1180:
1132:
1144:
1156:
1192:
1168:
29:
1204:
528:
1597:
688:
440:
306:
570:
447:
414:
366:
652:
721:
695:
466:
421:
359:
313:
299:
775:
756:
714:
659:
632:
612:
592:
550:
508:
488:
392:
749:
1621:
385:
337:
1700:
960:
The line continued thriving throughout the early 20th century, but by the 1950s, as with many railroads across the country, the line began struggling. By 1958, the line had only one train per day in each direction, running as a shuttle to/from
Framingham during the rush hour only and serving
941:
began construction of the
Milford Branch in early 1847, heading south from their mainline at Framingham, and opened from Framingham to Holliston by September 1847. and by July 1848 had reached its southern terminus in Milford. Originally, the line was proposed to continue south to
957:, and today's CSX Milford Secondary. This line was built in stages between 1869 and 1872. In 1893, the Natick Street Railway expanded south through Sherborn to Ashland, but the Milford Branch remained the largest railroad in Milford.
961:
Holliston and
Milford stations only. Passenger service could not last much longer, and the Milford Branch's very last passenger train arrived into Milford on the evening of March 28, 1959, after 111 years of service.
964:
Freight service still continued under the B&A, but the line was by this point an unimportant branchline. Eventually, as with the rest of the former B&A, the
Milford Branch came under the control of
1729:
1724:
1546:
1744:
969:
in their 1968 creation. The line continued having minimal freight service throughout the 1960s and 70s, but in the early 1980s, the line -- which was then owned by
1719:
1143:
976:
Starting in 2017, portions of the rail line began being converted into the Upper
Charles Rail Trail, which as of 2024 has been completed from Whitney Street in
1179:
1155:
1739:
1167:
1311:
840:
1191:
1734:
1361:
1131:
1015:
973:-- was abandoned. Throughout the 1980s, 90s, and into the 2000s, the line sat abandoned, with tracks at least partially intact until 2004.
966:
910:
1321:
954:
1203:
938:
1002:
The 8-Arch Bridge, also known as the
Holliston Viaduct or the Woolen Mill Bridge, still stands slightly north of Holliston.
1336:
123:
1429:
833:
1506:
1406:
730:
906:
160:
1704:
1040:
922:
894:
878:
322:
127:
79:
1067:
943:
926:
882:
87:
1683:
1283:
1250:"Dates of Some of the Principal Events in the History of 100 Years of the Railroad in New England. 1826-1926"
1055:
977:
953:
In
Milford, the line interchanged with what was then known as the Hopkinton and Milford Railroad, later the
947:
918:
886:
826:
256:
83:
1102:
981:
902:
874:
788:
734:
673:
110:
91:
28:
1495:
1382:
1573:
1448:
1313:
History of the Town of
Milford, Worcester County Massachusetts: From Its First Settlement to 1881
1265:
1209:
1045:
890:
345:
105:
55:
1347:
1521:
1363:
English: April 1958 timetable of Boston–Worcester suburban service plus
Milford Branch service
1317:
1257:
898:
784:
669:
1472:
1337:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/MA/MA_Blackstone_352487_1889_62500_geo.jpg
996:
The right-of-way from
Sherborn to Milford is preserved as the Upper Charles Rail Trail.
1430:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/MA/MA_Holliston_351021_1969_25000_geo.jpg
1713:
870:
792:
1645:
1507:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/MA/MA_Boston_353155_1985_100000_geo.jpg
999:
The East Holliston, Holliston, and Milford station buildings are still standing.
225:
1231:
1261:
73:
1699:
1684:
https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/passenger-station-list-1954.pdf
866:
150:
1269:
1249:
970:
914:
280:
1407:"Milford Station [B&A] - Milford, MA | Railroad History"
1496:
https://www.lightlink.com/sglap3/massachusetts/easthollistonNA.jpg
1348:
https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ett/images/ba-tt-0457.pdf
1005:
The Phipps Tunnel still remains just south of Holliston.
1018:
route 6 roughly parallels the former path of the line.
950:, so it was decided to terminate the line in Milford.
