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176-624: The Massachusetts Central Railroad was formed in 1869 and envisioned a 104 miles (167 km) railroad from Boston to Northampton. By 1882 it was providing passenger service from Boston 48 miles (77 km) to Jefferson , but went bankrupt in 1883. It was succeeded by the Central Massachusetts Railroad , which was leased by the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1887, naming it the Central Massachusetts Branch. Later that year,

352-537: A diamond to be preserved inside a new trail rotary, and the historic Sudbury Section Tool House . The Stow section is 327 feet (100 m) between Wilkins St Hudson and Chestnut St Hudson. The Marlborough section is several feet to the center of the trail, forming a tripoint with the Hudson and Sudbury borders. It is accessible from Marlborough by the Old Concord Road hiking path. The Wayside Inn Railroad Waiting Room

528-594: A 1,110-foot (340 m)-long tunnel. The western portal of the tunnel opened onto a 917-foot viaduct near the site of the Wachusett Dam that passed over Route 70 and the Nashua River before connecting with the WN&;P Division main line at Clinton Junction. Traffic over the Central Massachusetts Branch followed the WN&P Division main line through Sterling into Oakdale where a redesigned junction routed it back onto

704-574: A 1.84 miles (2.96 km) section is open, and is a subsection of what is also named the Mill Street Rail Trail . The ROW is the northern semicircle of the trail system, and trail detours on the east and west ends were built to complete the MCRT here. This section is owned by the DCR, and was created by a 2019 MassTrails award for the first phase of construction. The ROW from Quinapoxet Street to River Street

880-570: A 3 Phase construction, where Phase 1 would be the Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside , and Phase 2 and Phase 3 are central and western Berlin, respectively. In 2024, a MassTrails grant for a feasibility study for all sections in Berlin was awarded. A connection to the existing Lester G. Ross Dam, Wachusett Aqueduct Trail, and proposed Boston Worcester Air Line Trail (BWALT) will occur with Phase 2 in Berlin. By 1971, passenger service on

1056-569: A brief upswing in traffic between World War I and the early 1920s but the Great Depression and increased competition from automobiles and trucks began to take their toll in the latter half of the decade. By 1928 no freights and only one passenger train ran the length of the line from Boston to Northampton. The struggling economy and reduction in business forced the B&;M to take austerity measures and cut back on less profitable lines including

1232-471: A concerted effort from private landowners who had taken over the long-abandoned property. In 2006 the western end of the trail was extended to N. O. Tower. In West Boylston, Holden, and Rutland a volunteer organization called Wachusett Greenways began to convert the roughly 30 miles of property between Oakdale and Rutland to the Mass Central Rail Trail . The Mass Central Rail Trail currently includes

1408-624: A connection in Gleasondale from Gleason Junction on the Central Massachusetts Branch to C. M. Junction on the Marlborough Branch to enable passenger service into Marlborough . While traffic into Marlborough flourished, traffic along the connection in Jefferson languished, and in 1909 the B&M took up that track. On June 5, 1895 the General Court of Massachusetts authorized the damming of

1584-633: A feasibility study anyway estimating that restoring service to the route as far as Berlin would cost in excess of $ 103 million and that any benefit gained was unlikely to outweigh the costs. In 1999 Evans, now the Director of Planning for the MBTA, proposed converting the Central Massachusetts right of way into a busway but the state rejected this proposal as well. As of 2024, most of the tracks between Clemantis Brook and Berlin have been removed, and most of

1760-747: A gravel access road for the power lines over what had become the MBTA's ROW. This included a trail section running from Cochituate Road in Wayland to before the bridge over the MBTA Fitchburg Line in Weston. This significantly reduced construction costs of the trail, and in partnership, the DCR made the decision in January 2017 to build the trail by paving the access road and installing safe road crossings, which completed in 2019. Eversource approached Weston for cooperation, sparking Weston's decision to participate, reversing

1936-677: A hard packed stone dust surface suitable for bikes or walkers, which helped accelerate construction dates forward compared to paving. The first section of trail opened in 1997 in West Boylston. From the New Braintree Town line to Barre Depot Road, the ROW in Barre is either obstructed by private development (south of Route 67) or part of an active section of the MCER (north of Route 67). East of Barre Depot Road,

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2112-664: A hearing before the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regarding his questionable business practices. He abruptly resigned from the presidencies of both the NYNH&;H and B&M on July 9 leaving the Hampden a bridge between two suddenly competing railroads. Despite one more tour by B&M officials in November 1914 neither they nor the NYNH&H wished to lease the line, which was shut down for good in 1925. The failure of

2288-647: A lattice truss bridge over the Ware river to New Braintree, and through a pony truss bridge over the Ware river to Maple Street in Wheelwright , Hardwick, a 3.2 miles (5.1 km) section is known as the Mass Central Rail Trail, New Braintree and Hardwick . It is owned and maintained by the East Quabbin Land Trust, has a hard packed gravel surface, and is open to all non-motorized use. In 2005 this rail ROW

2464-507: A line from Greenfield, Massachusetts , south to Northampton. The Connecticut River Railroad (CRRR) was then formed in 1845 by the merger of the Northampton and Springfield Railroad with the Greenfield and Northampton Railroad . The line opened between Springfield and Northampton in 1845 and by the following summer was extended to Deerfield , and then to Greenfield in November 1846. In 1849,

2640-485: A new shared use path on Route 117 and Green Street. DCR notes this roadwork will establish the first connection between the neighboring MCRT sections, prior to the more direct 128 Bridge rehabilitation route. The 1265 Main project also considers relocating the Kendal Green MBTA commuter rail station to Jones Road to create a multi-modal center integrated with the trail. Construction is estimated to start in 2024 for

2816-656: A parking area. A 2024 MassTrails grant was awarded to construct Phase 1, access points at Rauscher Farm and 447 Berlin Street, and trail development between these two locations. In Berlin the rail ROW is unimproved. It is partially owned by the Town of Berlin, CSX Transportation , and the MBTA. An advocacy group Friends of the Berlin Rail Trail is working to build the Mass Central Rail Trail in Berlin. This group has proposed

2992-558: A petition requesting that the new railroad extend further west to Northampton. On May 10, 1869 the General Court chartered the Massachusetts Central Railroad and united it with the Wayland and Sudbury Branch. The Massachusetts Central Railroad was organized on September 2, 1869 with James M. Stone of Charlestown elected as its first president. Construction began the following fall despite difficulty in raising capital. The company hired contractor Norman Munson to build

3168-566: A portion of the former Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad in Sterling between Sterling Junction and Sterling Center; however this route was never a part of the Central Massachusetts Branch and does not connect with the rest of the trail since the former WN&P Division main line tracks remain in service as the Worcester Main Line of Pan Am Railways . The Massachusetts Central Railroad operated five locomotives between 1881 and 1883. These were

3344-691: A portion of the trail is shared with the Bay Circuit Trail and the East Coast Greenway . In Weston, there are many connections to hiking trails including Jericho Town Forest and Sears Conservation Land . In Waltham, there is a connection to the hiking trails in Prospect Hill Park. The Western Greenway to MCRT connection received a 2023 MassTrails grant for design and permitting. Central Massachusetts Railroad#HistoricMassachusettsCentralRailroad The Central Massachusetts Railroad

3520-747: A report by the Friends of the Belchertown Greenway was commissioned as a first step before rehabilitation of the bridge. The trail just after Station Road in Amherst to after North Washington Street in Belchertown section runs parallel with the New England Central Railroad , an example of rails with trails . From Route 181 to the Palmer Town line, the rail ROW is privately owned and not accessible to

3696-566: A section shared with the Assabet River Rail Trail , which is maintained by the Town of Hudson. All completed sections of the Wayside trail are paved, and DCR plans to pave both all sections under construction and the only section that is currently stone dust in Wayland. While the MBTA ROW is 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m) wide, DCR leased trail sections are 19 feet (5.8 m) wide, known as

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3872-561: A series of transmission projects to improve electrical grid reliability, including a connection of the Eversource substation in Sudbury to Hudson Light & Power . In January 2015, Sudbury officials noted the potential Sudbury to Hudson Transmission Reliability Project was an opportunity for construction of the MCRT—Wayside at no cost to the town, as the MBTA ROW was the most direct route between

