The Central New England Railroad ( reporting mark CNZR ) is a railroad in and near Hartford, Connecticut . It began operations in 1995 on former Conrail trackage.
66-670: Central New England Railroad operates two different lines in Connecticut: the Armory Branch and the Griffins Secondary. As these lines are not directly connected to each other, CNZR exercises trackage rights over the Connecticut Southern Railroad and a small portion of Amtrak 's New Haven–Springfield Line to move equipment between them. Both of the company's lines are owned by the state of Connecticut and operated under
132-767: A lease. The 13.5-mile (21.7 km) Armory Branch currently extends from East Windsor Hill to the Massachusetts state line in Enfield . This line was originally constructed by the Connecticut Central Railroad between 1874 and 1876, connecting Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts . In 1895, the Armory Branch came under the control of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , which at its peak controlled nearly all freight rail traffic in Connecticut. Following
198-600: A line between Worcester , Massachusetts , and Rochester , New Hampshire , via Nashua . The W&N leased the N&;R in 1874, and the two companies merged into the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883. The B&M leased the line on January 1, 1886. This acquisition also included the continuation from Rochester to Portland , Maine , incorporated in 1846 as the York and Cumberland Railroad . It opened partially in 1851 and 1853,
264-643: A new alignment was built from Wilmington north to North Andover, Massachusetts in order to better serve Lawrence, Massachusetts . A new alignment to Portland opened in 1873, splitting from the old route at South Berwick, Maine . The old route remained a part of the Eastern Railroad 's Main Line (described below). This completed the B&;M "main line", which would become known as the Western Route Main Line. As
330-540: A non-operating ward of PAR. Boston & Maine owned the property (and also employed its own railroad police), while Springfield Terminal Railway , a B&M subsidiary created by owner Timothy Mellon to break the unions' higher wage scales, operated the trains and performed maintenance. Pan Am Railways and all its subsidiaries are now owned by CSX. Pan Am entered a joint venture with Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in April, 2009 to form Pan Am Southern (PAS). PAR transferred to
396-683: A number of named passenger trains , which were often the premier intercity service on their routes. Most were through service that were shared between the B&M and other railroads, including the Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), Central Vermont Railway (CV), Maine Central Railroad (MEC), New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NH), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Quebec Central Railway (QC), and Rutland Railroad (RUT). Trains originating in New York City or Washington, D.C., ran through Springfield (using
462-447: A passenger carrier. After steady growth from 1901 to 1913, passenger rail ridership around Boston peaked in 1920 and began to decline due to competition from private automobiles and service cuts during World War I. In the mid-1920s, after several difficult years, the B&M discontinued service on some marginal lines and began using small self-propelled railcars on others. A second round of discontinuances occurred from 1931 to 1936 as
528-706: A second route to Maine, ending competition along the immediate route between Boston and Portland. Along with the Eastern, the B&M also acquired many branch lines, including the Conway Branch , the Saugus Branch , the South Reading Branch , and branches to Marblehead and Rockport , Massachusetts. The Worcester and Nashua Railroad was organized in 1845 (opened 1848) and the Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1847, forming
594-513: A single entity. The B&M operated the whole MBTA Commuter Rail system under contract to the MBTA until 1987. The final B&M line to lose passenger service was the Woburn Branch (former Woburn Loop), which was cut on January 30, 1981, due to poor track quality. Under public control, commuter rail service has returned to several lines cut by the B&M, and Portland intercity service returned with
660-779: Is a 90-mile (140 km) long short-line railroad operating in Connecticut and Massachusetts . The company was formed in 1996 as a spinoff of Conrail by shortline holding company RailTex and subsequently acquired in 2000 by RailAmerica . Since 2012, it has been a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming . CSO is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut , site of its Hartford Yard . The company also operates East Hartford Yard . Connecticut Southern connects with CSX Transportation at yards in West Springfield, Massachusetts and North Haven, Connecticut ( Cedar Hill Yard ). It also connects with