1254:
The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin
909:, and the end of the line was later abandoned under
992:The following remnants still exist along the line:
255:
224:
216:
208:
203:
195:
187:
179:
171:
166:
156:
146:
141:
133:
119:
98:
69:
51:
43:
38:
21:
1383:"Last run of Boston-Albany Railroad, Milford stop"
1730:Transportation in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
1725:Transportation in Worcester County, Massachusetts
475:End of active track at Whitney Street in Sherborn
913:, before the rest of the line was abandoned by
1149:The former Holliston station building in 2017
834:
8:
1316:. Yale University Press. pp. 337–338.
1161:The former Milford station building in 2017
1050:still active as an MBTA and Amtrak station
1360:Railroad, Boston and Albany (1958-04-27),
946:, but this would have interfered with the
841:
827:
288:
266:
33:Holliston viaduct along the Milford Branch
1745:Closed railway lines in the United States
1473:"Abandoned Framingham Autorack Facility?"
1173:The former East Holliston station in 2017
1025:
401:Former CSX Automotive Unloading Facility
1223:
1127:
268:
1284:"Town of Milford History | Milford MA"
1232:"The Milford Branch - Abandoned Rails"
905:. The line was originally part of the
18:
1679:
1677:
1675:
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1671:
1669:
1667:
1665:
1568:
1566:
1516:
1514:
1443:
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1437:
64:(South of Whitney Street in Sherborn)
59:(North of Whitney Street in Sherborn)
7:
1720:Rail infrastructure in Massachusetts
1305:
1303:
1243:
1241:
1016:MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
16:Former railway line in Massachusetts
925:, the majority of the line lies in
917:. Although the line passes through
527:
14:
569:
446:
1740:Boston and Albany Railroad lines
1698:
1202:
1190:
1178:
1166:
1154:
1142:
1130:
773:
754:
747:
719:
712:
693:
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412:
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364:
357:
335:
311:
305:
304:
297:
27:
1117:station building still remains
1083:station building still remains
1075:station building still remains
955:Milford and Woonsocket Railroad
651:
413:
365:
1185:The Phipps Tunnel in Holliston
720:
694:
465:
420:
358:
312:
298:
1:
1646:"Route 6 (M-F) :: MWRTA"
1197:The Holliston Viaduct in 2017
939:Boston and Worcester Railroad
873:. The line formerly ran from
774:
755:
713:
658:
631:
611:
591:
549:
507:
487:
391:
124:Boston and Worcester Railroad
1735:Rail trails in Massachusetts
748:
731:Grafton & Upton Railroad
1387:www.digitalcommonwealth.org
384:
336:
212:11.97 miles (19.26 km)
1761:
1477:Trainorders.com Discussion
907:Boston and Albany Railroad
161:Boston and Albany Railroad
1411:www.nashuacitystation.org
1101:
1066:
782:
767:
763:
741:
728:
706:
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680:
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619:
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495:
480:
473:
458:
454:
432:
428:
406:
399:
377:
373:
351:
344:
329:
323:Framingham/Worcester Line
320:
291:
265:
128:Framingham/Worcester Line
62:Upper Charles Rail Trail
26:
944:Woonsocket, Rhode Island
1547:"Sherborn to reiki spa"
1248:Jacobs, Warren (1928).
1137:Milford station in 1913
948:Norfolk County Railroad
1707:at Wikimedia Commons
1551:Sherborn to reiki spa
1310:Ballou, Adin (1882).
