Mass Central Rail Trail
The Mass Central Rail Trail is a partially-completed rail trail from Northampton, Massachusetts to Boston along the former right of way of the Massachusetts Central Railroad. When complete, it will run 104 miles (167 km) through Central Massachusetts and Greater Boston. Many segments of the trail, including the Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail and the Somerville Community Path, have been developed as separate projects but will serve as part of the complete Mass Central Rail Trail.
Trail sections
Northampton to Amherst
The trail is fully complete and paved through Northampton. The 5-mile (8.0 km) section west of downtown is managed by the City of Northampton. (It was formerly the New Haven and Northampton Company Williamstown Branch, not part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad, and is not included in the 104-mile tally.[1]:75) The Norwottuck Branch Rail Trail runs from downtown Northampton through Hadley and Amherst into Belchertown; it is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
Belchertown to Ware
The trail is open and paved from the Amherst town line to Warren Wright Road, managed by the Mass DCR. From Warrern Wright Road to Federal Street, the rail line is privately owned and has been largely obliterated by development. This section is no longer intact as a right-of-way. From Federal Street to Route 181, the trail right-of-way is owned by the Town of Belchertown and is open primarily as a snowmobile trail. It is unpaved, with some rough sections but is mostly followable on foot or mountain bike. The sections north of the US 202 overpass are more overgrown, with the southern sections clearer and better maintained. From Route 181 to the Ware River/Palmer line, the rail right-of-way is privately owned and not accessible to the public. The bridge over the Ware River was demolished after rail abandonment and there is no river crossing available.
The rail right-of-way in Palmer is unused and overgrown, but still owned by the railroad. Old rails and ties are still in place and no trail development has taken place.
South of the Ware River in Ware, the rail right-of-way is still in use by a freight railroad. The bridge over the Ware River is missing, making the section of right-of-way between the river and the Wal-Mart Plaza unusable. From the Wal-Mart Plaza to Robbins Road, the trail is open. It is clear and has a hard-packed gravel surface and is usable by walkers and bikes. This section is owned and maintained by the Town of Ware. Past Robbins Road to the upper Ware River crossing, two river bridges are missing and the rail yard on the east side of the river is still active, blocking the trail right-of-way. South from Upper Church Street, a section of trail is open and complete, maintained by the East Quabbin Land Trust. This has a hard packed gravel surface. North of Upper Church Street to the Hardwick town line, the rail right-of-way is undeveloped and not open to the public. This stretch is owned by the Massachusetts Electric Co, and groups are working to make an arrangement that would allow this section to be developed as a trail sometime in the future. In 2019, the state awarded $95,000 for the first phase of construction.[2]
Hardwick to Barre
The section from the Ware town line through the village of Gilbertville to Route 32 east of the village is owned by the town (except for one short privately owned section at the town line itself). A short bit along the river is part of a hiking trail loop, but is very overgrown and only kept clear enough for walkers. This section is not currently developed or open as a through trail.
The right-of-way paralleling Route 32 from Gilbertville to Creamery Road is no longer intact and has been lost to development and private ownership. In addition, the bridge over the active rail line is missing. This stretch is not open to public use. From Creamery Road to Maple Steeet, the trail is complete and open to the public. This stretch has a hard packed gravel surface and is open to all non-motorized use. It is owned and maintained by the East Quabbin Land Trust. From Maple Street to the Barre town line, the trail right of way is obstructed by a missing bridge and the Tanner-Hiller Airport and is not open to the public.
From the New Braintree town line to Barre Depot Road, the right of way in Barreis either obstructed by private development (south of Route 67) or part of an active section of railroad (north of Route 67). East of Barre Depot Road, the right-of-way is obliterated by development. A connector trail has been constructed to connect Route 122 to the beginning of the intact rail right-of-way and trail near the Oakham town line.
