Blackstone | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Blackstone station on a 1909 postcard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | St. Paul Street at Canal Street Blackstone, Massachusetts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°00′57″N71°32′16″W / 42.01585°N 71.53777°W /42.01585; -71.53777 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lines | Midland Division Providence and Worcester Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | October 1847 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | April 24, 1966[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Former services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Blackstone station was a railroad station inBlackstone, Massachusetts. Opened in 1847, it was a stop for Providence–Worcester service until 1960, and Boston commuter service until 1966.
TheProvidence and Worcester Railroad (P&W) opened on the alignment of the formerBlackstone Canal in October 1847.[2]: 167 TheNorfolk County Railroad opened from Blackstone toDedham (with a connection to Boston via theDedham Branch) on April 23, 1849.[3] In 1850, theBoston and New York Central Railroad (B&NYC) completed theSouthbridge and Blackstone Railroad between Blackstone andMechanicsville, Connecticut on theNorwich and Worcester Railroad. That line was infrequently operated until 1867, when theBoston, Hartford and Erie Railroad (BH&E) consolidated the Norfolk County and B&NYC into a single through line.[2]: 130
The BH&E built theBlackstone Viaduct just to the east in 1872, replacing a wooden trestle and an embankment, as part of an improvement program.[4] The railroad completed theAir Line in 1873, placing Blackstone on a New York–Boston through route. The extension was costly, and the BH&E came out of bankruptcy in 1875 as theNew York and New England Railroad (NY&NE).[2]: 131 The P&W was leased by theNew York, Providence and Boston Railroad in 1892, and in turn by theNew York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad in 1895.[2]: 168 The NY&NE was under control of the New Haven by 1895, and was leased in 1899 as its Midland Division.[2]: 131
Except for a short period in the 1870s, Blackstone generally did not have schedules suitable for Boston commuting.[3] By the turn of the century, it was served by three daily Boston–Hartford round trips and 7–8 Providence–Worcester round trips.[2]: 167 [3] Some commuter service was extended to Blackstone in the 1930s, but this was reduced to two Blackstone–Boston round trips plus a Boston–Hartford round trip in 1940.[5][3] A second long-distance train on the route stopping at Blackstone was added during World War II.[3]
Providence–Worcester service via Blackstone was reduced to one daily round trip by 1935, briefly increased to four in 1953, then reverted to one until discontinued in 1960.[2]: 168 Boston commuter service was increased to six daily round trips in 1952, but service west of Blackstone ended in 1955 after rains fromHurricane Diane washed out a bridge nearPutnam, Connecticut.[3] TheMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was formed in August 1964 to subsidize Boston commuter service. The MBTA began subsidizing service as far asNorfolk on April 24, 1966.Franklin agreed to subsidize its service, but Blackstone did not, so service was cut back to Franklin.[1] The disused station was demolished in 1969.[6]
After the collapse of the Blackstone River bridge to the east in 1968, New Haven successorPenn Central was allowed to abandon the Midland Division betweenPutnam, Connecticut and Franklin in 1969. Most of that section, except the Blackstone Viaduct, has been converted to theSouthern New England Trunkline Trail, with the former Blackstone station site as a parking lot.[2]: 132 The P&W became independent from Penn Central in 1973 and continues to operate freight service.[2]: 169
Media related toBlackstone station at Wikimedia Commons