4048-471: A timber trestle bridge over Bruce's Pond used by pedestrians but unimproved. 🟢 0.75 miles (1.21 km) from Priest Street, Hudson to Wilkins Street, Hudson, is complete and shared with the Assabet River Rail Trail (ARRT). This section of the ARRT opened in 2005 and is maintained by the Town of Hudson. The trail sharing arraignment is a cost saving measure for the build of the MCRT—Wayside, including eliminating

4224-472: A trail tunnel under Chestnut Street in Hudson, and completed various restorative works such as mechanical removal of all invasive plants, thousands of native plantings, and wetland replication on the MBTA property at a 2:1 ratio of wetland located in the construction area (Phase 1). After the Eversource work, the DCR will pave the trail surface, install safe road crossings, add signage, and restore selected historical railroad features (Phase 2). Phase 1 construction

4400-586: Is known as the Gilbertville Fitness Trail , built in 2014. In 2022, the Town was awarded $ 133,000 in state funds to improve the section to MCRT standards, and it opened in 2023. The rail ROW paralleling Route 32 from Gilbertville to Creamery Road is no longer intact and has been lost to development and private ownership. In addition, the bridge over the active rail ROW is missing. This stretch is not open to public use. From Creamery Road in Hardwick, through

4576-690: Is made by the Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge , a 1,492 feet (455 m), 8 span, steel lattice truss bridge first built over the Connecticut River in 1887. The trail was built in 1993, first known as the Norwottuck Rail Trail, and was one of the last US formal paved bikeways at 8 feet (2.4 m) wide; in 2015 the trail was widened to 10 feet (3.0 m) in line with newer MassDOT guidance for minimum shared use path width. The 5-mile (8.0 km) section west of downtown, known as

4752-538: Is no river crossing available. The rail ROW starting in Bondsville , Palmer is unused and overgrown, but still owned by Massachusetts Central Railroad (MCER), the current shortline railroad , not the former railroad of the same name. Old rails and ties are still in place, as is the bridge over the Ware River, and no trail development has taken place. Continuing into Ware, the rail ROW is still in use by MCER. The bridge over

4928-519: Is operated by Amtrak . The line is dispatched and operated on behalf of MassDOT by the Berkshire and Eastern Railroad , a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming . The original line between Springfield and Northampton was built by the Northampton and Springfield Railroad (chartered in 1842) during the early 1840s. While the line was under construction, the rail company merged with another company building

5104-465: Is owned and managed by the Town. From Thomas Street in West Boylston, through Sterling, to Clinton, an on-road route is used. The ROW remains in service as the Worcester Main Line of CSX Transportation . A connection to the Ware River Rail Trail , a 15 miles (24 km) trail following the ROW of the former Ware River Railroad , is available by an on-road connection, roughly following

5280-518: Is owned by the DCR and maintained by Wachusett Greenways. The Wachusett Reservoir section of the trail is DCR property. From the yellow DCR gate numbered 39 on Route 110 and S Meadow Road in Clinton, the 1.1 miles (1.8 km) former railroad ROW, including a railroad rock cut, to north of the Wachusett Reservoir Dam is open to public use. In 1974, the trail lost the possibility to convert

5456-618: Is privately owned and lost to development. Instead, after a short on-road route north on Mill Street, a 2.2 miles (3.5 km) detour route from Mill Street, crossing Manning Street, to River Street, using trail along the Wachusett Aqueduct , has been developed to bypass this section, sometimes known as the Holden Connector . A MassTrails award in 2023 funded improvements from Mill Street at Wachusett Street to Manning Street, and construction began September 8, 2023. A 2024 MassTrails grant

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5632-618: The Assabet River Rail Trail . In Boston the former Central Massachusetts Branch section of the Hill Crossing Freight Cutoff between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction became the Fitchburg Cutoff Path . The towns along the former Wheelwright Branch exhibited similar enthusiasm for recreational trails along the property. In March 1985 with support from the local governments and regional planning agency

5808-651: The Arthur R. Swift Amherst/UMass Bike Connector , and the New Haven Northampton Canal Line and Manhan Rail Trail , which are both part of the greater New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway . By 1983, the Boston and Maine Railroad had taken up all tracks of the Wheelright Branch in Belchertown. In 1997, Belchertown held an unofficial straw poll against further study of the trail. At that time, Massachusetts

5984-611: The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) mainline at Willow Bridge . However, this was later changed to join the cutoff at North Cambridge Junction, west of North Avenue (now Massachusetts Avenue). Other amendments included a branch from Amherst to a connection with the Troy and Greenfield Railroad in West Deerfield and approval to connect with and build over the route of the never-constructed Holyoke and Belchertown Railroad through Granby and South Hadley . With its new connection in

6160-656: The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Phase 2D which is under construction, and the two trails will connect at the site of the Sudbury "diamond". There are also many connections to hiking trails including the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge , the City of Marlborough Desert Natural Area , the Town of Sudbury Hop Brook Marsh Conservation Land , and Sudbury Valley Trustees Memorial Forest . In Wayland,

6336-743: The Burnshirt River . The southern terminus is on Route 122, 0.25 miles (0.40 km) from the beginning of the Wachusett Greenways section at the Ware river. There is a significant network of interconnecting shorter trails in the Ware River Watershed. There is a connection in Rutland to the Midstate Hiking Trail , a 92 miles (148 km) scenic footpath, between the two crossings of Whitehall Road. The Sterling Rail Trail , also known as

6512-737: The Central Mass Branch west of Waltham, subsidized by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) since 1964, had ended due to low ridership. In 1972, Governor Francis Sargent initiated a Commuter Rail Improvement Program which concluded that, while too early to restore service on the Central Mass Branch, acquisition from the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) to preserve the Central Mass Branch ROW and other ROWs would be prudent. In 1976,

6688-472: The Connecticut River Railroad . In the late 1860s citizens in the towns of Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to build a railroad through their towns. On February 21, 1868 the state chartered the Wayland and Sudbury Branch Railroad to run 6.75 miles from Mill Village in Sudbury through Wayland to a connection with the Fitchburg Railroad at Stony Brook in Weston. Later that year another group of citizens submitted

6864-612: The Gothic -inspired Victorian style of architecture popular during the 1870s. The name of the architect responsible for their design has been lost to time. Cost restrictions played heavily into the station designs though the railroad added decorations such as painted wainscotting and gables for aesthetics. All of the stations were wooden and based on one of two basic plans for smaller or larger communities. Individual stations were often tailored to their location, including additions such as attached or separate freight houses and milk sheds which were similarly decorated to appear presentable to

7040-628: The Hampden Railroad with the intent to lease the new route upon its completion. The Massachusetts General Court incorporated the Hampden in July 1910. It started at Hampden Junction on the Central Massachusetts Branch about two miles east of Bondsville and continued 14.82 miles southwest through Belchertown, Ludlow , and Chicopee to the B&A main line at Athol Junction about two miles east of Springfield. Construction finished by May 9, 1913 with service between New York and Boston scheduled to commence on June 23. Just days before its grand opening operations were suspended indefinitely as Mellen faced

7216-412: The Linden Street Bridge that DCR will begin restoration in 2025. As of 2019, DCR moved forward in Weston and Wayland and opened a 4.5 mile paved section of the trail from the bridge over the MBTA Fitchburg line at the Waltham-Weston border as far west as Wayland Station near the intersection of Route 126 and US 20. A crushed stone continuation connects the fully paved portion with the shopping center at

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7392-417: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was created, partly to subsidize struggling commuter rail routes including the Central Mass Branch . However, ridership continued to decline and the MBTA closed the Central Mass Branch in 1971, although freight rail continued for a few more years. The first attempt to convert the former Central Massachusetts Railroad into a rail trail occurred in 1980 when

7568-413: The Massachusetts DCR executed a 99-year lease with the MBTA to build what was renamed the Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside , 23 miles from Berlin to Waltham. However, construction took significantly longer and is still planned or ongoing in various sections, as DCR funding was limited and various funding sources were identified . Waltham eventually completed the main Waltham section in 2023, except for

7744-405: The Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board reached an agreement with the B&M to reroute the Central Massachusetts Branch according to the latter plan. The new portion of the Central Massachusetts Branch started just west of West Berlin Junction in Berlin where the Central Massachusetts Branch connected with the Fitchburg Line of the NYNH&H. From there it ran northwest into Clinton through