726-458: Is currently little business on the line, there are several potential rail customers, including an oil company and a Martin-Brower distribution facility. The fate of the line will be decided by the state of Connecticut in 2022 when the current lease expires. The Griffins Secondary begins just north of Hartford Union Station and terminates just past Day Hill Road in Windsor, Connecticut . This line
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#1732868914325792-460: Is now out of service and overgrown, leaving only the spur to the airport and the portion of the secondary leading to the second spur in operation. Rail service to Suffield had ended by July 2009, and Connecticut Southern filed for abandonment of the 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of track leading to the town in 2012. CSO announced they would remove the railroad ties and steel tracks for salvage in their abandonment filing. The town of Suffield attempted to stop
858-514: Is strictly a passenger railroad, Connecticut Southern provides freight service over the entirety of the line, on which it has trackage rights. On this line, Connecticut Southern interchanges with CSX at Cedar Hill Yard in North Haven and at another yard in West Springfield , with Pan Am Southern in Berlin , and with both fellow Genesee and Wyoming subsidiary Providence and Worcester Railroad and
924-577: Is the export of trash and recycling from Connecticut. The company's base of operations is at Hartford Yard . As of 2022, the Connecticut Southern hauls approximately 18,500 carloads per year. As of 2018, CSO does not serve any customers within Massachusetts. Connecticut Southern's main line is Amtrak 's New Haven–Springfield Line , necessitating freight operations mostly at night with Amtrak-compliant cab-signal and PTC lead units. As Amtrak
990-565: The Alouette , Ambassador , Cheshire , Day White Mountains , East Wind , Green Mountain Flyer , Gull , Kennebec , Minute Man , Montrealer / Washingtonian , Mountaineer , Pine Tree , Red Wing , and State of Maine . The B&M even promoted its passenger trains with the Timetable Marble radio advertisement. However, the popularization of the automobile doomed B&M as
1056-579: The Amtrak Downeaster , in 2001. The B&M filed for bankruptcy in December 1970. During bankruptcy the B&M reorganized. It rebuilt its existing fleet of locomotives, leased new locomotives and rolling stock and secured funds for upgrading its track and signal systems. For much of the 1970s, the Boston and Maine limped along. In 1973 and 1974 the B&M was on the brink of liquidation. The B&M
1122-600: The Burlington Northern’s famous Pioneer Zephyr , was retired in 1957 and was then displayed at the Edaville Railroad for another 36 years. The equipment was relocated and eventually purchased by the State of Maine, but both public and private restoration efforts were unsuccessful. In November 2023, the state of New Hampshire put the equipment up for sale, with a focus on "the relocation and encouraged restoration" of
1188-692: The Central New England Railroad in Hartford. This line is a spur between Windsor Locks and Suffield, with a second spur that reaches Bradley International Airport . It was originally built in 1870 by the Windsor Locks and Suffield Railroad , which contracted operations to the Hartford and New Haven Railroad before the latter purchased it in 1871. The line was used by trolleys from the early 1900s until 1925, and then fully dedicated to freight services until 2008. The trackage leading to Suffield
1254-645: The Connecticut River Line ) or Worcester (using the Worcester Branch ) and bypassed Boston. Certain commuter trains with wealthy clientele were also named; several of these lasted into the MBTA era. These tables list major named intercity trains operated by the B&M. The 1935 three-car trainset known as the Flying Yankee , virtually identical to the streamlined equipment the Budd Company built for
1320-735: The Fitchburg Railroad on July 1, 1900. This was primarily the main line from Boston west via the Hoosac Tunnel to the Albany, New York , area, with various branches. On December 1, 1919, the B&M purchased the Fitchburg Railroad. At one point, the B&M also owned a majority of stock of the Maine Central Railroad , stretching from Quebec via northern New Hampshire to southern and eastern Maine . The B&M flourished with
1386-695: The Providence and Worcester Railroad and Central New England Railroad in Hartford, and Pan Am Southern in Berlin . The company's main line is Amtrak 's New Haven–Springfield Line , which CSO has trackage rights over; branches are also operated to Suffield , Windsor Locks , Manchester , and South Windsor . Much of the railroad's traffic comes from imports to Connecticut, such as lumber , steel , and carbon dioxide . The railroad also hauls exports of trash and recycling. As of 2022, CSO carries approximately 18,500 carloads annually. The Connecticut Southern Railroad began operations on September 22, 1996, following