220:heavy rail, abandoned
889:, connecting to the
881:, traveling through
1526:Upper Charles Trail
1210:Framingham station
980:south to Downtown
921:and terminates in
891:Boston Subdivision
1703:Media related to
1578:www.lightlink.com
1453:www.lightlink.com
1288:www.milfordma.gov
1121:
1120:
899:Milford Secondary
859:
858:
855:
854:
851:
850:
815:
814:
785:Milford Secondary
737:
670:Milford Secondary
580:
538:
537:Holliston Viaduct
476:
402:
94:
65:
60:
1752:
1702:
1687:
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1660:
1659:
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1642:
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1307:
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1236:
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1228:
1206:
1194:
1182:
1170:
1158:
1146:
1134:
1026:
865:is an abandoned
843:
836:
829:
823:
777:
776:
758:
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729:
723:
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715:
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614:
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536:
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315:
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308:
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301:
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289:
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236:
77:
63:
58:
31:
19:
1760:
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1749:
1710:
1709:
1696:
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1690:
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1630:
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1615:
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1580:
1572:
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1564:
1555:
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1520:
1519:
1512:
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1471:
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1457:
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1435:
1428:
1424:
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1413:
1405:
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1400:
1391:
1389:
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1376:
1368:
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1359:
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1335:
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1309:
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1301:
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1290:
1282:
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1277:
1247:
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1239:
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1229:
1225:
1220:
1213:
1207:
1198:
1195:
1186:
1183:
1174:
1171:
1162:
1159:
1150:
1147:
1138:
1135:
1126:
1072:East Holliston
1024:
1022:Station listing
1012:
990:
935:
847:
821:
795:
778:
759:
752:
724:
717:
698:
691:
676:
662:
655:
635:
615:
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573:
553:
531:
516:East Holliston
511:
491:
469:
450:
443:
424:
417:
395:
388:
369:
362:
340:
325:
316:
309:
302:
272:
257:Electrification
248:
241:
237:
234:
232:
231:4 ft
230:
115:
76:
61:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1758:
1756:
1748:
1747:
1742:
1737:
1732:
1727:
1722:
1712:
1711:
1705:Milford Branch
1695:
1694:External links
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1689:
1688:
1661:
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1613:
1589:
1562:
1538:
1510:
1499:
1488:
1464:
1433:
1422:
1398:
1374:
1352:
1350:, p. 14 on PDF
1340:
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1323:978-1332310968
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1011:
1010:Modern transit
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989:
986:
934:
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863:Milford Branch
857:
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845:
838:
831:
822:This diagram:
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789:Forge Park/495
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183:September 1847
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120:Continues from
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71:
67:
66:
53:
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45:
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36:
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32:
24:
23:
22:Milford Branch
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1757:
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1651:
1650:www.mwrta.com
1647:
1641:
1638:
1627:
1623:
1622:"Google Maps"
1617:
1614:
1603:
1599:
1598:"Google Maps"
1593:
1590:
1579:
1575:
1574:"worcesterco"
1569:
1567:
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1449:"middlesexco"
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1256:(17): 15–28.
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871:Massachusetts
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824:
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811:
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793:Franklin Line
790:
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579:Phipps Tunnel
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249:1,435 mm
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1528:. 2013-03-06
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967:Penn Central
963:
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911:Penn Central
862:
860:
277:
1626:Google Maps
1602:Google Maps
1107:Rocky Hill
1095:Braggville
620:Rocky Hill
600:Braggville
226:Track gauge
209:Line length
1714:Categories
1655:2024-05-12
1631:2024-05-12
1607:2024-05-12
1583:2024-05-12
1556:2024-05-12
1532:2024-05-12
1482:2024-05-12
1458:2024-05-12
1416:2024-05-12
1392:2024-05-12
1369:2024-05-12
1293:2024-05-12
1218:References
1080:Holliston
1046:Framingham
1041:Framingham
923:Framingham
895:Framingham
879:Framingham
558:Holliston
346:Framingham
126:, now the
106:Framingham
80:Framingham
1262:0033-8842
1068:Holliston
927:Holliston
883:Holliston
496:Whitneys
271:Route map
217:Character
204:Technical
191:July 1848
188:Completed
172:Commenced
88:Holliston
78:Towns of
74:MetroWest
47:Abandoned
1270:43504499
1114:Milford
1088:Metcalf
1060:Whitney
1056:Sherborn
1032:Station
988:Remnants
978:Sherborn
919:Sherborn
897:and the
887:Sherborn
869:line in
867:railroad
640:Milford
245: in
151:Railroad
134:Stations
84:Sherborn
39:Overview
1686:, p. 18
1212:in 1959
1124:Gallery
1103:Milford
982:Milford
971:Conrail
933:History
915:Conrail
903:Milford
875:Milford
735:Grafton
674:Ashland
668:Former
240:⁄
167:History
142:Service
111:Milford
99:Termini
92:Milford
1522:"Home"
1320:
1268:
1260:
1035:Notes
278:
196:Closed
180:Opened
157:System
90:, and
70:Locale
44:Status
1266:JSTOR
1029:Town
52:Owner
1318:ISBN
1258:ISSN
1014:The
937:The
885:and
861:The
842:edit
835:talk
828:view
791:and
261:None
199:1980
175:1847
147:Type
901:in
893:in
877:to
787:to
733:to
672:to
56:CSX
1716::
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
