List of Connecticut railroads

thumb|A map of Connecticut's railroads, circa 1912, showing approximately their maximum extent

This is a list of railroad companies which currently or formerly operated at least partially in the U.S. state of Connecticut.

Active railroads

Freight carriers

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! scope="col" | Name

! scope="col" | Mark

! class="unsortable" scope="col" | Image

! scope="col" | Founded

! scope="col" | Predecessor(s)

! class="unsortable" scope="col" | Description

! scope="col" | Owner

! class="unsortable" scope="col" | Reference

! scope="row" |Branford Steam Railroad

|BRFD

|100x100px|Branford Steam Railroad yard, December 2015

|1903

|N/A

|Hauls stone from a Tilcon quarry in North Branford.

|Tilcon Connecticut

! scope="row" |Central New England Railroad

|CNZR

|100x100px|CNZR 3760 southbound in Bloomfield

|1995

|Operates two branch lines in and around Hartford.

|Independent

|CT Rail

|CNDX

|100x100px|Hartford Line Train

|1990

|N/A

|Brand for commuter rail services operated by the State of Connecticut. Includes the Hartford Line, run under contract by TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts, and Shore Line East, run under contract by Amtrak.

|Connecticut Department of Transportation

|Metro-North Railroad

|MNCW

|100x100px|Metro-North diesel train at Stamford station, May 2013

|1983

|Conrail

|Operates commuter service along the New Haven Line, New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch, under contract with the state of Connecticut.

|Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Heritage railroads

{| class="wikitable"

!Name

!Mark

!Image

!Founded

!Predecessor(s)

!Description

!Owner

!References

|Connecticut Trolley Museum

|100x100px|Former New Orleans Car 836 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, May 2004

|1940

| Hartford and Springfield Street Railway Company

|Danbury Railway Museum

|DRMX

|100x100px|DRM locomotives

|1994

|Metro-North Railroad

|Independent

|Naugatuck Railroad

|NAUG

|1996

|Railroad Museum of New England

|Shore Line Trolley Museum

|100x100px|Johnstown 357 crossing trestle at sunset, August 2016

|1945

|Connecticut Company

|Branford Electric Railway Association

|Valley Railroad

|VALE

|100x100px|Valley Railroad 3025 at Essex November 11, 2019

|1971

|Penn Central Transportation Company

Defunct railroads

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name

!Mark

!System

!From

!To

!Successor

!Description

!References

|Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad

|NH

|1863

|1874

|New York and New England Railroad

|Boston and Maine Corporation

|BM

|1983

|Still exists as a lessor of Pan Am Railways operating subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway

|Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad

|NH

|1875

|1907

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Boston and New York Central Railroad

|NH

|1853

|1858

|Midland Railroad

|Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad

|NH

|1832

|1836

|Norwich and Worcester Railroad

|Branch Company

|NH

|1845

|1850

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|Built a short spur between the H&NH main line in Hartford, and the Connecticut River.

|Central New England Railway

|CNE

|NH

|1899

|1927

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Central New England and Western Railroad

|NH

|1889

|1892

|Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad

|Central Vermont Railroad

|CN

|1873

|1899

|Central Vermont Railway

|CV

|CN

|1899

|1995

|New England Central Railroad

|Colchester Railroad

|NH

|1876

|1907

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Connecticut Central Railroad

|CCCL

|1987

|1998

|Providence and Worcester Railroad

|Shortline railroad that operated former Conrail trackage in and around Middletown, Connecticut.

|Connecticut Central Railroad

|NH

|1871

|1887

|New York and New England Railroad

|Connecticut Valley Railroad

|NH

|1868

|1880

|Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad

|Connecticut Western Railroad

|NH

|1868

|1881

|Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad

|Consolidated Rail Corporation

|CR

|1976

|1999

|CSX Transportation

|Danbury and Norwalk Railroad

|NH

|1850

|1907

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Danbury Terminal Railroad

|DTRR

|1993

|1996

|Housatonic Railroad

|East Granby and Suffield Railroad

|NH

|1901

|1908

|Central New England Railway

|East Thompson Railroad

|NH

|1853

|1858

|Boston and New York Central Railroad

|Fairfield County Railroad

|NH

|1835

|1850

|Danbury and Norwalk Railroad

|Farmington Valley Railroad

|NH

|1852

|1862

|New Haven and Northampton Railroad

|Built an extension of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad from Granby to the Massachusetts state line, leased by the NH&N soon after completion.

|Hartford and Connecticut Valley Railroad

|NH

|1879

|1892

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad

|NH

|1881

|1947

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|NH

|1833

|1872

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|The first railroad built in Connecticut; construction began in 1836. Opened from New Haven to Hartford in 1839, to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1844. Merged with the New York and New Haven Railroad in 1872.

|Hartford and Providence Railroad

|NH

|1847

|1849

|Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad

|NH

|1849

|1879

|New York and New England Railroad

|Hartford and Springfield Railroad

|NH

|1835

|1847

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|Formed in 1835 to build north from Hartford to the Massachusetts state line. Owned and operated by the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, merged into that company in 1847.

|Housatonic Railroad

|NH

|1836

|1898

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Manchester Railroad

|NH

|1833

|1847

|Hartford and Providence Railroad

|Manufacturers' Railroad

|NH

|1893

|1907

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Meriden and Cromwell Railroad

|NH

|1882

|1888

|Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad

|Meriden and Waterbury Railroad

|NH

|1887

|1888

|Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad

|NH

|1888

|1896

|Middletown, Meriden and Waterbury Railroad

|Middletown Railroad

|NH

|1844

|1850

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|Formed by citizens of Middletown to connect their city to the H&NH main line in Berlin. Built in 1848, purchased by the H&NH in 1850.

|Middletown, Meriden and Waterbury Railroad

|NH

|1897

|1907

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Midland Railroad

|NH

|1858

|1862

|Midland Land Damage Company

|NH

|1861

|1863

|Southern Midland Railroad

|Naugatuck Railroad

|NH

|1845

|1906

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|New Britain and Middletown Railroad

|NH

|1852

|1868

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|Formed by citizens in New Britain to construct a short branch to the H&NH in Berlin. Constructed in 1862, it was operated by the H&NH until that company absorbed it in 1868.

|NH

|1866

|1898

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Shore Line Railway

|NH

|1864

|1897

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|South Manchester Railroad

|NH

|1866

|1976

|Consolidated Rail Corporation

|Southbridge and Blackstone Railroad

|NH

|1849

|1853

|Boston and New York Central Railroad

|Southern Midland Railroad

|NH

|1863

|Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad

|Stamford and New Canaan Railroad

|NH

|1882

|1890

|New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

|Thompson and Willimantic Railroad

|NH

|1857

|1863

|Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad

|Vermont Central Railroad

|CN

|1871

|1873

|Central Vermont Railroad

|Watertown and Waterbury Railroad

|NH

|1869

|1893

|Naugatuck Railroad

|Chartered in 1869 to connect Watertown to the Naugatuck Railroad in Waterbury. Was leased by the Naugatuck Railroad upon opening in the fall of 1870, which absorbed it in 1893.

|Windsor Locks and Suffield Railroad

|NH

|1868

|1871

|Hartford and New Haven Railroad

|Formed in 1868 to construct a branch between Suffield and Windsor Locks, where it met the H&NH. Built in 1870, it was absorbed by the H&NH in 1871.