This is a list of all freight railroad (not streetcar or rapid transit) lines that have been built in Massachusetts, and does not deal with ownership changes from one company to another. The lines are named by the first company to build or consolidate them.
B&A lines and related railroads
These railroads were owned by or closely related to to the Boston and Albany Railroad, later part of the New York Central Railroad.
| Name | From | To | Branches | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston and Worcester Railroad | Boston | Worcester | Brookline Branch, Beacon Street to Brookline Framingham Branch, Framingham to Framingham Centre Milford Branch, Framingham to Milford Millbury Branch, Millbury Junction to Millbury Newton Highlands Branch, Riverside to Cook Street Junction Newton Lower Falls Branch, Riverside to Newton Lower Falls Saxonville Branch, Natick to Saxonville | |
| Chester and Becket Railroad | Chester | Becket | ||
| Grand Junction Railroad | Allston | East Boston | ||
| North Brookfield Railroad | East Brookfield | North Brookfield | ||
| Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad | North Adams Junction | North Adams | ||
| Providence, Webster and Springfield Railroad | Webster Junction | Webster | East Village Branch, Webster Mills to East Village | |
| Spencer Railroad | South Spencer | Spencer | ||
| Springfield, Athol and Northeastern Railroad | Athol Junction | Athol | ||
| Ware River Railroad | Palmer | Winchendon | ||
| Western Railroad | Worcester | New York state line in West Stockbridge |
Central Vermont lines and related railroads
These railroads were owned by or closely related to the Central Vermont Railroad.
| Name | From | To | Branches | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flynt's Granite Branch Railroad | Monson | Flynt and Company Granite Quarries | not owned by the Central Vermont | |
| New London Northern Railroad | Connecticut state line in Monson | Millers Falls | ||
| Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad | Millers Falls | Vermont state line in Northfield | The rest of the V&M became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad. |
NYNH&H lines and related railroads
These railroads were owned by or closely related to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
| Name | From | To | Branches | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston and Providence Railroad | Boston | Rhode Island state line in Attleborough | East Providence Branch, East Junction to Rhode Island state line in Attleborough |
Other railroads
| Name | From | To | Branches | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern New England Railway | Palmer | Rhode Island state line in Blackstone | never finished, built by the Grand Trunk Railway |