7920-419: The New York and New England Railroad to fulfill his plan, electing himself president of the B&M on October 26. Early in 1893 the P&R went bankrupt and McLeod lost stock control of the B&M, resigning as president on May 23. With relatively stable local control restored the B&M was able to lease one of its major competitors, the Fitchburg Railroad, in 1900. Two years later, on February 20, 1902,

8096-420: The Northwest Leg (Look Park Segment) of the Northampton Rail Trail System to Williamsburg, also known as the Francis P. Ryan Bikeway , is maintained by the City of Northampton. It was formerly the New Haven & Northampton Company Williamsburg Branch , not part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad, and is not included in the 104 miles (167 km) tally. Additional connecting trails in this section include

8272-419: The Poughkeepsie Bridge over the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, New York completed the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route , the first all-rail route between New England and points south of New York City. Trains such as the Philadelphia and Washington Express and the Harrisburg Express traveled over the several railroads that composed the route, including the Central Massachusetts Branch of the B&M. With

8448-505: The Sudbury River in Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge. 🟢 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Route 20, Wayland to Cochituate Road, Wayland is complete with a stone dust surface. It was installed as a stone dust trail by the Town of Wayland in 2017, and includes a historic railway turntable to be preserved. It will be improved in the Spring 2027 Sudbury-Wayland construction project with paving. This section passes by Wayland station . 🟢 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Cochituate Road, Wayland to before

8624-415: The Worcester, Nashua, and Portland Division (WN&P) main line. The next improvement was at Jefferson where the B&M rehabilitated a connecting track that split off of the Central Massachusetts Branch at Holden Junction and connected with the Worcester and Hillsboro Branch at Carr Junction to allow passenger service into Princeton , Hubbardston , Gardner , and Winchendon . Finally the B&M built

8800-631: The steam locomotive operations for scheduled passenger revenue service on the B&M took place between Boston and Clinton on the Central Massachusetts Branch. On May 5, 1956 the last steam-powered train on the line departed Clinton for Boston and shortly thereafter the railroad closed the engine house in Clinton and began using Budd self-propelled railcars for passenger service along the route. By 1958, freight and passenger business between Clinton and Boston dwindled to nearly nothing. The B&M cut all service west of Berlin early that year with only two weekday passenger trains running as far as Hudson on

8976-440: The "Path Development Corridor", consisting of a paved path, typically 10 or 12 feet (3.0 or 3.7 m) wide, with grass shoulders, grading, and additional side clearance. Sections are marked 🟣 in design, 🟠 construction, or 🟢 complete. 🟣 2.3 miles (3.7 km) from Coburn Road, Berlin to the Bolton/Hudson Town line remains unimproved and overgrown with some missing bridges. In 2024, a MassTrails grant for preliminary design of

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9152-408: The 4-4-0 locomotives continued to provide the bulk of the power for passenger service with class B-14 and B-15 2-6-0 , class L-1 4-8-0 , and class A-41-f 4-4-0 locomotives mixed in for longer and freight trips. During WWII K-8-b and K-8-c class 2-8-0 locomotives worked the larger ammunition trains on the eastern end of the line. J-1 class 4-4-2 locomotives generally handled passenger service during

9328-489: The 917 feet (280 m) Clinton Viaduct over the reservoir, which was demolished by the Metropolitan District Commission . One potential alternative, the top of the dam itself, is only open to public use two days a year. However, there is a 0.9 miles (1.4 km) detour following a steep gravel path along the Stillwater River, and then River Road east of the South Nashua River, to the yellow DCR gate numbered 43 at Boylston Street and Cameron Street. East of Boylston Street to

9504-401: The B&A Ware River Branch between Creamery and Barre Junction. The ICC approved the abandonments on November 7 and then the discontinuance of service on the Ware River Branch a month later on December 17. With the line officially cloven in two the B&M renamed the line between Northampton and Wheelwright as the Wheelwright Branch and retained the Central Massachusetts Branch moniker for

9680-669: The B&L on April 1, 1887, renaming the Central Massachusetts line as the Central Massachusetts Branch . The tracks reached Ware on June 27, 1887 and before the end of that year construction finished with the completion of the bridge over the Connecticut River . The first train to traverse the entire route, led by locomotive No. 238, Hudson , left Boston at 8:30 A. M. on December 12 and arrived in Northampton at 12:30 P. M. Revenue service commenced on December 19 with three daily passenger round trips between Boston and Northampton, two between Boston and Hudson, three between Boston and Wayland, and two between Ware and Northampton. Although

9856-434: The B&M outright purchased the Central Massachusetts Railroad and dissolved its corporate entity . With the Central Massachusetts Branch now a part of its system the B&M set about improving the connections between the line and the rest of its network. The first change was in Oakdale where on March 30, 1902 the railroad shut down the accident-prone yard where the Central Massachusetts Branch crossed at grade over

10032-409: The B&M suddenly such an important link into New England Archibald Angus McLeod , president of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R), sought to use the line as part of his bid to control the coal mining traffic between eastern Pennsylvania and New England independent of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). In 1892 McLeod took stock control of the B&M and of

10208-517: The B&M to route all of its trains over the Southern Division and abandon the parallel Central Massachusetts Branch tracks. The railroad pulled off a similar maneuver in January 1933, obtaining trackage rights to the Ware River Branch of the B&A. In order to maintain service to customers in Gilbertville and Wheelwright the B&M build three connections to the Ware River Branch at Barre Junction in Barre, Forest Lake Junction in Palmer, and Creamery in Hardwick. The railroad routed trains on

10384-402: The B&M took this segment of the Marlborough Branch out of service in 1974. On December 27, 1976 the B&M sold the Central Massachusetts Branch as well as its Budd RDC fleet and several other lines to the MBTA but retained the rights to freight service. Business continued to decline however, and by 1977 the B&M had to reduce service to runs as needed. That same year the railroad removed

10560-407: The B&M took up both. As of 2006 the last remaining portion of the Central Massachusetts Railroad still in revenue service is in Ware where the Massachusetts Central uses what remains of the yard in that town as well as a small section that provides access to a paper plant customer. In 1939 the B&M ended passenger service to Marlborough leaving the four daily trains between Boston and Clinton

10736-557: The Belchertown Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, purchased 6.8 miles (10.9 km) (72%) of the former ROW land as it became available and donated it to the Town of Belchertown for public use and to protect from development. In 2017 the Friends of the Belchertown Greenway was formed with the goal of building and maintaining the trail. The rail ROW heads roughly southeast through Belchertown. Most sections are cleared but unimproved but protected and used by pedestrians and snowmobiles. From Warren Wright Road in Belchertown to Federal Street,

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10912-408: The Belchertown border in Palmer, the rail ROW continues roughly southeast until reaching the Ware River , then continues through the Quabbin Valley to New Braintree and Barre roughly following the Ware River northeast. All improved sections are a hard packed stone dust surface suitable for bikes and walkers. The bridge over the Swift River was demolished after rail service was discontinued and there

11088-485: The Berlin Town line the rail ROW is still unimproved. The Clinton Greenway Conservation Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, helped to acquire the ROW from Boston & Maine Railroad , including the 1,100 feet (340 m) railroad tunnel under Wilson Hill between Boylston Street and Clamshell Road, once the longest in Massachusetts. In July 2020, the state awarded $ 112,000 for purchase of this section, which completed in December 2020. The trail will connect two Town owned parcels,

11264-430: The Central Mass Branch west of Waltham was approved. The final train on the Central Mass Branch ROW, freight in Waltham between Bacon Street and Clematis Brook , ran in 1994. In 1996, the MBTA produced the "Central Mass. Commuter Rail Feasibility Study", which advised reactivation of the Central Mass Branch between Berlin and Waltham would not be cost effective. In 1997, a "Central Massachusetts Rail Trail Feasibility Study"

11440-407: The Central Massachusetts Branch along the Ware River Branch and made the sections from Creamery to Gilbertville and Wheelwright spurs , taking the tracks south of Gilbertville to Forest Lake and north of Wheelwright to Barre Junction out of service. The ICC approved the abandonments in 1941 and the B&M took up all of the abandoned tracks. To further cut costs the B&M also reduced service on

