Wildcat Branch

The railway Wilmington Wilmington Junction ( also Wildcat Branch) is a railway line in the city of Wilmington in Massachusetts (United States). It is 5.26 km long and connects the railway Boston - Lowell and the crossing in Wilmington Junction routes. The single-track, standard-gauge track owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA ), the number of suburban trains in the relation Boston Haverhill leads during rush over them. In addition, the " Downeaster " Amtrak express trains run from Boston to Portland on the route. The freight operate the Pan Am Railways.

History

Already from 1836 to 1848 there was a railway line from Wilmington to Wilmington Junction. It had been built by the Andover and Wilmington Railroad, which later became the Boston and Maine Railroad. The Boston & Maine had to share for their trains to Boston, the main line of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, which led to traffic delays on a regular basis. They therefore built in 1845 its own main line via Reading to Boston that branched in Wilmington Junction of the previous track. The original route to Wilmington was therefore shut down.

1858 took over the Boston & Lowell operational management on the railway line Peabody Tewksbury Junction, which crossed the Boston & Maine mainline in Wilmington Junction. To establish a cross-connection of their own main line to this track, she built in 1874, a new railway line, which did not use the tracks of the disused railway, but a further east route. She went on 2 December 1874 in operation. The route was used primarily for the transport of goods, but also some passenger trains from Boston to Lawrence were made ​​through them.

In 1887 was responsible for the operational management of the Boston & Maine, after they had leased the Boston & Lowell. In August 1924, the last passenger train was set that had the route until then traveled. In 1959, regular passenger trains were running again on the Wildcat Branch. The Boston & Maine takes the lead, as has been until 1845, its suburban trains to Haverhill and the express trains to Maine over Wilmington. A new breakpoint has been set up at the Salem Street, which was, however, served only by a few strokes.

In 1976, the MBTA the route and suburban trains from Boston to Haverhill. Express trains to Maine were already not ridden since 1965. Already in 1979 they introduced the passenger on the track again and led her Haverhill trains back on Reading. Some years later, individual train movements in this ratio were performed in the rush hour again on Wilmington to avoid overloading the partially single track over Reading. The freight took over 1983 Guilford Transportation, which operates under the name Pan Am Railways since 2006. Since 2001, Amtrak operates the " Downeaster ", an express train from Boston to Portland. These trains also go over Wilmington, so as not to impede the suburban services on the Reading route.

Route description

The route starts directly in Wilmington train station and turn from the railway Boston Lowell towards north. They first crossed the Main Street, where at the beginning of the 20th century led along an overland tram from Boston to Lowell. The railway line runs through the city of Wilmington almost straight. Before the railroad crossing of Salem Street is the former same breakpoint. The platform is still present. Subsequently, the route traverses a forest and reaches the node Wilmington Junction, where it joins the main line of the former Boston & Maine.

Passenger

The Boston & Lowell led to opening of the line a new train route that led from Boston via Wilmington, Wilmington Junction and Salem Junction to Lawrence. 1881 rode on this relation, ten trains. Even after the takeover by the Boston & Maine this train route has been maintained, but they presented a Sunday traffic. After several interurban trams in the region had been opened, more trains were always truncated to the relation, so that in 1901 only four, in 1916 only one pair of trains wrong. In August 1924, the last pair of trains has been canceled on the Wildcat Branch.

After 1959, the passenger was taken back on track, the track navigated weekdays six express trains towards Maine and 16 suburban trains to Haverhill. Sunday drove five express and seven suburban trains. The breakpoint Salem Street was only during the rush hour in the impact direction, that is, early in the direction of Boston, in the afternoon, served from the direction of Boston. 2010 run Mondays to Fridays towards Boston five trains the MBTA via the Wildcat Branch. Toward Haverhill only runs a train.