News & Reviews News Wire Mass Coastal to acquire Bay Colony Railroad

Mass Coastal to acquire Bay Colony Railroad

By Trains Staff | February 6, 2024

Short line will add 35 miles of operations on state-owned trackage

Email Newsletter

Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. Sign-up for email today!

TAUNTON, Mass. — Short line Mass Coastal Railroad is acquiring the assets of Bay Colony Railroad, which serves three customers on 35 miles of state-owned in southeastern Massachusetts, the Boston Globe reports.

Mass Coastal currently operates 135 route-miles in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including trackage rights on CSX Transportation, and interchanges with CSX in Taunton and Middleboro, Mass. The company provides custodial services — maintenance, dispatching, and strategic planning — on another 42 miles of state-owned track used by CSX and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Framingham Secondary and Middleboro Secondary.

“The Bay Colony properties are an welcome addition to our existing 97 miles of track and will enhance our freight shipping capabilities on behalf of Massachusetts business and residents,” Mass Coastal CEO Chris Podgruski said in a press release quoted by the Globe.

Mass Coastal Railroad

— Updated at 7 a.m. with Mass Coastal map.

3 thoughts on “Mass Coastal to acquire Bay Colony Railroad

  1. GEORGE —– Don’t have a clue as to your question.

    The abandonment of Mansfield to Taunton a zillion years ago necessitated the detour over NEC.

  2. The New Haven Railroad lives on!

    For those unfamiliar, the only freight route into SE Mass is CSX from Selkirk (near Albany, New York) to Framingham. From there, you can trace what it takes to get a freight car to Braintree or other cities.

    Trivia: the three miles or so from Mansfield to Attleboro on NEC is WB for Amtrak or MBTA, EB for freight traffic.

You must login to submit a comment