Providence and Worcester Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad
in the United States
. The railroad connects from Gardner
in central Massachusetts
, south through its namesake cities of Worcester
and Providence, Rhode Island
, and west from Rhode Island
through Connecticut
and into New York City
. The railroad's connection between New Haven, Connecticut
and New York City and onto Long Island
is via trackage rights
over the Hell Gate Bridge
.
P&W operates over the following lines with overhead trackage rights, meaning it cannot serve on-line customers:
, also running between Providence
and Worcester
, and began construction, partly on its banks, in 1845. The line opened in two sections, the part south of Millville on September 27, 1847, and the rest on October 20. The line from Providence to Central Falls
was shared with the Boston and Providence Railroad, which at the same time built a connection from its old line (ending in East Providence
) over to the P&W.
On July 1, 1892, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
leased the P&W for 99 years. The New Haven merged into Penn Central on January 1, 1969. On April 6, 1970 the P&W announced its intention to separate from the merger. After a legal battle, the Interstate Commerce Commission
approved the request on August 25, 1972, and on November 2, Penn Central signed the agreement effective December 30. The P&W cancelled the lease on February 3, 1973. Since then, the P&W has taken over many other lines from the former Penn Central and Boston and Maine Railroad
.
and running through Pawtucket, ending in East Providence at the Boston and Providence Railroad and the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
.
The East Providence Branch was also the P&W's only branch when it was leased to the NYNH&H, but previously it had leased several other railroads.
The Milford and Woonsocket Railroad was incorporated in 1855 and opened in 1868 from Milford to Bellingham. Soon after, the P&W leased it, despite it not being connected directly to the P&W. The Hopkinton Railway was leased in 1870 and opened in 1872, continuing the M&W north from Milford to Ashland. It too was leased to the P&W, on completion. Both leases expired in 1883 and were not renewed. The M&W bought the Hopkinton in 1884, and in 1897 the New England Railroad leased them, with a direct connection at Milford.
Class II railroad
A Class II railroad in the United States is a mid-sized freight-hauling railroad, in terms of its operating revenue. , a railroad with revenues greater than $20.5 million but less than $277.7 million for at least three consecutive years is considered a Class II railroad...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The railroad connects from Gardner
Gardner, Massachusetts
Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of...
in central 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...
, south through its namesake cities of Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and west from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
through Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and into 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 railroad's connection between New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
and New York City and onto Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
is via 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....
over the Hell Gate Bridge
Hell Gate Bridge
The Hell Gate Bridge or Hell's Gate Bridge is a steel through arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randall's and Wards Islands in New York City, over a portion of the East River known...
.
Current lines
In addition to the original main line between Providence and Worcester, and the East Providence Branch, the P&W owns or provides freight service on the following lines, identified by their original companies:- Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad, Worcester to Gardner
- Woonsocket and Pascoag Railroad, Woonsocket to SlatersvilleSlatersville, Rhode IslandSlatersville is a village on the Branch River in the town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the Slatersville Historic District, a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
- Old Colony RailroadOld Colony RailroadThe Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
Newport line, Massachusetts/Rhode Island state line to Newport (bridge out at the Sakonnet RiverSakonnet RiverThe Sakonnet River is a tidal strait, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 23 km between Mount Hope Bay and Rhode Island Sound...
) - trackage rightsTrackage rightsTrackage 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....
over AmtrakAmtrakThe 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 CorridorNortheast CorridorThe 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...
, Central Falls to New Haven - East Junction BranchEast Junction BranchThe East Junction Branch is a railroad line owned and operated by the Providence and Worcester Railroad in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Massachusetts...
- branch of Boston and Providence Railroad, East Providence to Rhode Island/Massachusetts state line - Norwich and Worcester Railroad, Worcester to Groton
- Southbridge Running Track - Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad, Webster to Southbridge
- Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad, Plainfield to Willimantic
- New York and Boston Air Line Railroad, Middletown to New Haven
- Connecticut Valley Railroad, Hartford to Middletown
- Naugatuck RailroadNaugatuck RailroadThe Naugatuck Railroad was a railroad that ran through south central Connecticut from 1849 to 1887. In the latter year the line was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and was wholly owned by the New Haven by 1906. At its greatest extent the Naugatuck ran from Bridgeport north...
, Devon to Derby (trackage rights over Metro-North Railroad) - Danbury and Norwalk RailroadDanbury and Norwalk RailroadThe Danbury and Norwalk Railroad was an independent American railroad that operated between its namesake cities in Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Railroad in 1887...
, Norwalk to Danbury
P&W operates over the following lines with overhead trackage rights, meaning it cannot serve on-line customers:
- Metro-North's New Haven Line, New Haven (CT) to New Rochelle (NY), AmtrakAmtrakThe 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 CorridorNortheast CorridorThe 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...
, New Rochelle (NY) to Pelham Bay (NY), and CSX running tracks, Pelham Bay to Fresh Pond Jct., NY (CSX has trackage rightsTrackage rightsTrackage 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 serve customers on Metro-North and Amtrak, if any) - Housatonic RailroadHousatonic RailroadThe Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
and branches, Danbury to Derby - MBTA and CSX - Boston and Providence Railroad (East Providence Branch and main line), Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford RailroadBoston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford RailroadThe Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was formed in 1876 as a consolidation of the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad with the New Bedford Railroad....
and Old Colony RailroadOld Colony RailroadThe Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
Newport line, Rhode Island/Massachusetts state line to Massachusetts/Rhode Island state line - Pan Am RailwaysPan Am RailwaysPan 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...