11616-416: The Central Massachusetts Branch and away from the Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A), which was controlled by William H. Vanderbilt ’s New York Central Railroad (NYC). Legal proceedings brought against Mellen by Louis D. Brandeis to break up his monopoly meant Mellen could not build the route himself so he befriended a railroad contractor from Westfield named Ralph D. Gillett and made him president of

11792-478: The Central Massachusetts Branch as well as NYNH&H traffic heading between Worcester and Fitchburg along the tracks of the original Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad . In 1907 Charles Sanger Mellen , the president of the NYNH&H and protégé of J. P. Morgan , gained control of the B&M to form a near monopoly on all rail traffic in southern New England. Mellen sought to build a direct route through Springfield that would funnel traffic into Boston along

11968-465: The Central Massachusetts Branch track between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction to make room for the MBTA's Red Line . In 1983 Guilford Rail System purchased the B&M and began to transfer all operations to the B&M subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway . The Springfield Terminal took over operations on the last piece of the Central Massachusetts Branch between Clematis Brook and Bacon Street in Waltham in 1987 and continued them until

12144-425: The Central Massachusetts Branch, discontinuing passenger service to Northampton on April 23, 1932. In 1943 the B&M abandoned the Marlborough Branch between its original connection with the Fitchburg Division in South Acton through Maynard and Stow to Gleason Junction, making the Central Massachusetts Branch the exclusive route into Marlborough. By 1938 most of the traffic on the Central Massachusetts Branch

12320-412: The Central Massachusetts Branch. To keep the line open but defray some of the operation and maintenance costs the B&M obtained trackage rights to the Central Vermont Railway 's Southern Division in 1931, which ran parallel to the Central Massachusetts Branch for several miles between Belchertown and Amherst. Connections at Canal Junction in Belchertown and at Norwottuck Junction in Amherst allowed

12496-474: The Central Massachusetts Railroad changed many times over the line's history thanks to leases, ownership changes, and rerouting. The list below is from the 1920 Boston and Maine Southern Division employees' timetable. The listings with grayed-out backgrounds are the stations between West Berlin Junction and Oakdale that the railroad abandoned during the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir. The italicized mileage numbers for these stations indicate their position on

12672-601: The Central Massachusetts Railroad never grew beyond Northampton as its early backers had hoped it nonetheless became an integral link for the B&M to points west and south . This was primarily due to the fact that no rail bridges spanned the North River in New York City , separating New England from major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia , Baltimore , and Washington, D. C. In 1889 construction of

12848-500: The Central Massachusetts route in the fall of 1885 with service resuming from Boston to Hudson on September 28 and to Jefferson on December 14. The new schedule included seven daily round trips from Boston to Jefferson and another ten to Waltham. The B&L formally leased the Central Massachusetts on December 7, 1886, resuming work on the route to Northampton but abandoning any plans for branches to Holyoke or West Deerfield. Though considerable grading work had already been done along

13024-542: The Charnock Cut, which the railroad cut through significant rock ledge, now forming the highest point of the MCRT. This section includes a 0.1 miles (0.16 km) on-road route on Miles Road in Rutland. The section between Glenwood Road and Wachusett Street is a privately owned section of the ROW, and not currently open to the public. A 1.2 miles (1.9 km) section continues from Wachusett Street in Muschopauge, Rutland to

13200-698: The City of Northampton. It continues 0.9 miles (1.4 km) parallel with the Connecticut River Line , an example of rails with trails , to Woodmont Road. Next, the Norwottuck Branch of the Mass Central Rail Trail runs 11 miles (18 km) from downtown Northampton through Hadley and Amherst going 1,300 feet (400 m) into Belchertown; it is a state park maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The connection from Northampton to Hadley

13376-605: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts acquired the westernmost 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of the Wheelright Branch, and developed it into what was then known as the Norwottuck Rail Trail in 1993. In 1995, community leaders and volunteers formed the Wachusett Greenways, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed to create trails and greenways in the communities between Barre and Sterling, and began to build a hard packed stone dust trail over

13552-647: The Expansion in 2022. The remaining section to the covered bridge is unimproved and not open to the public. A 1 mile (1.6 km) section through the village of Gilbertville , Hardwick is known as the Ware River Park in Gilbertville section of the Mass Central Rail Trail . It is owned by the Town of Hardwick, running from just after the covered bridge to the Saint Aloysius Cemetery. A portion of this section

13728-554: The Green Street / 117 shared use path, with the 128 Bridge work to be determined, to follow MCRT Waltham-Weston, Phase 1. 🟢 0.3 miles (0.48 km) from Hillside Road, Waltham to after Border Street, Waltham, is the first completed section of the Wayside trail. It was built in 2014 in partnership with the 1265 Main Street Phase 1 development. 🟢 2.75 miles (4.43 km) from after Border Street, Waltham to Beaver Street, Waltham, at

13904-431: The Hampden and Mellen's empire marked the beginning of the downturn of the Central Massachusetts Branch. Much of the traffic routed through Northampton under Mellen's empire vanished or was rerouted by the B&M along the parallel Fitchburg Division via Mechanicville . In August 1917 the B&M discontinued passenger service between Ware and Northampton and downsized the terminal in Ware significantly. The line enjoyed

14080-576: The Holden Town line, however the final 0.1 miles (0.16 km) are unimproved. These trail sections are owned by the DCR and maintained by Wachusett Greenways. From the Rutland/Holden Town line to Princeton Street, after the Providence and Worcester Railroad , the rail ROW is privately owned and lost to development. An on-road route is being used to fill the gap. From Princeton Street to Mill Street,

14256-473: The MBTA purchased from B&M various ROWs across Massachusetts, including the Central Mass Branch. B&M retained various freight rail service obligations over the ROWs for several more years. By 1977, the MBTA had acquired title ownership of all of these ROWs in fee simple , a portion from the 1976 purchase and a portion by order of taking. By 1980, a permanent discontinuance of the B&M's freight obligations for

14432-469: The MBTA starting in 1964, the final passenger train on the Marlborough Branch ran in 1965. The MBTA's 1976/1977 purchase/acquisition of various ROWS included the Marlborough Branch along with the Central Mass Branch. B&M ran the final freight train to Hudson on the Marlborough Branch in 1980. All 23 miles (37 km) of the Wayside trail, once built, form a state park maintained by the DCR, except

14608-524: The MBTA's Central Mass Branch property. In Hudson, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) section of the MCRT—Wayside is shared with the Assabet River Rail Trail along the former Marlborough Branch of the Fitchburg Railroad. Like this trail section, the predecessor railroads also shared this ROW, as some B&M Central Mass passenger trains were run via the Marlborough Branch starting in 1902. This was reduced to Hudson station in 1958, and while subsidized by

14784-582: The MBTA-DCR trail easement was unlawful and void. However, in every ruling, all judges determined all plaintiffs could not succeed with any claim. In 2022 and 2023, abutters sued the MBTA in Massachusetts Land Court twice alleging property rights over the MBTA's Central Mass Branch property in furtherance of such allegations, but withdrew both cases before a judicial ruling. In 2024, Hudson Town meeting voters rejected four citizen petitions to sell or lease

14960-637: The MCER rail yard on the east side of the river is still active, blocking the trail ROW. After the Ware River crossing, though Frohloff Farm and Accessible Rail Trail , through Upper Church Street, almost to the Ware–Hardwick Covered Bridge , a 2.7 miles (4.3 km) section is known as the Mass Central Rail Trail Expansion . The East Quabbin Land Trust (EQLT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, purchased Frohloff Farm in 2018 and completed

15136-543: The MCRT and other regional trails. By 2002, every community along the corridor agreed to the unified Mass Central Rail Trail name to promote the idea of a state-wide trail. Since 2017, the Norwottuck Network has been issuing a monthly newsletter regarding MCRT development, as well as trail development in the region. In 2021, MassTrails produced "Shared Use Path Benefits Primer", which featured the Norwottuck Branch of

15312-596: The MCRT. In 1999, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management produced " Commonwealth Connections , A Greenway Vision for Massachusetts", including a call for a cross state multi-use trail reaching from Boston to the Berkshires. Since 1999, Wachusett Greenways, the Wayside Rail Trail Committee, or the Norwottuck Network have held Golden Spike conferences during various years to promote

