Connecticut River Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut River Railroad was formed in 1845 by the merger of the Northampton and Springfield Railroad (chartered in 1842) with the unbuilt Greenfield and Northampton Railroad.
Investors from Boston
joined forces with business owners from Northampton
, Springfield
and Hartford
in building a rail line from Springfield north along the Connecticut River
to Northampton. While the line was under construction, the rail company merged with another company building a line from Greenfield
south to Northampton. The two companies became the Connecticut River Railroad (CRRR).
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, 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
), this allowed the CRRR to provide rail service between Springfield, Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont.
For over 40 years, the CRRR operated on its own and acquired a vast network of rail lines north of Brattleboro to Canada
. These included the Ashuelot Railroad which had been acquired in 1877 along with the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, acquired in 1887. The days of independence came to an end when the Boston and Maine Railroad
leased the CRRR in 1893. With a main line from Springfield, Massachusetts, north along the Connecticut River to the village of White River Junction
in Hartford, Vermont
, the B&M became a major route between Montreal
, Quebec
and New York City
.
The express trains called the Montrealer
(northbound) and the Washingtonian
(southbound) used the CRRR route until 1966 and local passenger service on the line ended by the beginning of 1967. In 1972, Amtrak
brought the two trains back (by 1974 they were both called the Montrealer) and ran until 1987 when Amtrak rerouted the train to the Central Vermont line through Amherst
, because Guilford
refused to improve on poor track conditions.
Three branch lines were built off the CRRR, all of them in Massachusetts. The Chicopee Falls (1845), Easthampton
(1872) and Deerfield
(1906) branches were built and served the railroad until two of the three were abandoned by Guilford (now Pan Am Railways). The Chicopee Falls line was let go in 1983 and the Easthampton line was wiped out in 1984. The Deerfield Branch is still in service, connecting the main CRRR line to large switching yards on the old Fitchburg
line.
The original CRRR main line between Springfield and Northfield
is still operating as part of Pan Am Railways main network of freight lines in Massachusetts. The line currently operates at FRA-Exempted levels and trains may not exceed 10 mph. Due to these conditions, there are only a few remaining online customers. One of the largest customers, Yankee Candle, despite being on the other side of the road, receives wax shipments via truck from a competing railroads depot further south.
The CRRR is part of the Pam Am Southern system, a recent merger between Norfolk Southern and Pan Am. Pam Am railroads enjoys intermodal haulage rights as far south as New Haven. This, combined with a surplus of available property on the line, has many speculating if the line will be restored.
A separate proposal, by residents of the area and the state government, involves turning the line into a commuter railroad between Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Deerfield-Greenfield, in a venture known as the Knowledge Corridor
due to the number of colleges on or near the line. Additionally, as PAS plans to rebuild the PVRR interchange in Holyoke, the line could directly access the Holyoke mall.
Investors from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
joined forces with business owners from Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in building a rail line from Springfield north along the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
to Northampton. While the line was under construction, the rail company merged with another company building a line from Greenfield
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,456 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair...
south to Northampton. The two companies became the Connecticut River Railroad (CRRR).
The line opened between Springfield and Northampton in 1845 and by the following summer was extended to Deerfield
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,750 as of the 2000 census. Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area in Western Massachusetts, lying only north of the city of Springfield.Deerfield includes the...
and then to Greenfield in November 1846. In 1849, the line was extended further north to the 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...
-Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
state line where it met the Brattleboro
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
line of the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad (which later became part of the Fitchburg Railroad
Fitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
), this allowed the CRRR to provide rail service between Springfield, Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont.
For over 40 years, the CRRR operated on its own and acquired a vast network of rail lines north of Brattleboro to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. These included the Ashuelot Railroad which had been acquired in 1877 along with the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, acquired in 1887. The days of independence came to an end when the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
leased the CRRR in 1893. With a main line from Springfield, Massachusetts, north along the Connecticut River to the village of White River Junction
White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
in Hartford, Vermont
Hartford, Vermont
Hartford is a town in Windsor County in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is located on the New Hampshire border, at the intersection of Interstates 89 and 91. It is the site of the confluence of the White River and the Connecticut River; the Ottauquechee River also flows through the town...
, the B&M became a major route between Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The express trains called the Montrealer
Vermonter
Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
(northbound) and the Washingtonian
Vermonter
Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
(southbound) used the CRRR route until 1966 and local passenger service on the line ended by the beginning of 1967. In 1972, 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...
brought the two trains back (by 1974 they were both called the Montrealer) and ran until 1987 when Amtrak rerouted the train to the Central Vermont line through Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, because Guilford
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
refused to improve on poor track conditions.
Three branch lines were built off the CRRR, all of them in Massachusetts. The Chicopee Falls (1845), Easthampton
Easthampton, Massachusetts
Easthampton is the second largest city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is on the southeastern edge of an area called the Pioneer Valley near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst, MA...
(1872) and Deerfield
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,750 as of the 2000 census. Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area in Western Massachusetts, lying only north of the city of Springfield.Deerfield includes the...
(1906) branches were built and served the railroad until two of the three were abandoned by Guilford (now Pan Am Railways). The Chicopee Falls line was let go in 1983 and the Easthampton line was wiped out in 1984. The Deerfield Branch is still in service, connecting the main CRRR line to large switching yards on the old Fitchburg
Fitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
line.
The original CRRR main line between Springfield and Northfield
Northfield, Massachusetts
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
is still operating as part of Pan Am Railways main network of freight lines in Massachusetts. The line currently operates at FRA-Exempted levels and trains may not exceed 10 mph. Due to these conditions, there are only a few remaining online customers. One of the largest customers, Yankee Candle, despite being on the other side of the road, receives wax shipments via truck from a competing railroads depot further south.
The CRRR is part of the Pam Am Southern system, a recent merger between Norfolk Southern and Pan Am. Pam Am railroads enjoys intermodal haulage rights as far south as New Haven. This, combined with a surplus of available property on the line, has many speculating if the line will be restored.
A separate proposal, by residents of the area and the state government, involves turning the line into a commuter railroad between Springfield-Holyoke-Northampton-Deerfield-Greenfield, in a venture known as the Knowledge Corridor
Knowledge Corridor
The Knowledge Corridor is term for the area comprising north-central Connecticut and the south-central Connecticut River Valley in Western Massachusetts...
due to the number of colleges on or near the line. Additionally, as PAS plans to rebuild the PVRR interchange in Holyoke, the line could directly access the Holyoke mall.