Boston Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The Boston Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation
in the U.S. state
of Massachusetts
. The line runs from Boston west to near Springfield along a former New York Central Railroad
line. Its east end is at Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
(this portion owned by the MBTA) at Back Bay Station, over which CSX has trackage rights
to the east to reach the Dorchester Branch. Its west end is in Wilbraham, east of Springfield, at the east end of the Berkshire Subdivision
. Along the way, the line junctions the Framingham Subdivision
and Fitchburg Subdivision
at Framingham.
The line east of Riverside
is owned by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; from Riverside west to Framingham, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA) owns the line. MBTA Commuter Rail
Framingham/Worcester Line
trains operate over the line east of Worcester. The line originally had four tracks to Riverside Station (two curved to the south and are currently used by the MBTA's Green Line's
D Branch light rail service. The number of tracks running into downtown Boston was reduced to two, in order to build the Massachusetts Turnpike
, which parallels the easternmost ten miles of trackage, although CSX retains the original Boston and Albany Railroad
trackage rights.
, New York Central, and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers, and was assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The line runs from Boston west to near Springfield along a former New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
line. Its east end is at Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
(this portion owned by the MBTA) at Back Bay Station, over which CSX has trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
to the east to reach the Dorchester Branch. Its west end is in Wilbraham, east of Springfield, at the east end of the Berkshire Subdivision
Berkshire Subdivision
The Berkshire Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and New York. The line runs from near Springfield, Massachusetts west to Schodack, New York along a former New York Central Railroad line. Its east end is in Wilbraham, east of Springfield,...
. Along the way, the line junctions the Framingham Subdivision
Framingham Subdivision
The Framingham Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Mansfield northwest to Framingham along a former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad line...
and Fitchburg Subdivision
Fitchburg Subdivision
The Fitchburg Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Fitchburg southeast to Framingham along a former New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad line...
at Framingham.
The line east of Riverside
Riverside (MBTA station)
Riverside is the western terminus of the MBTA Green Line "D" Branch light rail line. It is located at 333 Grove Street, off Exit 22 on Interstate 95 , in Auburndale, a village of Newton, Massachusetts. Scheduled travel time to Park Street is 46 minutes. Riverside includes a parking...
is owned by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; from Riverside west to Framingham, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
(MBTA) owns the line. MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
Framingham/Worcester Line
Framingham/Worcester Line
The Framingham/Worcester Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts, though some trains terminate at Framingham, Massachusetts...
trains operate over the line east of Worcester. The line originally had four tracks to Riverside Station (two curved to the south and are currently used by the MBTA's Green Line's
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
D Branch light rail service. The number of tracks running into downtown Boston was reduced to two, in order to build the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
, which parallels the easternmost ten miles of trackage, although CSX retains the original Boston and Albany Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
trackage rights.
History
The Boston and Worcester Railroad opened its line from Boston west to Worcester in 1834 and 1835. The Western Railroad opened from Worcester west to Springfield in 1839. The line became part of the Boston and Albany RailroadBoston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
, New York Central, and Conrail through leases, mergers, and takeovers, and was assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail.