This is a list of all freight railroad (not streetcar or rapid transit) lines that have been built in Massachusetts, and does not deal with ownership changes from one company to another. The lines are named by the first company to build or consolidate them.
B&A lines and related railroads These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Boston and Albany Railroad, later part of the New York Central Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesBoston and Worcester RailroadBostonWorcesterBrookline Branch, Beacon Street to BrooklineMilford Branch, Framingham to MilfordMillbury Branch, Millbury Junction to MillburyNewton Highlands Branch, Riverside to Cook Street JunctionNewton Lower Falls Branch, Riverside to Newton Lower FallsSaxonville Branch, Natick to SaxonvilleFramingham Branch became part of the NYNH&HChester and Becket RailroadChesterBecket Grand Junction RailroadAllstonEast Boston North Brookfield RailroadEast BrookfieldNorth Brookfield Pittsfield and North Adams RailroadNorth Adams JunctionNorth Adams Providence, Webster and Springfield RailroadWebster JunctionWebsterEast Village Branch, Webster Mills to East Village Spencer RailroadSouth SpencerSpencer Springfield, Athol and North-eastern RailroadAthol JunctionAthol Ware River RailroadPalmerWinchendon Massachusetts Central Railroad today, operating between Palmer and South BarreWestern RailroadWorcesterNew York state line in West Stockbridge
B&M lines and related railroads These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Boston and Maine Railroad.
Connecticut River Division The Connecticut River Division was the former Connecticut River Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesConnecticut River RailroadSpringfieldVermont state line in NorthfieldChicopee Falls Branch, Chicopee Junction to Chicopee FallsEast Deerfield Branch, Deerfield Junction to East DeerfieldEasthampton Branch, Mount Tom to Easthampton
Eastern Division The Eastern Division was the former Eastern Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesAsbury Grove RailroadWenhamAsbury Grove Chelsea Beach RailroadOak Island Junction Saugus River Junction Eastern RailroadEast BostonNew Hampshire state line in SalisburyAmesbury Branch, Salisbury to AmesburyCharlestown Branch, Revere to BostonEssex Branch, Wenham to EssexGloucester Branch, Beverly Junction to RockportMarblehead Branch, Castle Hill to MarbleheadSwampscott Branch, Swampscott to Marblehead Essex Branch RailroadSalemNorth AndoverSalem Harbor Branch, Salem to Salem Harbor Newburyport City RailroadNewburyportNewburyport Wharf Saugus Branch RailroadWest LynnEverett South Reading Branch RailroadPeabodyWakefield
Fitchburg Division The Fitchburg Division was the former Fitchburg Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesAshburnham RailroadSouth AshburnhamAshburnham Boston, Barre and Gardner RailroadWorcesterWinchendon Brookline and Milford RailroadSquannacook JunctionNew Hampshire state line in Pepperell Charlestown Branch RailroadCharlestownBelmont Deerfield River RailroadHoosac TunnelVermont state line in Rowenever owned by the B&M or FitchburgFitchburg RailroadBostonFitchburg Harvard Branch RailroadSomervilleHarvard Squarenever owned by the B&M or FitchburgLancaster and Sterling RailroadHudsonSouth Acton Marlborough Branch RailroadMarlboroughHudson Monadnock RailroadWinchendonNew Hampshire state line in Winchendon Peterborough and Shirley RailroadAyer JunctionNew Hampshire state line in Townsend Troy and Greenfield RailroadGreenfieldVermont state line in Williamstown Vermont and Massachusetts RailroadFitchburgGreenfieldTurners Falls Branch, Turners Falls Junction to Turners Falls original main line north from Millers Falls became part of the Central Vermont RailroadWatertown Branch RailroadWalthamWest Cambridge Winchendon RailroadSouth AshburnhamNew Hampshire state line in Winchendon
Southern Division The Southern Division was the former Boston and Lowell Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesAndover and Haverhill RailroadAndoverBradford Andover and Wilmington RailroadWilmingtonAndover Billerica and Bedford RailroadNorth BillericaBedford Boston and Lowell RailroadBostonLowellMystic River Branch in Charlestownbranch, Somerville Junction to Lake Street Central Massachusetts RailroadNorth Cambridge JunctionNorthampton Horn Pond Branch RailroadHorn PondWoburn Lexington and West Cambridge RailroadWest CambridgeLexington aka: Lexington and Arlington RailroadLowell and Lawrence RailroadLowellLawrence Lowell and Nashua RailroadLowellNew Hampshire state line in Tyngsborough Middlesex Central RailroadLexingtonMiddlesex Junction Salem and Lowell RailroadTewksbury JunctionPeabody Stoneham Branch RailroadEast WoburnStoneham Stony Brook RailroadChelmsfordAyer Woburn Branch RailroadWinchesterWoburn Woburn Branch Extension RailroadWoburnNorth Woburn Junction
Western Division The Western Division was the original Boston and Maine Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesBoston and Maine Extension RailroadBostonWilmington JunctionBoston and Portland RailroadWilmingtonNew Hampshire state line in HaverhillMethuen Branch, Lawrence to New Hampshire state line in Methuen Danvers RailroadWakefieldDanvers Junction Danvers and Georgetown RailroadDanvers JunctionGeorgetown Lowell and Andover RailroadLowell JunctionLowell Medford branchMedford JunctionMedford Square Nashua, Acton and Boston RailroadActonNew Hampshire state line in Dunstable Newburyport RailroadBradfordNewburyport West Amesbury Branch RailroadMerrimacNew Hampshire state line in Merrimac
Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division The Worcester, Nashua and Portland Division was the former Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesWorcester and Nashua RailroadWorcesterNew Hampshire state line in Dunstable
Central Vermont lines and related railroads These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Central Vermont Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesFlynt's Granite Branch RailroadMonsonFlynt and Company Granite Quarries (Flynt Quarry)not owned by the Central VermontNew London Northern RailroadConnecticut state line in MonsonMillers Falls Vermont and Massachusetts RailroadMillers FallsVermont state line in Northfield The rest of the V&M became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad.