15488-438: The MCRT. In 2023, the Norwottuck Network produced "Envisioning a Statewide Connection Massachusetts Central Rail Trail Benefits Study", a report highlighting the benefits of completing all 104 miles (167 km) of the MCRT. The trail is fully complete and paved through Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, and a short section in Belchertown. The Mass Central Rail Trail's western terminus is at Northampton Union Station , maintained by

15664-509: The MCRT—Wayside from Colburn Road Berlin, through Bolton, to the Hudson border was awarded, as well as a feasibility study for all of the MCRT in Berlin to the Clinton border. The Bolton section is 100 feet (30 m). There is no known ETA for construction. 🟣 2.6 miles (4.2 km) from the Bolton/Hudson Town line to Priest Street, Hudson is unimproved. A 2023 MassTrails grant was awarded for design of this section. This section includes

15840-646: The Maffei Conservation Area and the Rauscher Farm, and pass through the open space around the Woodlands Development. A further $ 397,000 MassTrails grant in 2022 will complete planning for the tunnel, and begin planning for the remainder of the trail east to the Berlin Town line. A further $ 162,400 MassTrails grant was awarded in 2023 to purchase a parcel of land off Berlin Street with trail access and

16016-500: The Marlborough Branch. On August 11 the railroad removed all track between Berlin and Clinton Junction, including East Switch, from service. The viaduct in Clinton remained in place until 1974 when the Metropolitan District Commission removed it. On June 14, 1959, the B&M further cut passenger service to Hudson back to one daily round trip, after attempting to abandon all service on the line. In 1959,

16192-695: The Mass Central Rail Trail Sterling Spur, is a 1.7 miles (2.7 km) trail located between Sterling Junction and Sterling Center. It is available by an on-road connection to the Gates Road southern terminus. It uses the former ROW of the Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad , so it was never part of the Massachusetts Central Railroad or Central Massachusetts Railroad and is not included in the 104 miles (167 km) tally. This trail

16368-460: The Mass Central Rail Trail as one of the case studies. In 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation produced a feasibility study of the 68.5 miles (110.2 km) mid-state section of the MCRT between Belchertown and Berlin. In 2023, MassTrails produced an interactive Priority Trails Network vision map for current and future shared-use path projects throughout the Commonwealth that will be prioritized, including all 104 miles (167 km) of

16544-535: The Massachusetts Central Railroad. In 1887 the locomotive became B&L No. 65, Marlboro , and later that year it became B&M No. 365, Marlboro . Manchester Locomotive Works rebuilt the locomotive in 1904 and the B&M renumbered it No. 683 in 1911, scrapping it before 1923. Prior to its time with the Massachusetts Central Railroad Locomotive No. 5 was No. 11, N. C. Munson , of the N. C. Munson Construction Company (incidentally

16720-547: The Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), Eversource preferred such an underground MBTA ROW route, though as part of the approval process, Eversource was required to evaluate alternative options. Only the preferred, underground MBTA ROW route was endorsed by the DCR, as the transmission project had the benefit of substantially reducing trail construction costs, and the underground route required Eversource to make several bridge improvements

16896-626: The Massachusetts General Court amended the railroad's charter to allow for several new expansions. The most significant was an extension east through Waltham and Belmont, which eliminated the connection with the Fitchburg at Stony Brook. From Beaver Brook to Hill Crossing, the line ran alongside the Fitchburg. Original plans called for the route to briefly parallel the Lexington Branch cutoff through North Cambridge and terminate at

17072-515: The NYNH&H discontinued passenger service on its lines in the former Old Colony Railroad network, triggering calls for state intervention. In response, the Mass Transportation Commission tested fare and service levels throughout the NYNH&H and B&M systems, concluding that commuter rail service was important enough to warrant continued operation, but was unlikely to be financially self-sustaining. Based on this conclusion,

17248-566: The Ware River is missing, making the ROW between the river and the Gibbs Crossing shopping plaza unusable. Two sections are open in Ware. From Gibbs Crossing to Robbins Road, a 1.56 miles (2.51 km) section is known as the Gibbs Crossing segment of the Mass Central Rail Trail . This section was opened in 2023 and is owned and maintained by the Town of Ware. Past Robbins Road to the upper Ware River crossing, two river bridges are missing and

17424-433: The bridge over MBTA Fitchburg Line, Weston are complete. The DCR paved the access road and installed safe road crossings in 2019. This section passes by the historic Wayland Freight House and Weston station . 🟠 0.3 miles (0.48 km) from before the bridge over MBTA Fitchburg Line, Weston to Jones Road, Waltham is under construction, known as Mass Central Rail Trail Waltham-Weston, Phase 1. This section will rehabilitate

17600-401: The bridge. It was built in 1894 and is a riveted lattice truss bridge on granite abutments. The Linden Street bridge project also includes sidewalk and railroad crossing improvements at Beaver Street. Construction bid was awarded, and construction is estimated to begin in spring 2025. In Hudson, the MCRT—Wayside connects with the Assabet River Rail Trail in Hudson. In Sudbury, it connects with

17776-481: The bridges have been restored or are funded for restoration as part of the Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside . In 1996 the towns along the eastern portion of the Central Massachusetts Branch requested permission to convert the route between Clematis Brook and Berlin into what was then proposed as the Wayside Rail Trail . The MBTA agreed to lease the property for the project with the stipulation that it would retain

17952-482: The bunker with inbound ammunition from Boston being dropped in a yard just north of Mirror Lake Junction and outbound ammunition being brought to the NYNH&H in South Sudbury. This business ended with the war as the government repurposed the facility and removed the yard and connection to the Central Massachusetts Branch. Further east the B&M worked with the state and other railroads to modernize and streamline

18128-559: The cost of rehabilitating a timber trestle bridge over the Assabet River to the northwest of the section. The unimproved ROW, intersecting the completed trail at the former Gleason Junction , runs northwest and southeast. 🟠 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from Wilkins Street, Hudson to the Sudbury Substation are under construction, passing thought the towns in the order Hudson-Stow-Hudson-Marlborough-Sudbury. Phase 1 construction, including

18304-601: The east the stockholders approved a 25-year lease of the Massachusetts Central to the B&L on March 21, 1880 pending its completion within two years. The first rails were finally laid in October that same year at the junction with the Framingham and Lowell Railroad in South Sudbury. The route from Cambridge to Hudson was complete by August 20, 1881 and inspected by state and company officials on September 21. Satisfied with

18480-626: The eastern half of the line between Boston and Oakdale. On the Wheelwright Branch freight service continued between Northampton and Wheelwright at least three times per week until 1973 when the paper mill in Wheelwright closed. In April 1974 the B&M cut freight service to once per week, took the tracks between Creamery and Wheelwright out of service, and embargoed all traffic on the line east of Bondsville. With only one customer in Bondsville

18656-403: The existing bridge over Rt. 128 . The bridge was built in 1960 and is a two-span plate girder bridge on concrete abutments and pier. This section is at 25% design. It will be designed in coordination with the 1265 Main Street Phase 2 mixed use development and roadway improvements project. The roadway improvement portion of the 1265 Main project will occur first, is planned for 2025, and will create

18832-543: The existing bridge over the MBTA Fitchburg Line . The bridge was built in 1896 and is a riveted lattice truss bridge on stone abutments. Construction funding was announced in 2023 and DCR issued a notice to proceed with construction in 2024. Construction is estimated to complete summer 2025. 🟣 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Jones Road, Waltham to Hillside Road, Waltham is unimproved, known as Mass Central Rail Trail Waltham-Weston, Phase 2. This section will rehabilitate

19008-503: The four daily through trains for service to Holyoke, Northampton, South Deerfield, and Greenfield; limited Friday and Sunday service to serve college students was also retained. The Springfield–Greenfield sections of two daily through trains were dropped on April 29, 1962, leaving just two daily round trips – the Montrealer / Washingtonian and Ambassador . Those trains were cut on September 6, 1966, ending through passenger service over

19184-462: The increase in traffic the railroad took up the tracks of the Central Massachusetts Branch tracks between Clematis Brook and Hill Crossing. The remaining track between Hill Crossing and North Cambridge Junction became a part of the Freight Cutoff to the yards in Boston. Around the same time the B&M also modernized its motive power, adopting diesel locomotives throughout its system. The last of