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#17328689143251452-740: The St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad to northwestern Vermont , and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad from White River Junction into Quebec . However, the BC&;M was separated in 1889 and merged with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad , which the B&M leased on April 1, 1895, gaining the Concord Railroad's direct line between Nashua and Concord . Additionally,
1518-484: The 1930s, freight business was hurt by the leveling-off of New England manufacturing growth and by new competition from trucking. In 1925, B&M reported 2956 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 740 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 2291 route-miles, including "42.85 miles of electric street railway". (Those totals do not include B&C, M&WR, StJ&LC or YH&B.) The B&M's most traveled and well known passenger trains included
1584-478: The 1950s saw the loss of more significant intercity routes. September, 1952 saw the first cut to the four main intercity mainlines, as Eastern Route service was cut from Portland, Maine to Portsmouth, New Hampshire . (Portland continued to see service to Boston on the Western Route through Dover, New Hampshire .) The New York–Montreal Green Mountain Flyer / Mount Royal , which had Boston sections running on
1650-577: The Ashuelot Railroad, which had been acquired in 1877. The B&M acquired the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1887, but gave it up in 1889, allowing it to merge with the Concord Railroad to form the Concord and Montreal Railroad . That company did poorly on its own and was leased by the B&M on April 1, 1895, giving the B&M the majority of lines in New Hampshire . The B&M leased
1716-494: The B&M grew, it also gained control of former rivals, including: On March 28, 1883, the boards of directors of B&M and the Eastern Railroad Company voted to ratify the proposition that Eastern Railroad would be leased by B&M. However, a disagreement about the wording of the contract delayed its execution until December 2, 1884. On May 9, 1890, B&M purchased Eastern Railroad outright. This provided
1782-652: The B&M via Bellows Falls, ended when the Rutland Railroad discontinued all passenger service, in 1953. The northern section of the Boston– Wells River, Vermont route ended in 1954 (thus ending connections to Quebec City ), as did Manchester –Portsmouth service. Concord – Claremont Junction service ended in 1955, and the Boston section of the Ambassador was reduced to a Boston– White River Junction RDC connecting train in 1956. Fitchburg mainline service
1848-587: The Boston and Portland Railroad on April 3, 1839, opening to the New Hampshire state line in 1840. The Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835, and the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839, in Maine , both companies continuing the proposed line to South Berwick , Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to Exeter , New Hampshire , and on January 1, 1842,
1914-626: The Connecticut Department of Transportation filed a $ 7,775,000 TIGER grant application which included bridge work and track improvements for the entirety of the Connecticut Southern's trackage. In 2012, the railroad opened a new $ 1.4 million headquarters in Hartford, moving from a previously rented space in East Hartford. The project included a 10,500 square foot indoor facility for repairing locomotives and railcars, as well as 3,500 square feet of office space. Genesee & Wyoming acquired
1980-483: The Connecticut Southern was able to acquire locomotives of its own. Conrail served as a partner of Connecticut Southern, supporting the company in working with customers, and in turn benefiting from increased customer satisfaction and carloads produced by the new shortline railroad . In 1998, the company was reported to still use a caboose on trains. To access the yard in West Springfield, CSO trains need to enter
2046-528: The Great Depression reduced traffic. Ridership sharply increased during World War II; the B&M had a slower postwar decline than its contemporaries, though major frequency reductions occurred in 1949–1950. The B&M began testing Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) in 1952; in 1954, the railroad decided to switch all commuter service to RDCs to cut costs. Discontinuances in the 1920s and 1930s primarily affected minor branches and rural intercity routes, but
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2112-469: The New Haven's bankruptcy in 1961, Penn Central took over operations in 1969, followed by Conrail in 1976, which sold the line beyond Hazardville to Guilford Transportation in 1982. Guilford discontinued service in 1993 and abandoned its portion of line, and the trackage north of the Connecticut state line was torn up. Meanwhile, Conrail continued operations on its portion of the line, though it abandoned
2178-713: The New Haven–Springfield Line, but CSO's freight service was also taken into account during the project. Despite shifting freight operations to nocturnal hours, conflicts with Amtrak's maintenance of way operations have had a negative impact on freight traffic by causing delays. As of December 2019, the Connecticut Southern Railroad owns or operates on 90 miles (140 km) of trackage in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Major commodities transported include lumber, steel, and carbon dioxide, which are mostly imported from elsewhere. Another source of traffic
