The Taunton Branch Railroad opened for business in 1836. The overall length of the railroad was about 11.5 miles.[1] Thomas B. Wales served as the company's first president.[2]
The railroad opened up new markets for Taunton's notable ironmaking industry, and would lead to the rapid development of new businesses in the coming decades.
In 1879 the Old Colony Railroad leased the combined company, merging it into itself in 1883.
Today
The southern portion of the original Taunton Branch Railroad northeast of downtown Taunton is part of the CSX Transportation freight network, along with the original extensions to New Bedford and Fall River. The CSX lines connect to an extension with Attleboro that was built in 1871 as a shortcut between Taunton and Providence, Rhode Island.[9]
Much of the original northern portion of the Taunton Branch Railroad has been abandoned, with the northernmost section between Mansfield Center and the Mansfield Municipal Airport having been converted to a bike path. In 2019 the state awarded $265,000 for construction of an extension of the trail.[10]