List of Connecticut railroads

This is a list of railroad companies which currently or formerly operated at least partially in the U.S. state of Connecticut.

A map of Connecticut's railroads, circa 1912, showing approximately their maximum extent

Active railroads

Freight carriers

Freight carriers

Name	Mark	Image	Founded	Predecessor(s)	Description	Owner	Reference
Branford Steam Railroad	BRFD		1903	N/A	Hauls stone from a Tilcon quarry in North Branford.	Tilcon Connecticut	[1]
Central New England Railroad	CNZR		1995	Conrail Guilford Rail System	Operates two branch lines in and around Hartford.	Independent	[1]
Connecticut Southern Railroad	CSO		1996	Conrail	Operates along Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line via trackage rights, along with several branches. Hauls freight between Cedar Hill Yard and West Springfield, Massachusetts, for CSX.	Genesee & Wyoming	[1]
CSX Transportation	CSXT		1980	Conrail	Assumed Conrail's Connecticut operations in 1999, chiefly on the New Haven Line and at Cedar Hill Yard.	CSX Corporation	[1]
Housatonic Railroad	HRRC		1983	Conrail Guilford Rail System	Operates a north-south line in western Connecticut, along with several branches.	Independent	[1]
Naugatuck Railroad	NAUG		1996	Guilford Rail System	Primarily a heritage railroad, but also provides freight service between Waterbury and Torrington.	Railroad Museum of New England	[1]
New England Central Railroad	NECR		1995	Central Vermont Railway	Operates a main line between New London and the Massachusetts state line, via Willimantic.	Genesee & Wyoming	[1]
Pan Am Southern	PAS		2009	Pan Am Railways	Joint venture between NS and PAR, operates all former PAR trackage in the state.	Norfolk Southern Railway (50%) Pan Am Railways (50%)	[1]
Providence and Worcester Railroad	PW		1847 (original company)	Penn Central Transportation Company	Separated from Penn Central Transportation Company in 1973, operates across central and western Connecticut.	Genesee & Wyoming	[1]

Passenger carriers

Connecticut passenger rail stations
Legend
Northeast Corridor to Boston South Mystic New Haven–Springfield Line to Springfield New London Windsor Locks Old Saybrook Windsor Westbrook Hartford Clinton Berlin Madison Meriden Guilford Wallingford Branford Waterbury New Haven–State Street Naugatuck New Haven–Union Station Beacon Falls West Haven Seymour Milford Ansonia Derby–Shelton Stratford Danbury Bridgeport Bethel Fairfield–Black Rock Redding Fairfield Branchville Southport Cannondale Green's Farms Wilton Westport Merritt 7 East Norwalk New Canaan South Norwalk Talmadge Hill Rowayton Springdale Darien Glenbrook Noroton Heights Stamford Old Greenwich Riverside Cos Cob Greenwich Northeast Corridor to New York Penn Station New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal
Services
Amtrak only CT Rail CT Rail & Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad
This diagram: view talk edit

Name	Mark	Image	Founded	Predecessor(s)	Description	Owner	References
Amtrak	AMTK		1971	Penn Central Transportation Company	National intercity passenger railroad of the United States. Operates on the Northeast Corridor, owns and operates the New Haven–Springfield Line.	Federal government of the United States	[2]
CT Rail	CNDX		1990	N/A	Brand for commuter rail services operated by the State of Connecticut. Includes the Hartford Line, run under contract by TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts, and Shore Line East, run under contract by Amtrak.	Connecticut Department of Transportation	[3][4][5]
Metro-North Railroad	MNCW		1983	Conrail	Operates commuter service along the New Haven Line, New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch, under contract with the state of Connecticut.	Metropolitan Transportation Authority	[6]

Heritage railroads

Name	Mark	Image	Founded	Predecessor(s)	Description	Owner	References
Connecticut Trolley Museum			1940	Hartford and Springfield Street Railway Company
Danbury Railway Museum	DRMX		1994	Metro-North Railroad		Independent
Naugatuck Railroad	NAUG		1996			Railroad Museum of New England
Shore Line Trolley Museum			1945	Connecticut Company		Branford Electric Railway Association
Valley Railroad	VALE		1971	Penn Central Transportation Company

