The Portland & Rochester Railroad, established in 1867, was an important predecessor railway of the Rochester to Portland branch line of the

Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B ...

. It was founded in the merger of several smaller shortline

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

companies, the oldest being the shortline York and Cumberland Railroad which was formed in 1846 to connect the

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

facilities of Portland, Maine, to the

water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a wa ...

ed manufacturing and

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

industries along the Quampheagan Falls on the

Salmon Falls River The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake, Newichawannock Canal, and Horn Pond and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between ...

in the twin towns of

South Berwick, Maine South Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,467 at the 2020 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791. The town was s ...

, and

Rollinsford, New Hampshire Rollinsford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,597 at the 2020 census. The main village in town was once known as "Salmon Falls Village". History The area was once within the domain of the Newichawa ...

(ca 1850). A year later another investor group began a railway leading inland to the upcoming mill town of

Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. Along with Manc ...

, inspiring the easier to construct leg founded as the Nashua & Rochester Railroad (1847). The York and Cumberland opened to

Gorham, Maine Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,336 at the 2020 United States Census. In addition to its urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town encompasses a number of s ...

, in 1851 under the direction of Maine railroad pioneer

John A. Poor John Alfred Poor (January 8, 1808 – September 6, 1871) was an American lawyer, editor, and entrepreneur best remembered for his association with the Grand Trunk Railway and his role in developing the railroad system in Maine. He was the older br ...

and was extended in 1853. The York and Cumberland was reorganized as the ''Portland and Rochester Railroad'' in 1867, and was completed to Rochester, New Hampshire, in 1871, providing a connection from Canada via the Grand Trunk Railway in Portland to inland cities further west, including

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

, via a connection with the Nashua and Rochester. While the Nashua and Rochester merged with the Worcester & Nashua Railroad to become the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad in 1883, a company that in turn was leased by the Boston and Maine in 1886, the Portland and Maine remained independent until 1900, when it too was absorbed into the Boston and Maine as it grew into a regional giant. The line continued to operate in full until in 1952, when the stretch between Rochester and Springvale was abandoned, but the line from Springvale to Westbrook operated from 1949 to 1961 as the shortline Sanford and Eastern Railroad, which also operated trackage between Springvale and Sanford that was once part of the Atlantic Shore Line

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

system. Today only portions of the line in Westbrook and Portland still see traffic, being serviced by the

Portland Terminal Company The Portland Terminal Company was a terminal railroad notable for its control of switching (shunting) activity for the Maine Central Railroad (MEC) and Boston & Maine (B&M) railroads in the Maine cities of Portland, South Portland, and Westb ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Portland and Rochester Railroad 1867 establishments in Maine 1883 disestablishments in the United States Predecessors of the Boston and Maine Railroad Defunct Maine railroads Defunct Massachusetts railroads Defunct New Hampshire railroads Maine railroads American companies established in 1867