NYNH&H lines and related railroads These railroads were owned by or closely related to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
Berkshire Division The Berkshire Division was the former Berkshire Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesBerkshire RailroadWest StockbridgeConnecticut state line in Sheffield Stockbridge and Pittsfield RailroadVan DeusenvillePittsfield West Stockbridge RailroadWest StockbridgeNew York state line in West Stockbridge (at the Boston and Albany Railroad junction)
Central New England Division The Central New England Division was the former Central New England Railway. NameFromToBranchesNotesCentral New England Railway Springfield BranchConnecticut state line in AgawamAgawam Junction
Hartford Division The Hartford Division was the former Hartford and New Haven Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesHartford and Springfield RailroadConnecticut state line in LongmeadowSpringfield
Midland Division The Midland Division was the former New England Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesCharles River RailroadCook Street JunctionRhode Island state line in BlackstoneRidge Hill Branch, Charles River to Ridge Hilleast from Cook Street Junction to Brookline became part of the B&AHopkinton RailwayAshlandMilford Norfolk County RailroadDedhamBlackstone Medway Branch RailroadNorfolkMedway Midland RailroadBostonDedham JunctionDedham Branch, Dedham Junction to Dedham Milford, Franklin and Providence RailroadBellingham JunctionFranklin Junction Milford and Woonsocket RailroadMilfordBellingham Junction Providence and Springfield RailroadRhode Island state line in DouglasDouglas Junction Rhode Island and Massachusetts RailroadRhode Island state line in North AttleboroughRhode Island state line in WrenthamRhode Island state line in North AttleboroughFranklin Junction Southbridge and Blackstone RailroadBlackstoneConnecticut state line in WebsterConnecticut state line in DouglasSouthbridge Worcester and Norwich RailroadConnecticut state line in WebsterWorcester
Northampton Division The Northampton Division was the former New Haven and Northampton Company. NameFromToBranchesNotesHolyoke and Westfield RailroadHolyokeWestfield New Haven and Northampton CompanyConnecticut state line in SouthwickShelburne JunctionTurner's Falls Branch, South Deerfield to Turners FallsWilliamsburg Branch, Williamsburg Junction to Williamsburg
Old Colony Division The Old Colony Division was the former Old Colony Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesAgricultural Branch RailroadFramingham CentrePratt's JunctionLancaster Mills Branch, Lancaster Mills Junction to Lancaster MillsMarlborough Branch, Marlborough Junction to Marlborough Attleborough Branch RailroadAttleboroNorth Attleboroughlater operated as a streetcar lineBoston and Providence RailroadBostonRhode Island state line in AttleboroDedham Branch, Forest Hills to Readville via DedhamEast Providence Branch, East Junction to Rhode Island state line in AttleboroNeedham Branch, West Roxbury to Needham Junction Boston and Worcester Railroad Framingham BranchFraminghamFramingham Centre Bridgewater Branch RailroadWhitman JunctionBridgewater Junction Cape Cod RailroadOrleansProvincetown Cape Cod Branch RailroadMiddleboroughHyannisWoods Hole Branch, Buzzards Bay to Woods Hole Cape Cod Central RailroadYarmouthOrleans Chatham RailroadHarwichChatham Dighton and Somerset RailroadSouth BraintreeSomerset JunctionPart was built by the Easton Branch RailroadDorchester and Milton Branch RailroadNeponsetMattapan Duxbury and Cohasset RailroadCohassetKingston Easton Branch RailroadStoughtonEaston Fairhaven Branch RailroadWest Wareham JunctionFairhaven Fall River Branch RailroadMyricksFall River Fall River RailroadBraintree HighlandsMyricks Fitchburg and Worcester RailroadFitchburgSterling Junction Fore River RailroadEast BraintreeQuincy PointOwned by Bethlehem SteelFramingham and Lowell RailroadFraminghamLowell Granite Branch RailroadAtlanticBraintree Hanover Branch RailroadNorth AbingtonHanover Mansfield and Framingham RailroadMansfieldFramingham Middleborough and Taunton RailroadMiddleboroughMiddleborough Junction Nantasket Beach RailroadNantasket JunctionPemberton New Bedford and Fall River Railroadshort connecting track at Taunton New Bedford and Taunton RailroadTauntonNew BedfordFall River Branch, New Bedford to Fall River Old Colony RailroadBostonPlymouth Old Colony Railroad Easton BranchMatfieldEaston Old Colony Railroad Elmwood BranchWestdaleElmwood Old Colony Railroad Raynham BranchWhittenton JunctionRaynham Old Colony Railroad Wrentham BranchAdamsdale JunctionNorwood Central Old Colony and Fall River RailroadFall RiverRhode Island state line in Fall River Plymouth and Middleborough RailroadPlymouthMiddleborough Shawmut Branch RailroadMiltonHarrison Square South Shore RailroadBraintreeCohasset Stoughton Branch RailroadCanton JunctionStoughton Taunton Branch RailroadTauntonMansfieldAttleboro Branch, Attleboro Junction to AttleboroTaunton River Branch, Weir Village to Old Brewery Wharf Warren and Fall River RailroadRhode Island state line in SwanseaFall River
Providence and Worcester Division The Providence and Worcester Division was the former Providence and Worcester Railroad. NameFromToBranchesNotesProvidence and Worcester RailroadConnecticut state line in BlackstoneWorcester
Other railroads