, coal unit trains to FirstLight Power Mt. TomMount Tom, MassachusettsMount Tom is a village in the city of Easthampton, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located in a narrow strip of land between Mount Tom to the south, the Connecticut River to the east, and The Oxbow, an old channel of the Connecticut River, to the north. Interstate 91, U.S...
Power plant, Holyoke (MA)
History
The P&W was incorporated in Massachusetts as the Providence and Worcester Railway on March 12, 1844, and as the Providence and Worcester Railroad in Rhode Island in May 1844. The two companies were merged November 25, 1845 as the Providence and Worcester Railroad. The company bought the Blackstone CanalBlackstone Canal
The Blackstone Canal was a waterway linking Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, Rhode Island through the Blackstone Valley via a series of locks and canals during the early 19th century.-History:...
, also running between Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, and began construction, partly on its banks, in 1845. The line opened in two sections, the part south of Millville on September 27, 1847, and the rest on October 20. The line from Providence to Central Falls
Central Falls, Rhode Island
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 19,376 at the 2010 census. With an area of only , it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the thirty-second most densely populated incorporated place in the United...
was shared with the Boston and Providence Railroad, which at the same time built a connection from its old line (ending in East Providence
East Providence, Rhode Island
East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,037 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth largest city in the state.-Geography:East Providence is located at ....
) over to the P&W.
On July 1, 1892, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
leased the P&W for 99 years. The New Haven merged into Penn Central on January 1, 1969. On April 6, 1970 the P&W announced its intention to separate from the merger. After a legal battle, the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
approved the request on August 25, 1972, and on November 2, Penn Central signed the agreement effective December 30. The P&W cancelled the lease on February 3, 1973. Since then, the P&W has taken over many other lines from the former Penn Central and 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...
.
Engine Roster
The Providence & Worcester Railroad currently rosters the following locomotives | |||
| Road Number | Make | Model | Built |
| PW 150 | GE | 25 Tonner | November 1945 |
| PW 2006 | EMD | GP38-2 EMD GP38-2 An EMD GP38-2 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38... | February 1980 |
| PW 2007 | EMD | GP38-2 | November 1980 |
| PW 2008 | EMD | GP38-2 | December 1980 |
| PW 2009 | EMD | GP38-2 | September 1982 |
| PW 2010 | EMD | GP38 EMD GP38 An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated .... | October 1969 |
| PW 2011 | EMD | GP38 | October 1969 |
| PW 2201 | GE | B23-7 GE B23-7 The GE B23-7 is a diesel locomotive model that was offered first by GE in 1977, featuring a 12 cylinder engine. It is 61 ft 2 in long. It competed with the EMD GP38-2. General Electric also produced a variant, the BQ23-7, for the Seaboard Coast Line.Ten Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México... | February 1978 |
| PW 2215 | GE | B23-S7R (Rebuilt B23) | June 1972 |
| PW 2216 | GE | B23-S7R (Rebuilt B23) | June 1972 |
| PW 3001 | EMD | GP40 EMD GP40 The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971... | 1971 |
| PW 3002 | EMD | GP40 | May 1966 |
| PW 3003 | EMD | GP40 | December 1969 |
| PW 3004 | GE | B30-7A (Cabless) | June 1982 |
| PW 3005 | GE | B30-7A (Cabless) | June 1982 |
| PW 3006 | GE | B30-7A (Cabless) | July 1982 |
| PW 3007 | GE | B30-7A (Cabless) | July 1982 |
| PW 3008 | GE | B30-7A (Cabless) | August 1982 |
| PW 3901 | GE | B39-8E | April 1988 |
| PW 3902 | GE | B39-8E | October 1987 |
| PW 3903 | GE | B39-8E | April 1988 |
| PW 3904 | GE | B39-8E | March 1988 |
| PW 3905 | GE | B39-8E | November 1987 |
| PW 3906 | GE | B39-8E | October 1987 |
| PW 3907 | GE | B39-8E | October 1987 |
| PW 3908 | GE | B39-8E | October 1987 |
| PW 3909 | GE | B39-8E | October 1987 |
| PW 4001 | GE | B40-8 | June 1988 |
| PW 4002 | GE | B40-8 | 1988 |
| PW 4003 | GE | B40-8 | 1988 |
| PW 4004 | GE | B40-8 | 1988 |
| PW 4005 | GE | B40-8W | 1992 |
| PW 4006 | GE | B40-8W | 1992 |
| PW 4007 | GE | B40-8W | 1992 |
Branches
The East Providence Branch Railroad was the only branch built by the P&W. Chartered in 1874 and opened in 1875, it split from the main line at Valley Falls and ran southeast and south, clipping the corner of Attleboro, MassachusettsAttleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...
and running through Pawtucket, ending in East Providence at the Boston and Providence Railroad and the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
The Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad was a railroad in Rhode Island connecting the city of Providence with Bristol, Rhode Island. It formed in 1854 by a consolidation of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad Companies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island...
.
The East Providence Branch was also the P&W's only branch when it was leased to the NYNH&H, but previously it had leased several other railroads.
The Milford and Woonsocket Railroad was incorporated in 1855 and opened in 1868 from Milford to Bellingham. Soon after, the P&W leased it, despite it not being connected directly to the P&W. The Hopkinton Railway was leased in 1870 and opened in 1872, continuing the M&W north from Milford to Ashland. It too was leased to the P&W, on completion. Both leases expired in 1883 and were not renewed. The M&W bought the Hopkinton in 1884, and in 1897 the New England Railroad leased them, with a direct connection at Milford.
External links
- Providence & Worcester official website
- Providence & Worcester Railroad Repair Shop Account Book, 1851-54; 1880-1899 Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.