Framingham/Worcester Line

The railway Boston - Worcester is a continuous double track railway line in Massachusetts (United States). It is 71 km long and connects with the cities of Boston, Newton, Framingham, Grafton and Worcester. The standard gauge line heard from Boston to Framingham Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which operates the passenger of the total distance. The section west of Framingham is part of CSX Transportation, which operates the freight on the total distance. Amtrak has a shared right for the route and travel on them by express train from Boston to Chicago. The original terminus of the route in Boston is shut down, all persons trains to South Station.

History

Already on June 23, 1831 received the Boston and Worcester Railroad, the concession to build and operate a railroad between its namesake cities. A further extension to the west was already planned. The course should first run over Watertown and Waltham. However, these towns were not interested, so the railway company agreed a route through Newton. In Framingham, the route should first pass through the center, following an appeal of a toll road operator, the route was moved to South Framingham. In August 1832, work began and the route from Boston to West Newton (then Davis Tavern ) opened after on 4 April, the freight had begun on 16 April 1833. The track was thus the first steam train in New England. On 3 July 1833, the route to Wellesley Hills (then Needham ) on September 20, 1833 by Ashland (then Hopkinton ) and extended in November 1834 to Westborough. The train station of Worcester was opened on July 4, 1835 and thus completed the route.

Already in 1839 built the Boston & Worcester the route between Boston and South Framingham two tracks from 1843 was followed by the rest of the route section. Also in 1843 began the suburban traffic for commuters between Boston and West Newton, later to Framingham, for the first no single tickets, but only annual passes were issued. 1867 merged the Boston & Worcester with the Western Railroad to the Boston and Albany Railroad, which became the new operators of the route. By 1884 the route between Boston and Riverside was expanded to four tracks, 1894 was followed by the section to Lake Crossing, 1907, the section to Framingham. On January 1, 1899, the Boston South Station was opened and connected the route to this new station. 1900, the Boston & Albany was in the railway system of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (later New York Central Railroad ) incorporated, but remained the operator of the route.

The New York Central sold the route of the third and fourth track from Boston to Riverside to the Turnpike Authority, which built the Interstate 90 on this section. In 1962, the third and fourth main track was also removed between Riverside and Framingham. In 1968 the merger of the Boston & Albany in the Penn Central system. From 1976, the successor company Conrail was the operator. From 1971, the remote passenger transport was operated by Amtrak, the transport operation from 27 January 1973, the MBTA, which had bought the section from Boston to Framingham simultaneously. From 27 October 1975 to 26 September 1994, the MBTA commuter trains were not running between Framingham and Worcester. The section west of Framingham acquired as part of the Conrail takeover 1999, CSX Transportation, which has since been engaged in the transportation of goods by the total distance. On 4 May 1987, the Back- Bay Tunnel was opened with the new Back Bay Station and abandoned the hitherto aboveground route.

Route description

The route originally started in a terminal station at the Beach Street, between Albany Street (now Surface Artery ) and Lincoln Street. After the opening of South Station in 1899 it was introduced into this. The route turns first from the west. At Back Bay Station, which is an underground wedge station today, the line ran originally on a Trestle across the Back Bay and crossed on the bridge at the same level the railway line Boston Providence, directly next to the opening of the Boston South Station between this terminus and Back Bay the route to Worcester was built.

The railway line runs west out of the city of Boston and Newton crosses. In this area, Interstate 90 runs right next to the railway line. In Auburndale the track bends to the southwest and arrives shortly after the Riverside station, where two closed lines turn to the south of the city of Newton. In Wellesley, the railway line bends back from the west. By Natick the route continues to South Framingham, Framingham where the train station is. Here branch into two triangles track routes to south and north from, as well as a route to Mansfield. The area around the train station, also crossed several overland tram lines from three different companies, including to Westborough, Uxbridge, Boston, Framingham Center and Saxonville.