19360-423: The intersection of US 20 and Andrew Ave in Wayland. In Sudbury and Hudson, a 7.6 mile paved section is under construction in partnership between DCR and Eversource's buried power line project, with an estimated completion in 2026. Efforts to convert the property to recreational trails also found success elsewhere along the route. The portion of the Marlborough Branch between Gleason Junction and Marlborough became

19536-602: The largest potential customers, Yankee Candle , despite being on the other side of the road, receives wax shipments via truck from a competing railroad's depot further south. In order to shorten travel times on the Vermonter and add additional local service to the populated Connecticut River Valley, the Connecticut River Line was rebuilt with $ 73 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 money and $ 10 million in state funds. The restoration work on

19712-436: The last customer shut down in 1994. In 1996 State Representative Nancy Evans of Wayland proposed restoring commuter service on the Central Massachusetts Branch between Interstate 495 in Berlin and Boston to alleviate traffic on Route 20 but was met with substantial backlash from residents of new homes built along the dormant line in the time since its operations had ceased. The Executive Office of Transportation carried out

19888-597: The last of the passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch. Freight service, however, continued to all three communities and saw a major uptick as World War II intensified. In 1942 the United States Government built the Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex which connected to the Central Massachusetts Branch at Mirror Lake Junction just east of Ordway station in Hudson. B&M trains transported huge quantities of ammunition to and from

20064-467: The line at Coldbrook and knocked out a bridge in Gilbertville. The B&M could not justify the cost to make repairs to an area it was hardly using and so on January 30, 1939 the railroad formally submitted a request to the ICC to abandon the Central Massachusetts Branch tracks between Oakdale and Barre Junction, abandon the B&A Ware River tracks between Creamery and Gilbertville, and discontinue operations on

20240-527: The line in Vermont from the Boston and Maine Railroad, but the train was rerouted over the Central Vermont Railway through Massachusetts and Connecticut to avoid the still-dilapidated Connecticut River Line, because Guilford Rail System refused to improve poor track conditions. A stop was added at Amherst to replace Northampton. The Montrealer was replaced by the daytime Vermonter in 1995, using

20416-500: The line in the 1892 employees' timetable. Connecticut River Line The Connecticut River Line (colloquially known as the Conn River Line ) is a railroad line owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), running between Springfield and East Northfield, Massachusetts . Freight rail service along the line is operated by Berkshire and Eastern Railroad , and passenger rail service

20592-551: The line included the replacement of about 95,000 ties ; installation of 49 miles (79 km) of new continuously welded rail; new active warning signals and crossing gates at 23 public grade crossings and four private crossings; upgrades to six bridges; and the first phase of a new signal installation. Restoration work began in August 2012 and was scheduled to be completed in 2016. A 100-person Norfolk Southern Railway work crew began major track work on July 7, 2014, intending to complete

20768-612: The line to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in late 2014, but retained an exclusive common carrier freight easement over the line and continued to maintain and dispatch the line under a contract with MassDOT. The Berkshire and Eastern Railroad took over Pan Am's operations on the line in September 2023. Several local trains were dropped during systemwide cuts on May 18, 1958. Most local service ended on June 14, 1959; stops at Brightwood, Riverside, Mount Tom, Whately, and Deerfield were dropped. Local passengers were allowed to use

20944-717: The line was extended further north to the Massachusetts - Vermont state line, where it met the Brattleboro line of the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad (which later became part of the Fitchburg Railroad ). The line became part of the Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) in 1893 when the CRRR was acquired by the B&M. In 1983 the line became part of Guilford Rail System (which later became Pan Am Railways). Pan Am Railways sold

21120-555: The line's upgrade over the summer. The arrival of the NS crew allowed the Pan Am crews, who had previously started the track work, to focus on grade crossings and other work on the line. Commuter rail service has been proposed for the corridor, running between Springfield and Greenfield with four daily round trips. A 2014 state transportation funding bill included $ 30 million for acquiring used MBTA Commuter Rail rolling stock and new locomotives for

21296-432: The line. Limited local service (one southbound Friday trip, and two Sunday round trips) between Springfield and Brattleboro lasted until later that year. In 1972, Amtrak began running the Montrealer along the line at night, stopping at Northampton but not Holyoke or Greenfield. The Montrealer was discontinued in 1987 due to poor track conditions on the line. Service resumed in 1989 after Amtrak seized control of

21472-481: The location of the former Clemantis Brook Station location, is complete. Waltham funded the approximately $ 9 million cost of construction of its section from City revenues. Construction began in 2022 and was substantially complete by September 2023. However, the Linden Street bridge rehabilitation has not begun, and therefore the two completed sections are not continuous. The timber trestle bridge over Clemantis Brook

21648-567: The locomotive in 1881 then sold it to the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad (SJ&LC) in 1883 where it became No. 11, Col. Jewett . The locomotive became a part of the B&L following its merger with the SJ&;LC in 1885. The B&L renumbered it as No. 163, Highgate . The locomotive returned to the SJ&LC 1887 when the B&M leased the B&L and became No. 8, Highgate . The SJ&LC scrapped

21824-508: The locomotive in 1895, renumbering it as No. 629 and then No. 555 on February 29, 1904. The B&M scrapped the locomotive on March 20, 1907. Schenectady Locomotive Works built locomotive No. 3 for the Massachusetts Central Railroad. In 1887 the locomotive became B&L No. 10, Woburn , and later that year it became B&M No. 310, Woburn . The B&M rebuilt the locomotive in 1898 and renumbered it No. 680 in 1911 before scrapping it in August 1920. Schenectady built locomotive No. 4 for

22000-629: The locomotive in May 1892. Rogers built locomotive No. 2 for the IB&;W as their No. 71. In 1880 the IB&W returned the locomotive to Rogers which sold it to the Housatonic as their No. 22. The Massachusetts Central Railroad purchased the locomotive in 1881 then sold it to the SJ&LC in 1883 where it became No. 12, Col. Fairbanks . The locomotive became a part of the B&L in 1887, which renumbered it as No. 164, Col. Fairbanks . The B&M took possession of

22176-527: The negative 1997 Town vote. Weston assisted by forming a Rail Trail Committee and made recommendations, constructed the Conant Road underpass not included with DCR's funding, officially stated thanks to DCR and Eversource for their contributions to the trail, and now supports the completion of the entire MCRT. In Hudson, Stow, Marlborough, and Sudbury, in 2015 ISO New England issued a Greater Boston area needs assessment, directing utility companies to investigate

22352-470: The new route emerged. The first proposal called for a connection to the defunct Lancaster Railroad in Hudson that would route traffic through Bolton to a connection with the WN&P Division main line in South Lancaster and leave Berlin at the end of a four-mile branch . The second proposal would build a new route through Clinton and connect with the WN&P Division main line there. On April 3, 1902

22528-420: The northeast railroads into Conrail . The ICC approved the plan and operations east of Amherst ceased by August and on the rest of the line by November. On February 14, 1980 the B&M officially took line from Northampton to Norwottuck out of service. Later that month the Massachusetts Central assumed responsibility for the customer in Bondsville but had to stop after about a year due to the poor condition of

22704-405: The old track was officially removed from through service on June 15 but remained in place and used during the remainder of the reservoir construction, some of it being re-gauged to 3' to allow construction trains to utilize it. Under this arrangement the WN&P main line between Oakdale and Sterling Junction became exceptionally busy as it accommodated B&M traffic from the WN&P Division and

22880-538: The only five locomotives that the company ever owned with other railroads providing motive power later in the line's history. Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works built locomotive No. 1 for the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway (IB&W) as their No. 70. In 1880 the IB&W returned the locomotive to Rogers which sold it to the Housatonic Railroad as their No. 21. The Massachusetts Central Railroad purchased

23056-605: The optional process of railbanking. In 2014, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) determined the trail did not require further Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review, simplifying permitting. In Wayland and Weston, by 1952, the Boston Edison Company (BECo) acquired an easement along this section of the B&M's ROW and built overhead power lines . In 2016, BECo's successor, Eversource , filed permits to build

