The Framingham and Lowell Railroad was a railroad in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1870 to provide a rail connection between Framingham to Lowell through the towns of Sudbury, Concord, Acton, Carlisle, Westford and Chelmsford. The 26.1 mile line opened on October 1, 1871.
On April 1, 1872 the line was leased to the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad for twenty years. The lease was later extended by the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad to 998 years from October 1, 1879.
The Framingham and Lowell Railroad was deeded on execution sale to the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad on September 10, 1881. One month later on October 5, 1881, it was conveyed to the Lowell and Framingham Railroad Company.
On February 27, 1886, the road was consolidated with the Old Colony Railroad, who had previously acquired the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad in 1883.[1]
In 1893, it became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad as part of the lease of the entire Old Colony Railroad network.
Regular passenger traffic on the branch ceased in the mid 1930s although, the New Haven Railroad used it to route north bound ski trains through the 1950s. When the New Haven Railroad was absorbed into Conrail, this line was not, save a small portion in Framingham. The ownership of the line passed to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who contracted with Conrail to provide service. During the 1980s the Framingham to Concord Section was abandoned, and service was contracted to the Bay Colony Railroad to supply North Acton based lumber yards from West Concord (aka Concord Junction). Service stopped in the early 1990s. By late 2005, all grade crossing had been removed by the Massachusetts Highway Department. This line is in various stages of being converted into Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.[2]