Oakham to West Boylston
The trail in Oakham, and as far as Glenwood Road in Rutland, is complete and open, as is from Wachusett Street to the Holden line. The trail has a hard-packed stone dust surface; it is owned by Massachusetts DCR and maintained by Wachusett Greenways. A section between Glenwood Road and Wachusett Street is currently not open due to a privately owned section of the right of way that is not open to the public.
From the Rutland town line to the watershed lands near the Providence and Worcester Railroad, the Central Mass right-of-way is privately owned and lost to development. An on-road route is being used to fill the gap. Through the watershed conservation lands between the P&W RR and Asnebumskit Brook crossing, the trail is open to hikers and mountain bikers with a dirt surface. This stretch is owned by Mass DCR and is part of a mountain bike trail loop accessible from Mill Street. In 2019, the state awarded $126,000 to construct a more permanent trail on this section.[2]
From Quinapoxet Street to River Street the railroad right-of-way is privately owned and lost to development. A detour route using Mill Street and a trail along the Wachusett Aqueduct has been developed to bypass this section. From River Street to the West Boylston town line the trail is complete and open with a hard packed stone dust surface. This section is owned and managed by Massachusetts DCR.
From the Holden town line to Thomas Street in West Boylston is complete and open with a hard packed stone dust surface. This section is owned and managed by Massachusetts DCR. Thru trail users must follow an on-road route from Thomas Street to the Clinton town line, as the rail line in this area is still active.
Clinton through Weston
From the West Boylston town line to Gate 39 on Route 110, thru trail users must follow an on-road route. From Gate 39 to the west side of the Wachusett Reservoir Dam spillway is open to public use, but is a dead-end as the dam crossing is not open to the public.
East of Route 70 to the Berlin town line the rail line is still undeveloped. A local land trust is in the process of acquiring the right-of-way from Pan Am Railways. This section will include the railroad tunnel under Wilson Hill. In July 2020, the state awarded $112,000 for purchase and immediate opening of this segment.[3]
West of the Route 62/West Street intersection the rail right-of-way is undeveloped. It is partially owned by the town of Berlin and partially still owned by Pan Am Railways. East of the Route 62/West Street intersection the right-of-way is owned by the state, under the management of DCR. It remains undeveloped and overgrown with some missing bridges, but plans are being developed for future trail construction.
The rail line in Hudson and Sudbury, and as far east as Route 20 in Wayland is owned by the state and under the management of DCR. It remains undeveloped and overgrown with some missing bridges, but plans are being developed for future trail construction. It will connect with the Assabet River Rail Trail in Hudson and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Sudbury.
From Route 20 east through Weston, the trail is paved and opened. It is managed by the Mass DCR (jointly with the town of Weston within its borders).
Waltham to Boston
A short section of trail running from Hillside Road to Border Road has been completed and opened as a paved trail. It is jointly managed by Mass DCR and the town of Waltham. The remainder of the rail line in Waltham west of Beaver Street, is owned by the state and under the management of DCR. It remains undeveloped and overgrown with some missing bridges, but plans are being developed for future trail construction. In 2019, the state awarded $300,000 for design of the 2.74-mile (4.41 km) section from Border Road to Beaver Street.[2] East of Beaver Street, the trail will run parallel to the Fitchburg Line in space that was occupied by Central Massachusetts Railroad tracks until 1952, when the duplicate tracks from Beaver Brook to Hill Crossing were removed.[1]:218 The Belmont Community Path will also run parallel to the Fitchburg Line.[2]
Through Cambridge and Somerville, the trail opened in segments between 1985 and 2015 as the Fitchburg Cutoff Path, Alewife Linear Park, and Somerville Community Path. An extension of the Somerville Community Path will open in 2021 as part of the Green Line Extension project. In East Cambridge, it will connect to existing paths running through the North Point development, North Point Park, and Paul Revere Park. The eastern terminus is at the Charles River Dam in Boston.
References
- Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN 9780942147124.
- "2019 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2019. p. 4.
- "2020 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 2020. p. 3.
