Horse Car
1886-1892 - Fitchburg Street Railway Co.
1891-1892 - Leominster Street Railway Co.
1892-1978 - Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway Co.
1892-1895 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars
1925 - buses introduced
1932 - streetcars discontinued
1932-1946 - operated trolleybuses
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
1904-1905 - Leominster Shirley & Ayer Street Railway (Leominster-Ayer)
1905 to Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway Co.
Athol/Gardner/Templeton/Phillipston
1894-1913 - Athol & Orange Street Railway Co.
1894-1899 - Gardner Electric Street Railway Co.
1899-1913 - Gardner Westminster & Fitchburg Street Railway Co.
1901-1913 - Templeton Street Railway Co.
1901-1903 - Phillipston Street Railway Co.
1913-1924 - Northern Massachusetts Street Railway Co.
1922 - buses introduced
1924 - streetcars discontinued
After 1924 - Athol & Orange Transportation Area
Private bus co. in 1952 - Flanagan's Bus Lines
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
1899-1913 - Gardner Westminster & Fitchburg Street Railway Co. (Gardner-Fitchburg)
1913 to Northern Massachusetts Street Railway Co./above
1901-1913 - Templeton Street Railway Co. (Gardner-Athol/Templeton-Baldwinsville)
above
CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM (SINCE 1978)
Montachusett Regional Transit Authority
Horse Car
1863-1887 - Worcester Street Railway Co.
1887-1932 - Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co.
1892-1894 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars
1925 - buses introduced
1932-1952 - Worcester Street Railway Co.
1945 - streetcars discontinued
1952-1974 - Worcester Bus Co.
Clinton
1893-1896 - Clinton Street Railway Co.
1896-1901 - Leominster & Clinton Street Railway Co.
1901-1930's Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co.
1930's - streetcars replaced with buses
Private bus co. in 1952 - Rapid Transit Bus Lines
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
(Most company names also describe the routes)
1893-1895 - North End Street Railway Co. (Worcester)
1895 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1892-1896 - Worcester & Shrewsbury Street Railway Co.
1896 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1891-1895 - Worcester Leicester & Spencer Street Railway Co.
1892-1895 - Worcester & Millbury Street Railway Co.
1895-1901 - Worcester & Suburban Street Railway Co.
1901 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1897-1901 - Worcester & Marlborough Street Railway Co.
1898-1901 - Worcester & Clinton Street Railway Co.
1896-1901 - Leominster & Clinton Street Railway Co.
1900-1901 - Clinton & Hudson Street Railway Co.
1898-1901 - Fitchburg & Suburban Street Railway Co. (Fitchburg-Leominster)
1901 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1902-1911 - Worcester & Southbridge Street Railway Co.
1911 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1896-1905 - Southbridge & Sturbridge Street Railway Co.
1902-1905 - Worcester Rockdale & Charlton Depot Street Railway
1905 to Worcester & Southbridge Street Railway Co./above
1897-1907 - Webster & Dudley Street Railway
1899-1907 - Worcester & Webster Street Railway Co.
1907 to Worcester & Southbridge Street Railway Co./above
1897-1911 - Worcester & Blackstone Valley Street Railway Co. (Worcester-Whitinsville)
1911 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1902-1909 - Uxbridge & Blackstone Street Railway Co. (Whitinsville-Uxbridge-Millville)
1909 to Worcester & Blackstone Valley Street Railway Co./above
1896-1911 - Marlborough & Westborough Street Railway Co.
1911 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
1901-1902 - Westborough & Worcester Street Railway Co.
1902 to Marlborough & Westborough Street Railway Co./above
1903-1911 - Worcester & Holden Street Railway Co.
1911 to Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co./above
Suburban/interurban rail service discontinued in 1927. Interurban bus service introduced in 1925 by New England Transportation Co. over route between Providence and Fitchburg, which would replace rail service. New England Transportation Co. sold in 1958 to Short Line, which continued service through 1960's.
CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM (SINCE 1974)
Worcester Regional Transit Authority
HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
North Grafton-Upton
1902-1928 - Grafton & Upton Railroad
1888-1903 - Framingham Union Street Railway Co.
1897-1900 - horse cars replaced with electric streetcars
1903-1927 - Boston & Worcester Street Railway Co.
1925 - streetcars replaced with buses
1927-1963 - Boston Worcester & New York Street Railway Co.
1963-1971 - Boston-Worcester Corp.
1971-1974 - Gray Line
1974-1979 - Wellesley Fells Bus Lines
1979-1984 - Suburban Lines
1984-2007 - LIFT (Local Inter Framingham Transit)
HISTORIC INTERURBAN RAILWAY
Boston-Worcester (1903-1932)
Replacement interurban bus service operated by Gray Line (1971-1984)
Marathon Lines (1984-1988)
Marlborough
1888-1895 - Marlborough Street Railroad Co.
1895-1903 - Marlborough Street Railway Co.
1903-1903 - Marlborough & Framingham Street Railway Co.
1903-1927 - Boston & Worcester Street Railway Co.
1925 - streetcars replaced with buses
1927-1963 - Boston Worcester & New York Street Railway Co.
1963-1971 - Boston-Worcester Corp.
1971-1973 - Gray Line
1973-1984 - Ritchie Bus Lines
Westborough
1902-1908 - Westborough & Hopkinton Street Railway Co.
1908-1921 - Middlesex & Boston Street Railway Co.
1921 - streetcars discontinued
1921-1938 - Carlstrom Bus Line
1938-1952 - Johnson Bus Lines
1952-1969 - Carlstrom Bus Line
1969-1970 - Bernard Bus Lines
1970-1971 - Boston-Worcester Corp.
1971-1984 - Gray Line
Milford/Hopedale
Battery Car
1891-1897 - Milford & Hopedale Street Railway Co.
1896 - battery cars replaced with electric streetcars
1897-1902 - Milford Holliston & Framingham Street Railway Co.
1901-1928 - Milford & Uxbridge Street Railway Co.
1928 - streetcars replaced with buses operated by affiliated company
1928-1939 - Milford Framingham & Uxbridge Coach Co.
1939-1950's - North Milford Transportation Co.
Linwood
After 1900 - Linwood Street Railway Co.
Streetcars discontinued
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
1898-1903 - Framingham Southborough & Marlborough Street Railway Co.
(Framingham-Marlborough)
1903 to Boston & Worcester Street Railway Co./above
1897-1902 - Milford Holliston & Framingham Street Railway Co. (above)
(Milford-South Framingham/Medway)
1901-1928 - Milford & Uxbridge Street Railway Co. (above)
(Milford-Framingham)
1902-1908 - Westborough & Hopkinton Street Railway Co.
(Hopkinton-Westborough-Worcester)
1908 to Middlesex & Boston Street Railway Co.
CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM (SINCE 2007)
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
Historic suburban/interurban bus lines operated by several companies (mostly a 1952 sampling)