23232-413: The original Central Massachusetts Branch. Just before Clinton Junction an additional connection branched off at Reservoir Switch leading to East Switch on the WN&P Division to allow traffic to approach the Central Massachusetts Branch from the north or continue from the Central Massachusetts Branch north along the WN&P Division main line. The first train passed over the new route on June 2, 1903 while

23408-488: The original contractor for the Massachusetts Central Railroad). It was sold to the Massachusetts Central around 1882 and sold at auction in 1886. In addition to the above locomotives the Massachusetts Central Railroad would on occasion lease power from the B&L. Small 4-4-0, 4-6-0 , and 0-4-0 locomotives predominated through 1900 partially due to weight restrictions over the line's bridges. After 1900

23584-711: The original planned route in Hardwick , Greenwich , and Enfield the railroad's leadership decided to redirect the route through an easier terrain in the Ware River Valley, taking the line into Palmer and reconnecting with the original route in Belchertown. This turned out to be a fortuitous decision given that much of the disused portion of the line was flooded in the 1930s to construct the Quabbin Reservoir . Tracks were installed through Muschopauge in Rutland by November. The Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) leased

23760-607: The original route through Connecticut but still avoiding the Conn River Line in Massachusetts. Freight service along the Connecticut River line has for many years been operated by Pan Am Railways. In recent years the line has been operated at FRA Class I levels, with freight trains limited to a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Due to these conditions, there are only a few remaining online customers. One of

23936-441: The pedestrian bridges and a gravel access road, is ongoing. Bridge 127 in Sudbury was a riveted plate deck girder bridge, built in 1881. Over time, it had submerged into Hop Brook, damaging the piers and steel. Bridge 130 over Fort Meadow Brook in Hudson was a timber trestle bridge, destroyed by fire in 2019. Both bridges were replaced by prefabricated structural steel truss bridges in 2024. Bridge 128, also over Hop Brook in Sudbury,

24112-420: The possibility of restoring passenger service to the line in 1972 and again in 1975, but neither study led to the resumption of passenger service. Despite the end of passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch freight service continued well into the 1970s. Trains ran to South Sudbury 3–4 times each week and traveled as far as Hudson when needed, usually 1–2 times per week. With no business in Marlborough

24288-430: The public. The New England National Scenic Trail follows Federal Street and therefore connects with the MCRT. Additionally, there is a short on-road connection from the MCRT at Route 181 to the Chickadee Trail , with the southern terminus at Depot Street, a 2.3 miles (3.7 km) hiking trail following the rail ROW of the former Boston and Albany Railroad Athol Branch , roughly following the Swift River north. From

24464-435: The public. Other structures such as engine houses , water towers, section houses , and crossing shanties were not decorated. To create the illusion of variety the railroad never used the same design on two consecutive stations except at Waverly and Belmont where the consistent design helped passengers distinguish the Central Massachusetts Railroad stations from those of the parallel Fitchburg Railroad. The station listing on

24640-457: The rail ROW is obliterated by development. The trail departs the Ware River in Barre as it continues east to Boston. An 8.8 miles (14.2 km) section from Barre, though Oakham, to Glenwood Road in Rutland, is complete and open. It includes the Charnock Tunnel installed in 2006, the Pommogussett Tunnel installed in 2011, the White Valley Bridge over the Ware River installed in 2013, and a culvert after Miles Road installed in 2024. It also includes

24816-401: The rail ROW is privately owned and has been largely obliterated by development. From Federal Street to Route 181, the trail ROW is owned by the Town of Belchertown and is open for pedestrians and snowmobiles. The sections north of the US 202 overpass are more overgrown, with the southern sections clearer and better maintained. There is a timber trestle bridge over Jabish Brook in this section, and

24992-504: The rail ROW, naming it the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail to promote the idea of a state-wide trail network. In 1996, the first plans to build out the MCRT from Berlin to Belmont on the MBTA's ROW emerged, but stalled until 2010, when the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) executed a lease with the MBTA to build the Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside from Berlin to Waltham. This work inspired other communities and land trusts to begin to build out their own sections of

25168-422: The rail infrastructure in and around Boston between 1951 and 1952. Rather than have the Central Massachusetts Branch and Fitchburg Division run parallel to one another from Clematis Brook to their connection at Fens in Cambridge, the B&M decided to connect the two lines at Clematis Brook and route all Central Massachusetts Branch traffic onto the Fitchburg Division. After upgrading the Fitchburg Division to handle

25344-405: The railroad in April 1871, but two years later the Panic of 1873 forced Munson into bankruptcy and halted construction. The railroad stagnated until June 5, 1878 when new president Silas Seymour called a stockholders meeting. The stockholders elected a new Board of Directors which appointed George S. Boutwell president in 1879 and rehired Munson to resume construction. That same year,

25520-405: The railroad petitioned the ICC to abandon the remainder of the Wheelwright Branch in June 1979, reasoning that that business could be better served by the new Massachusetts Central Railroad which the General Court had chartered on October 16, 1975 to run along the Ware River Secondary of the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad after that line was to be excluded from the government's reorganization of

25696-467: The right to revert it to a commuter rail line and that the trail would be policed and maintained by the communities themselves. Every town along the route except for Weston accepted the terms but without unanimous approval the trail took a while to come to fruition. Waltham moved ahead to convert the property in their city anyway reasoning that even if service were restored it would start from a new connection at Stony Brook west of their city limits. In 2010,

25872-430: The route was completed from Boston to Northampton. The railroad faced various challenges over its history, including a fatal blow to the complete route by the Hurricane of 1938 which severed the middle 24 miles (39 km) from Oakdale to Wheelright . This reduced the Central Mass Branch to the eastern side and created the Wheelright Branch to the west, and over time both branches continued to reduce service. In 1964,

26048-433: The selling agents for the company's bonds, Boston-based Charles A. Sweet and Co., declared bankruptcy. The railroad ceased operations and construction on May 16 and remained in limbo for the next 29 months. To restore service to the line the Central Massachusetts Railroad was formed out of the failed Massachusetts Central Railroad Company on November 10, 1883. The directors contracted with the B&L to operate trains over

26224-417: The service. On August 20, 2014, the state finalized a $ 17 million deal to purchase the line from Pan Am Southern. In 2014, following several years of planning and construction, the original mainline was restored to modern standards, with a maximum authorized speed of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h) for passenger trains on the long straight sections of track between Hatfield and Deerfield . The Vermonter

26400-427: The single train along the route was too inconvenient for commuters and so on October 1 the MBTA announced that it would temporarily schedule more trains to determine whether the line was still viable. After two months, the MBTA concluded that the modest increase in ridership was not sufficient to warrant continued funding; on November 26, all passenger service ended on the Central Massachusetts Branch. The MBTA examined

26576-415: The south branch of the Nashua River for the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir , flooding roughly 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of land in the towns of Clinton, Boylston , and West Boylston. The Central Massachusetts Branch needed to be rerouted as the new reservoir would cover 7.01 miles (11.28 km) of track as well as the stations at South Clinton, Boylston, and West Boylston. Two proposals for

26752-491: The state created the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on August 3, 1964 and merged it with the existing Metropolitan Transportation Authority to serve a larger part of the state and subsidize commuter rail service. The MBTA immediately set to work optimizing the commuter rail networks of the NYNH&H, NYC, and B&M. On the Central Massachusetts Branch, this included cutting passenger service back to South Sudbury starting on January 18, 1965. In spite of

26928-402: The state purchased 10 miles of the line between the west end of the Connecticut River Bridge in Northampton and Amherst with the intent to convert it into a rail trail. Work began in 1992 and on July 29, 1993 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management officially opened the Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail . By 1997 the trail extended as far as Belchertown where progress halted due to

27104-427: The subsidies, ridership continued to decline on the Central Massachusetts Branch, and by 1969 the MBTA recommended an end to all service on the line. Devoted riders managed to briefly delay the decision, but in December 1970 the B&M filed for bankruptcy. On July 30, 1971, the state renewed the B&M's annual subsidy but without funding for the Central Massachusetts Branch. A group of citizens from Wayland argued that

27280-410: The substations. Prior efforts for a locally funded trail had already lost momentum, and with the news of a possibility to build the trail without local funding, Sudbury officials and a Town vote decided against continuing local funding efforts to accelerate a proposed trail build with a crushed stone surface first. By November 2015, Sudbury and Hudson officials requested Eversource consider undergrounding

