| Vermont Railway | |
|---|---|
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| Reporting mark | VTR |
| Locale | Vermont |
| Dates of operation | 1964– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Burlington, Vermont |
The Vermont Railway (reporting mark VTR) is a shortline railroad in Vermont and eastern New York, operating much of the former Rutland Railway. It is the main part of the Vermont Rail System, which also owns the Green Mountain Railroad, the Rutland's branch to Bellows Falls. The trackage is owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation except in New York, where VTR operates a line owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation.[1]
History
The Rutland Railway was the only north-south line through western Vermont, but a strike shut it down in October 1961. The state purchased the main line south of Burlington, as well as a branch to Bennington, and the new Vermont Railway, incorporated in October 1963, began operations in January 1964.[2] Jay Wulfson came to Vermont from New Jersey to create the company, which was immediately such a success that the company had to order larger locomotives. In 1967, VTR got into the intermodal business by purchasing a fleet of highway trailers.
In 1972, the VTR purchased the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad from the Vermont Marble Company. In 1983, under VTR direction, CLP purchased the Delaware and Hudson Railway's Whitehall to Rutland branch. The CLP's original line, parallel to VTR's main line, was subsequently abandoned with the exception of several spurs and a branch to Florence to serve a limestone quarry.
In 1997, the Vermont Rail System was formed when VTR acquired controlling interest of the Green Mountain Railroad. Since 2000, VRS has acquired the New York and Ogdensburg Railway, completing ownership of the last remaining miles of the original Rutland Railroad. The Washington County Railroad was acquired in 1999, and was expanded in 2003 through the acquisition of a portion of the Canadian American Railroad.
References
- ^ Vermont Agency of Transportation, Vermont Rail Network, accessed February 2009
- ^ Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition, Kalmbach Publishing, 1996, p. 322
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