The route continues through Ashland to Southborough, where is the train station in Cordaville district. By Westborough and Grafton, the route continues to the west, but turn at the previous branch station Millbury Junction to the north, to turn on the outskirts of Worcester, in a generous curve to the southwest. In the center of the Worcester Union Station is located. The station building was opened in 1911 and replaced the old railway station. It was closed in 1975 and fell into disrepair, but was renovated in 2000 and reopened.

Passenger

1869 operated on the route from Boston three express trains and a passenger train to Albany, two passenger trains and a Sunday mail train to Springfield, two commuter trains to Worcester, four trains to South Framingham, two trains to Natick and on to Saxonville, five trains to Riverside and further Newton Lower Falls, as well as 13 daily trains and three other trains on Sundays on Yawkey to Brookline. Overall, therefore, left 32 weekdays and Sundays 36 trains the railway terminal in Boston.

1901, after the acquisition by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, and after the opening of the Boston South Station left this station is a daily express train ( " Boston and Chicago Special" ) over Cleveland to Chicago with coaches to St. Louis, a daily ( " North Shore Limited " ) and one each working day ( " Chicago Express " ) train over Detroit to Chicago, two daily, two weekday and a Sunday Express via Springfield to New York, a factory daily express train to Albany and a daily express train to Cincinnati ( " Pacific Express "). In addition, on weekdays wrong a passenger train to Albany, one at Chester, and two to Springfield. In addition, numerous suburban trains were offered, after Worcester six on weekdays and four on Sundays, to South Framingham 17 on weekdays and five on Sundays, according to Natick and on to Saxonville two on weekdays, according to Riverside 27 on weekdays and six on Sundays and after Yawkey and on to Brookline and Riverside 28 trains on weekdays and seven on Sundays. For this, a train of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad came through Yawkey and Brookline after Pascoag. The vehicles in this route to Pascoag were normally coupled to ring features the Boston & Albany, with the exception of this one turn. Overall, drove nine weekdays Express, four persons and 81 suburban trains, Sundays drove six express and 22 suburban trains.

After the First World War broke out the passenger rail a more and more because the traffic was increasingly carried out on the road. 1945 drove five daily express trains to Chicago, namely Cleveland the "New England States " with coaches to Pittsburgh, the " Paul Revere ", the " Fast Mail " with coaches to Detroit, the "South Shore Express" through car to Detroit as well as Canada and Detroit, the "New England Wolverine ". Furthermore, drove daily, "Southwestern Limited" to St. Louis with coaches to Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toronto, the " Niagara " over Canada to Detroit, the " Advance Knickerbocker " to St. Louis with coaches to Buffalo and Cincinnati, "New York Berkshire Express " to Albany with coaches to New York, three express trains over Springfield to New York and a daily and a samstäglicher express train to Springfield. In addition, a wrong factory daily passenger train to Albany, two passenger trains Monday to Friday and on Saturdays to Springfield. In Worcester ended Monday to Friday, four, five Saturdays and Sundays four suburban trains. After Framingham drove Monday to Friday, twelve, eleven Saturdays and Sundays, three trains to Riverside ten weekday trains and after Yawkey and on about Brookline to Riverside Monday to Friday 16, Saturday 14 and Sunday five trains. Thus, drove a total of 13 express trains ( Saturday 14) and 45 passenger trains Monday to Friday, 42 on Saturday and twelve on Sundays.

2012 run next to the " Lakeshore Express" Amtrak to Chicago on weekdays twelve trains the MBTA to Worcester as well as eight to Framingham. On Saturdays, there are five trains to Worcester and four to Framingham, Sundays five to Worcester and three to Framingham.

References and further reading

• Ronald D. Karr: The Rail Lines of Southern New England. A Handbook of Railroad History. Branch Line Press, Pepperell, MA 1995. ISBN 0-942147-02-2
• Mike Walker: Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America. New England and Maritime Canada. (2nd edition) SPV -Verlag, Dunkirk (GB ), 2010. ISBN 1-874745-12-9

• Commons: MBTA Framingham / Worcester Line - collection of images, videos and audio files
• Commons: Worcester Union Station - collection of images, videos and audio files

• 1435 mm
• Railroad track in Massachusetts