Central Vermont

Company History: The Central Vermont Railway (reporting mark CV) was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connecticut, using a route along the shores of Lake Champlain, through the Green Mountains and along the Connecticut River valley, as well as Montreal to Boston, Massachusetts, through a connection with the Boston and Maine Railroad at White River Junction, Vermont.

The Vermont Central Railroad was chartered October 31, 1843 to build a line across the center of Vermont, running from Burlington on Lake Champlain east to Montpelier, and then southeast and south to Windsor on the Connecticut River. Initial plans had the main line running through Montpelier. However, due to the difficulty of building through the Williamstown Gulf, a narrow valley south of Barre, Vermont, and to land interests of Charles Paine in Northfield, Vermont, a course to the west was selected, leaving the state capital to be serviced by a short branch line. Construction began on December 15, 1845, and the first section, from White River Junction west to Bethel, opened on June 26, 1848. Subsequent sections opened to Roxbury on September 17, 1848, Northfield on October 10, 1848, Montpelier (including the branch from Montpelier Junction) on June 20, 1849, Middlesex on August 30, 1849, Waterbury on September 29, 1849, and the full distance to Burlington on December 31, 1849. The part along the Connecticut River from Hartford south to Windsor opened on February 13, 1849.

On February 3, 1995, the CN sold the CV mainline from New London, Connecticut, to East Alburg, Vermont, to shortline operating company RailTex, which renamed the property New England Central Railroad. RailTex was merged into RailAmerica in 2000. Genesee & Wyoming acquired RailAmerica at the end of 2012. Operations have continued to present as before.

Successor/Parent History: New England Central was born in 1995 when Canadian National sold the Central Vermont to RailTex. RailTex renamed the line New England Central. In 2000, RailTex was purchased by RailAmerica which has since been combined with the Genesee & Wyoming shortline group.

NECR runs 394 miles of track from East Alburgh, Vermont on the Canadian border just south of Montreal south down the length of Vermont, through Massachusetts, to the port of New London, Connecticut. Along the way, they interchange with CN, Pan Am, Norfolk Southern, Vermont Railway, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Green Mountain, Central Maine & Quebec (recently acquired by CP,) Providence & Worcester and several shortlines.

Traffic includes animal feed, chemicals, compressed gas, construction debris, foodstuffs, fuel oil, lumber, machinery, metals, newsprint and other paper, plywood, poles, recyclables, resins, salt, and vehicles. In addition to mixed manifest traffic, NECR provides intermodal service from the Canadian border to the connection with Providence & Worcester at Willimantic, Connecticut. Between 35 and 45 EMD locomotives work the line (Genesee & Wyoming moves locomotives between their various properties as traffic patterns evolve.)

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.