27456-412: The timber decking. From Maple Street, into New Braintree again, to the Barre Town line, the trail ROW is obstructed by a missing bridge and the Tanner-Hiller Airport and is not open to the public. Wachusett Greenways has completed about 20 miles (32 km) of the planned 30 miles (48 km) of the MCRT through the towns of Barre to Sterling, including eight bridges. All of the improved sections are

27632-428: The track between Berlin and Hudson from service as it had deteriorated to the point of being unsafe. In August 1979 the B&M petitioned the ICC to abandon the Central Massachusetts Branch between Berlin and Waltham North Station and the remaining segment of the Marlborough Branch. The last train to Hudson ran on June 19, 1980 and the last train west of Waltham about a month later on August 14. The B&M officially took

27808-421: The track west of Bacon Street in Waltham out of service on September 11 and the United States District Court overseeing the B&M's bankruptcy instead approved a permanent discontinuance in October. Around the same time the B&M and MBTA increased vertical height clearances along the New Hampshire Route main line. This made the Hill Crossing Freight Cutoff obsolete and in 1980 the B&M and MBTA took up

27984-412: The tracks. The ICC finally approved the abandonment of the Wheelwright Branch in 1982 and the B&M took up the tracks between Northampton and Norwottuck later that year. This left only two sections of B&M-owned track on the Wheelwright Branch: between Canal Junction and Bondsville and between Creamery and Wheelwright. The Massachusetts Central could not afford to acquire either property and so in 1983

28160-399: The trail by large margins. However, a follow up Weston Special Town meeting voted 698 against and 410 in favor, which derailed progress on the Wayside Rail Trail for at least two decades. In 2006, theft of a section of rail was discovered in Berlin, which encouraged the MBTA to take a more active role maintaining the property. By 2010, the DCR executed a 99-year lease with the MBTA to build what

28336-431: The trail required. The preferred underground MBTA ROW route was approved by the EFSB in 2019. The EFSB decision noted the associated benefits of the trail, but stated the EFSB's approval of the transmission project was independent of the trail benefits. Designed and permitted in partnership with the DCR, the project built a gravel sub-base for the future trail and grass shoulders, restored or rebuilt three trail bridges, built

28512-465: The transmission lines along the MBTA ROW. By February 2016, Eversource identified an underground design under the MBTA ROW and under Hudson roads. By January 2017, the MBTA negotiated an options agreement with Eversource for this underground route only, at the cost of forgoing approximately $ 2 million compared to an overhead option, and requiring Eversource to work with DCR to create a trail. In turn, in April 2017, when Eversource sought project approval from

28688-547: The war and into the 1950s. Diesel power arrived in the mid-1950s with EMD SW9 switchers regularly assigned to the Marlborough local freight starting in June 1953. Road switchers equipped with steam generators took over passenger service on the Central Massachusetts Branch starting in 1956. Budd Rail Diesel Cars quickly replaced the road switchers for passenger service beginning in the late 1950s and continued service in that capacity until passenger service ceased in 1971. The Central Massachusetts Railroad built its stations in

28864-455: The work the officials set the railroad's grand opening for October 1, 1881. The company appointed Munson as general manager and purchased five locomotives. The first schedule included four passenger round trips from Boston to Hudson, four passenger round trips from Boston to Waltham, and a daily freight from Boston to Hudson and back. Meanwhile, westward construction continued with tracks reaching Oakdale and Jefferson by June 1882. In 1883

29040-665: Was a railroad in Massachusetts . The eastern terminus of the line was at North Cambridge Junction where it split off from the Middlesex Central Branch of the Boston and Lowell Railroad in North Cambridge and through which it had access to North Station in Boston . From there, the route ran 98.77 miles west through the modern-day towns of Belmont , Waltham , Weston , Wayland , Sudbury , Hudson , Bolton , Berlin , Clinton , West Boylston , Holden , Rutland , Oakham , Barre , New Braintree , Hardwick , Ware , Palmer , Belchertown , Amherst , and Hadley to its western terminal junction at N. O. Tower in Northampton with

29216-401: Was a B&M station at the Dutton Road crossing for which the MCRT—Wayside is named. The ETA of Phase 2 construction is Spring 2025. 🟣 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from the Sudbury substation to Route 20 , Wayland are unimproved. This section is currently at 25% design and funded to construct a paved trail. The ETA for the start of construction is Spring 2027. There is a timber trestle bridge over

29392-407: Was awarded to complete this construction. From River Street to Thomas Street in the village of Oakdale , West Boylston, a 3 miles (4.8 km) ROW is complete and open, roughly following the Quinapoxet River . The detour and trail ROW combined in Holden are both maintained by the DCR and are labeled "Mass Central Rail Trail" on the DCR's Wachusett Watershed Bike Routes map. The trail in West Boylston

29568-418: Was built in 1881. It is a riveted plate deck girder bridge with granite abutments and timber piers. It received a new timber deck and railing, preserving the girders, piers, cross frames, and the majority of the abutments. A new precast arch pedestrian tunnel was installed under Chestnut Street in Hudson. This section passes by South Sudbury station adjacent to the former railroad crossing, with tracks forming

29744-569: Was commissioned by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority , which found construction of a 25 miles (40 km) trail to be feasible. The proposed trail was quickly renamed the Wayside Rail Trail by the Wayside Rail Trail Committee, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, as the Wayside Inn / Wayside Inn Railroad Waiting Room was a B&M station at the crossing with Dutton Road. All seven municipalities from Berlin to Belmont (excepting Bolton, Stow, and Marlborough, as their shortest sections were expected to be bundled with their surrounding sections) initially approved

29920-442: Was east of Clinton. The only business on the western end of the line was local freight service between Northampton and Rutland. Since no trains passed over the middle of the route the B&M took the tracks between Oakdale and Muschopauge out of service on June 1, 1938. Later that year on September 21 the Hurricane of 1938 badly damaged the tracks, particularly near the Quinapoxet , Ware, and Swift Rivers where washouts severed

30096-432: Was finally renamed the Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside , combining the Wayside name with the future vision of a trail from Boston to Northampton. The MCRT—Wayside lease is 23 miles (37 km) from Berlin to Waltham. Under the terms of the lease, the MBTA retains the right to reactivate commuter rail. This arrangement is not railbanking because the MBTA neither began the required precondition of abandonment nor consented to

30272-422: Was listed for sale, and the Central Highlands Conservancy LLC was established in 2005. It purchased the land, giving the East Quabbin Land Trust two years to run a capital campaign to purchase the land at cost. This preserved the trail section, including three historic bridges that would otherwise would have been scrapped. The two largest bridges with steel superstructures received a 2023 MassTrails grant to replace

30448-430: Was originally expected to complete in December 2019, however the start of construction was pushed to October 2022 and will complete by the end of 2024, due to an unexpectedly lengthy permitting process. From 2017 to 2022, many lawsuits and petitions were filed by the Town of Sudbury and various abutters alleging the overlapping and jointly permitted construction suffered from varied legal defects, including allegations that

30624-500: Was rehabilitated with new decking and timber bridge railings, stone abutments, and concrete piles. This section passes by Waltham Highlands station . Past Linden Street, it is an example of rails with trails with the MBTA Fitchburg Line. 🟠 120 feet (37 m) of the Linden Street bridge rehabilitation in-between the completed main Waltham section has not begun. Waltham received matching MassTrails grants in 2022 and 2023 to fund construction, however DCR eventually decided to reconstruct

30800-533: Was rerouted to the line on December 29, 2014, stopping at Northampton and Greenfield . New handicapped-accessible platforms have been built at both of these stations. A station stop in Holyoke was added in the summer of 2015. In February 2016, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack said that MassDOT was looking at starting a pilot commuter service as early as 2017. In June 2018, Governor Charlie Baker announced that two Amtrak Shuttle round trips would be extended to Greenfield in 2019 as

30976-413: Was the only state that required paving of trails if using federal funds, which was cited as a concern. Over the following years, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation generated updated guidelines allowing for non-paved surfaces on shared use paths and greenways. Other sections of the MCRT were built with a hard packed stone dust surface, such as the Wachussett Greenways sections. From 2000 to 2017,

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