2244-530: The PAS assets that included its 155-mile (249 km) main line track between Mechanicville, New York, and Ayer, Massachusetts, including the Hoosac Tunnel and Fitchburg line as far as Littleton, Massachusetts, and 281 miles (452 km) of secondary and branch lines, plus trackage rights , in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. NS transferred cash and other property valued at $ 140 million to
2310-772: The Providence and Worcester Railroad. A short spur on this line, known as the Market Spur, connects to the Hartford Regional Market. The connection with the P&;W was placed out of service in 2008, and restored to active use in 2019. This line travels between East Hartford , where it diverges from the Highland Division, and East Windsor Hill, where the track beyond is operated by the Central New England Railroad . Connecticut Southern operates this line between Hartford and
2376-561: The St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad, owned by the B&M through stock, was leased to the Maine Central Railroad by 1912. The Central Massachusetts Railroad stayed a part of the B&M, as did the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (as the Passumpsic Division). The Northern Railroad was leased to the Boston and Lowell in 1884, but that lease was canceled and the Northern
2442-626: The Swampscott Branch, Marblehead Branch, Danvers Branch , and the north half of the Woburn Loop . The State of Maine Express - the last through service between New York City and Maine - and the Boston–Halifax Gull were discontinued in 1960. Long rural lines to North Conway and Berlin, New Hampshire were cut on December 3, 1961. By 1962, the B&M was preparing ICC applications to discontinue all remaining service. After
2508-456: The abandonment and salvage of the tracks to preserve them for potential future use. Bradley Airport is a CSO customer, as is Camp Hartell , an Army National Guard facility in Windsor Locks. This line connects Hartford and Middletown. Connecticut Southern owns and operates the northernmost 3 miles (4.8 km) of the line; the remainder is owned by the state of Connecticut and operated by
2574-494: The active portion of the line and the out of service tracks north of Scantic abandoned and converted into a rail trail . An alternate proposal is to instead construct a rails with trails project. Trail proponents including state representative Carol Hall argue that the line does not have sufficient business to justify its continued use, and would better serve the community as a trail. State representative Tom Arnone and Enfield's development services director noted that while there
2640-443: The applications, the B&M discontinued most interstate service on January 4, 1965. Service via Concord to Laconia, New Hampshire and to Montreal via White River Junction ended, though a single Boston–Concord round trip remained. Western Route service to Portland and Eastern Route service to Portsmouth were discontinued; single Boston– Dover and Boston– Newburyport round trips were retained. On January 18, 1965, commuter service
2706-751: The end of track in Manchester , beyond which the right of way has been converted into the Hop River State Park Trail . This line formerly extended to Willimantic . CSO filed for abandonment of the final mile of this line in November 2021; the right-of-way was then purchased by the Connecticut Department of Transportation to allow removal of a grade crossing as part of an intersection improvement project. Boston and Maine Corporation The Boston and Maine Railroad ( reporting mark BM )
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2772-447: The growth of New England's mill towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but still faced financial struggles. It came under the control of J. P. Morgan and his New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad around 1910, but anti-trust forces wrested control back. Later, it faced heavy debt problems from track construction and from the cost of acquiring the Fitchburg Railroad , causing a corporate reorganization in 1919. Beginning in
2838-613: The joint venture, $ 87.5 million of which was expected to be invested within a three-year period in capital improvements on the Patriot Corridor , such as terminal expansions, track and signal upgrades. Springfield Terminal provides all railroad services for the joint venture. Service at B&M's former yard in Mechanicville, New York , was restored as an intermodal and automotive terminal in January 2012, under PAS. The B&M operated
2904-431: The major cuts by the B&M and the New Haven Railroad in the late 1950s, public opinion in Massachusetts began to favor supporting Boston commuter service to prevent it from being cut entirely. From January 1963 to March 1964, the state Mass Transportation Commission funded an experiment testing various fares and service levels on the two railroads. On August 3, 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