Defunct railroads

Name	Mark	System[nb 1]	From[nb 2]	To[nb 3]	Successor	Description	References
Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad		NH	1863	1874	New York and New England Railroad
Boston and Maine Corporation	BM		1983			Still exists as a lessor of Pan Am Railways operating subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway
Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad		NH	1875	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Boston and New York Central Railroad		NH	1853	1858	Midland Railroad
Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad		NH	1832	1836	Norwich and Worcester Railroad
Branch Company		NH	1845	1850	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Built a short spur between the H&NH main line in Hartford, and the Connecticut River.	[7]
Central New England Railway	CNE	NH	1899	1927	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Central New England and Western Railroad	NH		1889	1892	Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad
Central Vermont Railroad		CN	1873	1899	Central Vermont Railway
Central Vermont Railway	CV	CN	1899	1995	New England Central Railroad
Colchester Railroad		NH	1876	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Connecticut Central Railroad[nb 4]	CCCL		1987	1998	Providence and Worcester Railroad	Shortline railroad that operated former Conrail trackage in and around Middletown, Connecticut.	[8][9]
Connecticut Central Railroad		NH	1871	1887	New York and New England Railroad
Connecticut Valley Railroad		NH	1868	1880	Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad
Connecticut Western Railroad		NH	1868	1881	Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad
Consolidated Rail Corporation	CR		1976	1999	CSX Transportation
Danbury and Norwalk Railroad		NH	1850	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Danbury Terminal Railroad	DTRR		1993	1996	Housatonic Railroad
East Granby and Suffield Railroad		NH	1901	1908	Central New England Railway
East Thompson Railroad		NH	1853	1858	Boston and New York Central Railroad
Fairfield County Railroad		NH	1835	1850	Danbury and Norwalk Railroad
Farmington Valley Railroad		NH	1852	1862	New Haven and Northampton Railroad	Built an extension of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad from Granby to the Massachusetts state line, leased by the NH&N soon after completion.	[10]
Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad		NH	1879	1892	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad		NH	1881	1947	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Hartford and New Haven Railroad		NH	1833	1872	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad	The first railroad built in Connecticut; construction began in 1836. Opened from New Haven to Hartford in 1839, to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1844. Merged with the New York and New Haven Railroad in 1872.	[11]
Hartford and Providence Railroad		NH	1847	1849	Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad
Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad		NH	1849	1879	New York and New England Railroad
Hartford and Springfield Railroad		NH	1835	1847	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Formed in 1835 to build north from Hartford to the Massachusetts state line. Owned and operated by the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, merged into that company in 1847.	[12]
Housatonic Railroad		NH	1836	1898	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Manchester Railroad		NH	1833	1847	Hartford and Providence Railroad
Manufacturers' Railroad[nb 5]		NH	1893	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Meriden and Cromwell Railroad		NH	1882	1888	Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad
Meriden and Waterbury Railroad		NH	1887	1888	Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad
Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad		NH	1888	1896	Middletown, Meriden and Waterbury Railroad
Middletown Railroad		NH	1844	1850	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Formed by citizens of Middletown to connect their city to the H&NH main line in Berlin. Built in 1848, purchased by the H&NH in 1850.	[7]
Middletown Extension Railroad		NH	1857	1861	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Formed to build an extension of the Middletown Railroad to the Connecticut River. Built in 1860, consolidated into the Hartford and New Haven Railroad the following year.	[13][14]
Middletown, Meriden and Waterbury Railroad		NH	1897	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Midland Railroad		NH	1858	1862	Midland Land Damage Company
Midland Land Damage Company		NH	1861	1863	Southern Midland Railroad
Naugatuck Railroad		NH	1845	1906	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New Britain and Middletown Railroad		NH	1852	1868	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Formed by citizens in New Britain to construct a short branch to the H&NH in Berlin. Constructed in 1862, it was operated by the H&NH until that company absorbed it in 1868.	[7]
New Canaan Railroad		NH	1866	1883	Stamford and New Canaan Railroad
New England Railroad		NH	1895	1908	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New Haven and Derby Railroad		NH	1864	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New Haven, Middletown and Willimantic Railroad		NH	1867	1875	Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad
New Haven and New London Railroad		NH	1848	1865	Shore Line Railway
New Haven, New London and Stonington Railroad		NH	1858	1864	New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
New Haven and Northampton Railroad		NH	1846	1910	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New London Northern Railroad		CN	1859	1951	Central Vermont Railway
New London and Stonington Railroad		NH	1852	1864	New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad		CN	1849	1861	New London Northern Railroad
New London, Willimantic and Springfield Railroad		CN	1847	1849	New London, Willimantic and Palmer Railroad
New York and Boston Railroad		NH	1846	1865	Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad
New York and Hartford Railroad		NH	1845	1849	Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad
New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad		NH	1864	1882	Housatonic Railroad
New York and New England Railroad		NH	1873	1895	New England Railroad
New York and New Haven Railroad		NH	1844	1872	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad	NH	NH	1872	1969	Penn Central Transportation Company
New York, Providence and Boston Railroad		NH	1833	1893	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York and Stonington Railroad		NH	1832	1833	New York, Providence and Boston Railroad
Norwich and Worcester Railroad		NH	1836	1976	Consolidated Rail Corporation
Penn Central Transportation Company	PC		1969	1976	Consolidated Rail Corporation
Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad		NH	1892	1899	Central New England Railway
Rockville Railroad		NH	1863	1907	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Rockville Branch Railroad		NH	1857	1863	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern Railroad[nb 6]		NH	1866	1898	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Shore Line Railway		NH	1864	1897	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
South Manchester Railroad		NH	1866	1976	Consolidated Rail Corporation
Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad		NH	1849	1853	Boston and New York Central Railroad
Southern Midland Railroad		NH	1863	1863	Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad
Stamford and New Canaan Railroad		NH	1882	1890	New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Thompson and Willimantic Railroad		NH	1857	1863	Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad
Vermont Central Railroad		CN	1871	1873	Central Vermont Railroad
Watertown and Waterbury Railroad		NH	1869	1893	Naugatuck Railroad	Chartered in 1869 to connect Watertown to the Naugatuck Railroad in Waterbury. Was leased by the Naugatuck Railroad upon opening in the fall of 1870, which absorbed it in 1893.	[15][16]
Windsor Locks and Suffield Railroad		NH	1868	1871	Hartford and New Haven Railroad	Formed in 1868 to construct a branch between Suffield and Windsor Locks, where it met the H&NH. Built in 1870, it was absorbed by the H&NH in 1871.	[7]

