Reading & Lowell Street Railway

The Reading & Lowell Street Railway was the electric line from Billerica Centre through East Billerica to the Wilmington line, the Billerica end of a route from Reading through Wilmington. In 1895 the selectmen (John E. Rowell, Edward B. Haskell and Franklin Jaquith) granted the Reading and Lowell Street Railway Company a franchise "from Billerica Centre to Wilmington line." They reported early in 1896 that "although it was not expected the cars would run before spring, the company was able to build the road and run the cars through the winter"; the company's return to the Railroad Commissioners gives the date it "commenced operation" as December 12, 1895. For its first year, to September 30, 1896, it reported 11.84 miles of main track in Reading, Wilmington and Billerica, seven passenger cars, and 347,522 passengers. In Billerica the line left the Common on Andover Road and ran past Fox Hill to East Billerica, where it used parts of Harvard Road, Gray Street and Salem Road, and it left the town on Shawsheen Avenue at the Shawsheen River. At the Centre its cars met the Lowell & Suburban cars to Lowell.

On December 31, 1899 the Reading & Lowell was one of several small companies consolidated with the Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway, and on March 3, 1900 the Wakefield & Stoneham was consolidated with the Lynn & Boston Railroad Company, renamed the Boston & Northern Street Railway on July 23, 1901. The Boston & Northern bought the Old Colony Street Railway in 1911 and became the Bay State Street Railway. The town used the line for school children: in 1916 the Bay State ran a school car at 2.45 in the afternoon for East Billerica pupils.

By 1917 the service was so uncertain that the school committee had J. Edward Allen carry the East Billerica children by motor. "After two conferences between the Town officials and Bay State authorities the cars of the East Billerica-Wilmington line were taken off and the power withdrawn December 9" 1917, and at a hearing in Boston before the Public Service Commission on December 18 it seemed "very doubtful if service on this line will be restored." It was not: the school report for 1918 spoke of "the permanent discontinuance of the East Billerica and Wilmington line," and the children went by barge and later by bus. In 1921 the selectmen (Thomas F. Sheridan, Richard T. Perry and Maurice A. Buck) required the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which had taken over the Bay State in 1919, "to remove its rails on the East Billerica line in order that road repairs might be made on Andover Street, and the tracks have been taken up the entire distance to Wilmington." The highway surveyor macadamized Andover Street from the Town Pump to the Pollard School that year, at more cost than expected because the company had removed its rails from the street.

Operators

• Reading & Lowell Street Railway (1895-1899)
• Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway (1899-1900)
• Lynn & Boston Railroad Company (1900-1901)
• Boston & Northern Street Railway (1901-1911)
• Bay State Street Railway (1911-1917)

References

1. Billerica annual report 1896: franchise to the Reading and Lowell Street Railway Company from Billerica Centre to the Wilmington line; cars run through the winter
2. Billerica annual report 1896: selectmen's report signed by Franklin Jaquith, E. B. Haskell and John E. Rowell
3. Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners, annual report 1896: Reading & Lowell return, commenced operation Dec. 12, 1895; 11.84 miles in Reading, Wilmington and Billerica; 347,522 passengers
4. Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners, annual report 1900: Reading & Lowell consolidated with the Wakefield & Stoneham Dec. 31, 1899; Wakefield & Stoneham with the Lynn & Boston March 3, 1900
5. Massachusetts Public Service Commission, first annual report (1913), vol. 2: consolidations with the Wakefield & Stoneham Street Railway Co., Dec. 31, 1899
6. Massachusetts Public Service Commission, first annual report (1913), vol. 2: Lynn & Boston renamed Boston & Northern July 23, 1901; renamed Bay State Aug. 8, 1911
7. Billerica annual report 1916: Bay State school car at 2.45 for East Billerica pupils
8. Billerica annual report 1917: uncertainty of car service from East Billerica; children carried by J. Edward Allen; closing of the East Billerica car line
9. Billerica annual report 1917: cars of the East Billerica-Wilmington line taken off and power withdrawn Dec. 9; Public Service Commission hearing Dec. 18
10. Billerica annual report 1918: permanent discontinuance of the East Billerica and Wilmington line
11. Billerica annual report 1921: highway surveyor macadamizes Andover Street after the Eastern Massachusetts removed its rails
12. Billerica annual report 1921: selectmen require removal of the rails on the East Billerica line; tracks taken up the entire distance to Wilmington
13. Wikipedia: Boston and Northern Street Railway (Reading & Lowell incorporated 1895, sold 1899 to the Wakefield & Stoneham, which was sold to the Lynn & Boston in 1900)