2970-575: The purchase of several Conrail routes in Connecticut and Massachusetts by RailTex , the CSO's initial parent. CSO purchased or leased trackage in East Hartford , Manchester , and East Windsor , along with a pair of branch lines to Suffield and Windsor Locks . To connect with Conrail trains, the Connecticut Southern paid for trackage rights over both the New Haven–Springfield Line , owned and operated by Amtrak , and portions of Conrail's remaining trackage in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Operations started with locomotives leased from Conrail, until
3036-410: The railroad as part of its acquisition of RailAmerica in 2012. Genesee & Wyoming subsequently purchased the Providence and Worcester Railroad in November 2016, which connects with the Connecticut Southern, bringing both railroads under the same parent company. The State of Connecticut began Hartford Line commuter rail service in June 2018. This significantly expanded passenger train service on
3102-434: The remaining line a spur out of Hartford. The remaining trackage passed to Penn Central with the rest of the New Haven in 1971, and after objections by local shippers to its proposed abandonment in 1976, Conrail assumed control. The state of Connecticut bought the right-of-way in 1981, and first assigned operations to the Boston and Maine . B&M ceased to operate the line after a few years, and it laid dormant until 1994 when
3168-472: The state of Connecticut began repairs to return the line to service. Following the completion of repairs, the state designated the Central New England Railroad as the new operator in 1999. The sole customer on the Griffins line is a Home Depot distribution center in Bloomfield which receives inbound shipments of lumber. Interchange is with Pan Am in Hartford. Connecticut Southern Railroad The Connecticut Southern Railroad ( reporting mark CSO )
3234-448: The tracks between South Windsor and East Windsor in 1986. After these abandonments, the State of Connecticut took control of the portion of the line within the state (both the trackage formerly operated by Conrail and by Guilford) and leased operation to the Connecticut Southern Railroad from Hartford to East Windsor, and to the Central New England Railroad from East Windsor to the end of track in Enfield. The trackage previously abandoned
3300-417: The two companies merged with the Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad. On February 23, 1843, the B&M opened to Agamenticus , on the line of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad in South Berwick. On January 28 of that year, the B&M and Eastern Railroad came to an agreement to both lease the PS&P as a joint line to Portland . The Boston and Maine Railroad Extension
3366-446: The yard with a reverse move. For safety, a caboose was used to allow a crew member to watch the rear of the train during the reverse movement. Conrail's New England assets were absorbed by CSX Transportation in 1999, which became CSO's new connection in West Springfield and New Haven. Connecticut Southern was subsequently acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. Before the Great Recession , CSO peaked at 26,000 carloads per year. In 2009,
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#17328689143253432-484: Was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England . It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B&M operated 1,515 route-miles (2,438 km) on 2,481 miles (3,993 km) of track, not including Springfield Terminal . That year it reported 2,744 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 92 million passenger-miles. The Andover and Wilmington Railroad
3498-421: Was cut from Clinton to Hudson . Almost all inner-suburb commuter stations within the MTA transit district were closed. Intercity service to Bellows Falls, Vermont and Brattleboro, Vermont (the Cheshire ) via the Cheshire Branch was also cut. Service was trimmed again from Williamstown to Greenfield on December 30, 1958, and cut to Fitchburg on April 23, 1960. Further cuts on June 14, 1959, terminated
3564-491: Was cut to the MBTA district and subsidies began. Fitchburg Route service was cut to West Concord ; New Hampshire Route and Western Route service to Wilmington , save for the Concord and Dover trip; Eastern Route service to Manchester and Wenham except for the Newburyport trip; and Central Mass service to South Sudbury . After out-of-district communities agreed to subsidies, service was re-extended to Ayer , Lowell , Ipswich , and Rockport on June 28. The Montrealer
3630-416: Was discontinued in September, 1966; local service on the Connecticut River Line lasted until the end of that year. On June 30, 1967, the Concord trip was cut to Lowell, and the Dover trip to Haverhill . The four routes with single daily round-trips slowly ended: South Sudbury on November 26, 1971; Newburyport in April 1976; Haverhill in June 1976; and Bedford on January 10, 1977. (However, Haverhill service
