Mass Coastal Acquiring Bay Colony Assets

(Mass Coastal Photograph)

Massachusetts Coastal Railroad, LLC (Mass Coastal) is purchasing assets of Bay Colony Railroad, which serves North Dartmouth and Millis, Mass.

Taunton, Mass.-based Mass Coastal operates a network of lines totaling 135 route-miles that stretch from Fall River to Hyannis, Mass., and is custodian of an additional 42 miles of state-owned track (see map below). It interchanges with CSX at Taunton and Middleboro, Mass., and handles commodities such as plastics, chemicals, aggregates, general consumer goods, lumber and building products, and ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, as well as feed, grains, and soybeans.

Mass Coastal will now add the rights to 35 miles of track, currently operated by Bay Colony, and gain three customers in Dartmouth and Westport.

“The Bay Colony properties are a welcome addition to our existing 97 miles of track and will enhance our freight shipping capabilities on behalf of Massachusetts businesses and residents,” Mass Coastal President and CEO Chris Podgurski said.

Another 3.5 miles of track in Norfolk County (Millis Industrial Track and the remaining Dover Secondary Track) may also be acquired from Bay Colony. Mass Coastal last year filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. § 1150.41 with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to acquire and operate it. But the STB rejected the notice due to “various issues and questions surrounding the status and operation of the line that render this matter inappropriate for the class exemption procedures.” Any future pleading seeking authority from the STB must provide clarifications on prior operations, according to the government agency. Chris Podgurski told Railway Age that work on the deal continues and is expected to be completed in summer 2024.