Fitchburg Line

Fitchburg Line
Fitchburg Line
	An outbound train arriving at South Acton station in 2022
Overview
Owner	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Locale	Greater Boston
Termini	Wachusett; North Station;
Stations	17
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	MBTA Commuter Rail
Train number(s)	400–433 (weekday); 1400-1415 (Saturday); 2400-2415 (Sunday)
Operator(s)	Keolis North America
Daily ridership	4,829 (October 2022)
Technical
Line length	54 miles (87 km)
Character	Commuter rail line
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
	Legend
	64.9 mi
	104.4 km
	53.7 mi
	86.4 km
	49.6 mi
	79.8 km
	45.1 mi
	72.6 km
	39.4 mi
	63.4 km
	36.1 mi
	58.1 km
	31.5 mi
	50.7 km
	30.3 mi
	48.8 km
	26.8 mi
	43.1 km
	25.3 mi
	40.7 km
	21.9 mi
	35.2 km
	20.1 mi
	32.3 km
	16.7 mi
	26.9 km
	14.7 mi
	23.7 km
	13.7 mi
	22 km
	13.2 mi
	21.2 km
	11.5 mi
	18.5 km
	10.6 mi
	17.1 km
	9.9 mi
	15.9 km
	9.3 mi
	15 km
	8.3 mi
	13.4 km
	7.4 mi
	11.9 km
	6.4 mi
	10.3 km
	3.4 mi
	5.5 km
	0.8 mi
	1.3 km
	Lowell Haverhill
	Newburyport/Rockport
	0 mi
	0 km
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Fitchburg Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which runs from Boston's North Station to Wachusett station in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was built across northern Massachusetts, United States, in the 1840s. Winter weekend service includes a specially equipped seasonal "ski train" to Wachusett Mountain.^[3]^[4]

At 54 miles (87 km) long, the Fitchburg Line is the second-longest line in the system (and was the longest until the Providence/Stoughton Line's 2010 extension to T. F. Green Airport and later to Wickford Junction), and ranked as one of the worst lines in terms of on-time performance. The Fitchburg Line had the oldest infrastructure in the system, and commuter trains must share trackage with freight trains on the outer segment of the line.^[5] A $150 million project completed in 2017 included adding nine miles of double track, an extension to Wachusett, rebuilding two stations, and building a new layover yard.^[6] Only ten of the line's nineteen stations, including both terminals, are fully handicapped accessible – the lowest proportion of any MBTA Commuter Rail line.^[2]

^ Poftak, Steve (October 27, 2022). "GM Report" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 6.
^ ^a ^b "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.
^ "Ski Train - Wachusett Mountain". Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ "Wachusett Mountain - Destinations - MBTA". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
^ "Fitchburg Rail Line Improvement Project Alternatives Analysis" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
^ "Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Program Project Map" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

[oct2022ridership-1] Poftak, Steve (October 27, 2022). "GM Report" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. p. 6.

[bluebook-2] "Ridership and Service Statistics" (PDF) (14th ed.). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2014.

[skitrain-3] "Ski Train - Wachusett Mountain". Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[mbtaski-4] "Wachusett Mountain - Destinations - MBTA". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[alternatives-5] "Fitchburg Rail Line Improvement Project Alternatives Analysis" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

[map-6] "Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Improvement Program Project Map" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2014.

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