3696-407: Was formed (as an expansion of the MTA funding district) to subsidize suburban commuter rail operations. In December 1964, the MBTA and B&M reached an agreement for the MBTA to subsidize in-district service (within about 20 miles (32 km) of Boston) should the ICC applications be approved. Municipalities outside the MBTA district could directly subsidize continued service. After approval of
3762-426: Was incorporated March 15, 1833, to build a branch from the Boston and Lowell Railroad at Wilmington, Massachusetts , north to Andover, Massachusetts . The line opened to Andover on August 8, 1836. The name was changed to the Andover and Haverhill Railroad on April 18, 1837, reflecting plans to build further to Haverhill, Massachusetts (opened later that year), and yet further to Portland , Maine , with renaming to
3828-409: Was incorporated on March 16, 1844, due to a dispute with the Boston and Lowell Railroad over trackage rights rates between Wilmington and Boston. That company was merged into the main B&M on March 19, 1845, and opened on July 1, leading to the abandonment of the old connection to the B&L (later reused by the B&L for its Wildcat Branch ). In 1848, another original section was abandoned, as
3894-482: Was offered the opportunity to merge its properties into the new Conrail in 1976, but opted out. By 1980, though still a sick company, the B&M started turning around thanks to aggressive marketing and its purchase of a cluster of branch lines in Connecticut. The addition of coal traffic and piggyback service also helped. In 1983, the B&M emerged from bankruptcy when it was purchased by Timothy Mellon's Guilford Transportation Industries for $ 24 million. This
3960-478: Was on its own until 1890, when it was re-leased to the B&L, then part of the B&M. The Northern owned a number of lines running west from Concord . On January 1, 1893, the B&M leased the Connecticut River Railroad , with the main line from Springfield, Massachusetts north along the Connecticut River to White River Junction, Vermont , where the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad (acquired in 1887) continued north. Along with this railroad came
4026-402: Was originally built by the Connecticut Western Railroad between 1869 and 1871, as part of their line that originally reached Poughkeepsie, New York . After several changes in ownership, including 6 years by the original Central New England Railway from 1898, the New Haven Railroad assumed control in 1904. Between 1937 and 1938, the tracks between Simsbury and Griffins were abandoned, leaving
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#17328689143254092-508: Was put back into service from South Windsor to Scantic , while the rest of the line to the state line in Enfield remains out of service as of 2021. CNZR has begun reconstructing the line to Enfield in hopes of resuming freight service to customers in Enfield in the next few years. Primary commodities carried on the Armory Branch are fertilizer and bricks. The railroad interchanges with Connecticut Southern in East Windsor. The town of Enfield and local advocates proposed in April 2021 to have both
4158-463: Was reorganized as the Portland and Rochester Railroad in 1867, and opened the rest of the way in 1871. It was again reorganized in 1881 and then operated in conjunction with the line to Worcester. On April 1, 1887, the B&M leased the Boston and Lowell Railroad , adding not only trackage in the Boston area, but also the Central Massachusetts Railroad west to Northampton , the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad into northern New Hampshire ,
4224-431: Was restored by MVRTA subsidy in 1979.) On December 27, 1976, the MBTA bought all B&M commuter equipment, as well as most of the B&M's trackage on Boston's northside (including several abandoned lines). On March 12, 1977, the B&M also won the contract for the southside commuter rail lines that had once been part of the New Haven and B&A : the first time that Boston's commuter rail system had been operated by
4290-539: Was the beginning of the end of the Boston & Maine corporate image, and the start of major changes, such as new labor issues which caused the strikes of 1986 and 1987, and drastic cost-cutting such as the 1990 closure of B&M's Mechanicville, New York , site: the largest rail yard and shop facilities on the B&M system. Guilford Rail System changed its name to Pan Am Railways in 2006. Up until CSX Transportation acquired Pan Am Railways on June 1, 2022, Boston & Maine Corporation continued to exist, but only as
4356-402: Was trimmed from Troy, New York , to Williamstown, Massachusetts , in January 1958, and discontinued soon afterward. The B&M became unprofitable in 1958 and moved to shed its money-losing passenger operations. On May 18, 1958, the B&M severely reduced Boston commuter service. The Maynard Branch, Saugus Branch, Essex Branch , and Stoneham Branch were cut, and the Central Mass Branch
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