ceased in 1930, and by 1972, the company’s services were incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
History
Initially established under the name Natick Electric Street Railway on August 10, 1891, the company was rebranded as the South Middlesex Street Railway in 1893. Following a bankruptcy declaration in 1903, its holdings were acquired in 1907 by the newly organized Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. By 1910, ownership transferred to Boston Suburban Electric Companies, a holding entity.
In September 1964, the MBTA began providing financial support to M&B and introduced route numbering for bus operations. Due to funding disagreements, service was suspended on June 30, 1972; the MBTA assumed control on July 5. Subsequent route numbers were modified by prefixing with a 5, with additional renumbering occurring in 1982 and some adjustments made in 1996.
Among preserved rolling stock are trolley car #41 (originally from Lexington) and bus #192 (a 1948 ACF Brill model), both maintained at the Seashore Trolley Museum located in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Auburndale–Lake Street via Commonwealth Avenue
The Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway commenced operations on March 26, 1896, running along the median strip of Commonwealth Avenue in Newton from Auburndale to Lake Street (Green), where it connected with the Boston Elevated Railway’s Commonwealth Avenue line. The connecting segment opened on August 15, 1896; prior to this, omnibuses provided service between Reservoir and Lake Street. To increase ridership, Norumbega Park amusement park was inaugurated on June 17, 1897. Direct service linking Norumbega Park with Park Street ran from January 17, 1903 until November 1, 1914.
Initially, permission was denied to construct a branch along Center Street to Newton Center because of refusal to finance street widening; however, approval was eventually granted for this branch to compete with the Newton and Boston Street Railway’s Newton Center route. An extension reaching Newton Highlands opened on June 15, 1899.
This line was absorbed into the Newton Street Railway on January 1, 1904; that company subsequently merged with M&B on July 1, 1909. The Commonwealth Avenue route represented M&B’s final streetcar line before conversion to bus service in April 1930. Norumbega Park ceased operations in 1964.
Following the July 1972 MBTA takeover, Route 35 Auburndale–Lake Street was not immediately reinstated. Service resumed in January 1973 as rush-hour-only Route 535 Auburndale–Boston College via Commonwealth Avenue but was discontinued in June 1976 due to low ridership.
Bedford–Lowell
In Bedford, streetcars operated every fifteen minutes during summer months and every half hour during winter along routes serving:
- Boston through Lexington with a transfer at Arlington Heights
- Maynard and Hudson via Concord
- Lowell via Billerica
Fare boundaries corresponded with town lines between Bedford and Lexington, Concord, and Billerica.
The Lexington route ran along Bedford Street and the Great Road before diverting via Loomis Street and South Road to reach the Boston and Maine Railroad station. A passing siding was situated just north of Bedford Common.
An amusement park was established adjacent to the Bedford–Lexington line to attract urban passengers.
The Bedford–Arlington Heights bus service evolved from M&B’s Route 29 into today’s MBTA Route 529 (62).
The car barn and power generation facility were located in North Lexington near Bedford Street; this complex consisted of an elongated wooden carbarn alongside a brick power plant. The site was later converted into a lumberyard before undergoing redevelopment during the late 1980s.
Waltham–Newton
The Waltham and Newton Street Railway was established in 1866 and commenced operations in 1868. Its route extended from the western part of Waltham center, traveling along Main, Moody, and Crescent Streets to connect with the Newton line, then continuing through Lexington, River, Elm, and Washington Streets before terminating at Highland Street in West Newton.
In 1889, this line was purchased by the Newton Street Railway, which later merged with M&B in 1909. By 1964, it largely comprised the 20 Newton Corner–Riverside bus route passing through Roberts and Central Square in Waltham, while the 27 Newton Corner–Riverside route operated via Crescent Street. These services have since evolved into the current 553 Roberts–Downtown Boston and 558 Riverside–Downtown Boston bus lines.
Other routes
- 23: Watertown Square to Stow & Main Street in Waltham
- 25: Waltham Center to Lexington Center following Lexington Street
- 32: Needham to Watertown (formerly part of the Newton and Boston Street Railway)
- 36: Wayland to South Natick
- 41: Natick to Needham via Route 135 through Wellesley (operated 1912–1921)