Montreal and Plattsburgh Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Defunct | 1868 |
| Fate | Reorganized as the Montreal and Plattsburgh Railroad |
| Headquarters | Plattsburgh, New York , United States |
Area served | New York, United States; Quebec, Canada (border connection) |
| Products | Rail transport services |
The Plattsburgh and Montreal Railroad was a mid-19th century rail line in New York, completed in 1852 with a 23-mile stretch running from Plattsburgh, New York to the Canadian border just north of Mooers (CDP), New York. After undergoing reorganization in 1868, it became the Montreal and Plattsburgh Railroad. Subsequently, in 1873, it combined with two other railroads to create the New York and Canada Railroad. Today, the southern portion of this route is incorporated into the Canadian Pacific Kansas City's Canadian Subdivision, while the northern segment was discontinued by the Delaware and Hudson Railway in 1925.
History
Established in 1850, the Plattsburgh and Montreal Railroad was conceived as part of a broader initiative alongside the Lake St. Louis and Province Line Railway and Montreal and Lachine Railroad to forge a rail connection between Plattsburgh and Montreal. The track from Plattsburgh to Mooers commenced operation on July 26, 1852, reaching the Canadian border by September 20. At Mooers, it connected with the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad. During this period, no rail lines extended southward from Plattsburgh; instead, steamboat services on Lake Champlain facilitated links to Burlington, Vermont and other destinations.
On August 20, 1868, the company was reorganized as the Montreal and Plattsburgh Railroad. The following year, it leased the northern section of the financially distressed Whitehall and Plattsburgh Railroad. From 1871 until 1873, both entities were under lease by the Central Vermont Railway. When these leases concluded in 1873, they merged with the New York and Canada Railroad, which maintained its original name.
In 1876, the New York and Canada extended its line northward to Rouses Point, New York, diminishing the importance of the route to Mooers—later designated as the Mooers Branch during Delaware and Hudson ownership. The D&H ceased operations on the line north of Canada Junction in 1925. The segment remaining between Plattsburgh and Canada Junction remains active today as part of Canadian Pacific Kansas City's Canadian Subdivision.
References
- Interstate Commerce Commission, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports., U.S. Government Printing Office, 1927, Vol. 116.
- Roberts, Earl and Stremes, David (eds.), Canadian Trackside Guide, Bytown Railroad Society, Ottawa, Ontario, 2023.
- Shaughnessy, Jim, The Rutland Road, Howell-North Books, Berkeley, California, 1964.