Portland and Rochester Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | York and Cumberland Railroad |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Defunct | 1900 |
| Fate | Merged into Boston and Maine Railroad |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine , United States |
Area served | Maine, New Hampshire |
| Parent | Boston and Maine Railroad (from 1880s, fully merged in 1900) |
The Portland and Rochester Railroad was formed in 1865 as a reorganization of the York and Cumberland Railroad, which operated the route between Portland, Maine and Bar Mills, Maine. The railroad extended its track southwestward reaching Rochester, New Hampshire, and in 1900 it was incorporated into the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M). This main line subsequently became part of B&M's Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division, alongside the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad.
History
Originally chartered in 1846 to rival the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, the York and Cumberland Railroad completed a rail connection from Portland to Bar Mills along the Saco River. However, it lacked the resources to expand further south for additional linkages, leading to its reorganization as the Portland and Rochester Railroad on November 1, 1865.
With financial backing from the city of Portland, the railroad extended its line to reach Rochester, New Hampshire by 1871. A continuous route was created in 1874 when the Worcester and Nashua Railroad, through the Nashua and Rochester Railroad, connected Rochester from the southern direction. In Portland, two branch lines were established: one running along Back Cove to link with the Grand Trunk Railway (opened in 1874), and another short spur leading to Union Station (opened in 1891).
The railroads of Worcester and Nashua and Nashua and Rochester consolidated into the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883; this entity was leased by B&M in 1886. Although B&M acquired controlling stock interest in Portland and Rochester during the 1880s, it maintained its separate corporate identity until fully merging it in 1900. Under Boston and Maine's administration, the Portland and Rochester main line operated as the northern portion of their Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division.
References
- Boston and Maine Railroad, Boston & Maine Railroad System: Statutes of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont relating to Boston & Maine railroad and leased lines, Rand Avery Supply Company, 1902
- Interstate Commerce Commission, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931, vol. 30
- Robert M. Lindsell, The Rail Lines of Northern New England, Branch Line Press, 2000
- Articles with short description
- 1865 establishments in Maine
- 1865 establishments in New Hampshire
- 1900 disestablishments in Maine
- 1900 disestablishments in New Hampshire
- Predecessors of the Boston and Maine Railroad
- Defunct Maine railroads
- Defunct New Hampshire railroads
- American companies established in 1865