Street railroads

Entries in this list were interurbans, streetcars, or other electric railroads dedicated to passenger transport.

Name	Founded	Disestablished	Successor	Description	References
Branford Lighting and Water Company		1905	Consolidated Railway
Bridgeport Horse Railway Company
Bridgeport Railway Company
Bridgeport Traction Company
Bristol Traction Company
Central Railway and Electric Company
Cheshire Street Railway
Connecticut Company
Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company
Consolidated Railway
Danbury and Bethel Street Railway
Fair Haven and Westville Railroad
Farmington Street Railway
Hartford and Springfield Street Railway
Hartford, Manchester and Rockville Tramway Company
Hartford Street Railway
Hartford and West Hartford Horse Railroad
Meriden Electric Railroad
Meriden, Southington and Compounce Tramway Company
Middletown Street Railroad
Montville Street Railway
New Haven Street Railway
New London Street Railway
Norwich Street Railway
People's Tramway
Shore Line Electric Railway
Stamford Street Railroad
Stafford Springs Street Railway
Torrington and Winchester Street Railway
Waterbury and Milldale Tramway	June 5, 1907	April 3, 1936	Replaced by bus line
West Shore Railway
Winchester Avenue Railroad

Not completed

• New York and Boston Rapid Transit Company
• Ridgefield and New York Railroad

Bibliography

• Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2nd ed.). Pepperell, Massachusetts: Branch Line Press. ISBN 978-0-942147-12-4. OCLC 1038017689.

Notes

1. This is one or more of the Class I railroads that the railroad became part of, if any.
2. This date refers to the year in which the railroad company was chartered or formed, and may be earlier than when the company ran its first train, if ever.
3. This date refers to when the railroad company formally ceased to exist. Many railroads were leased by other companies, de facto becoming part of them, but remained separate on paper for some time. If this date differs from when the railroad last operated independently, this will be noted in the description section.
4. No relation to the identically named company which existed 1871-1887.
5. Known as the Manufacturers' Street Railway 1893-1897.
6. Known as the Shepaug Valley railroad 1866–1873, Shepaug Railroad 1873-1887.