Type Tourist Stations 14 Ridership 19,000 (1985) | Status Closed Services 1 Locale Cape Cod | |
Continues as CapeFLYER
Cape Cod Central Railroad Terminis Hyannis station, Falmouth Railroad Station, Braintree, Attleboro station | ||
The Cape Cod & Hyannis Railroad was a railroad that provided tourist and seasonal passenger services in Southeastern Massachusetts in the 1980s. Its longest run was service from the Braintree MBTA station to Hyannis on Cape Cod. The Braintree service ended amid state budget cuts in Massachusetts; much of the same trackage is being used for the seasonal CapeFLYER service.
Braintree to Cape Cod
Seasonal service between Braintree and Cape Cod destinations commenced June 30, 1984. Trains ran from Braintree to Hyannis and Falmouth. Stops initially included Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater, Middleboro and Wareham.It was the first regular service between Boston and the Cape in 25 years. The trip took three hours. Service into Braintree saw 8,000 passengers in its first year and more than 17,000 in its second.
Cape trains expanded for the 1985 season, with service expanding to selected Mondays. The trip time was reduced to 2 1⁄2 hours. More than 19,000 passengers traveled between Braintree and Cape Cod the second year, according to railroad officials.
Issues surrounding insurance delayed the start of service in 1986 until mid-July. Trains also started running seven days a week between Braintree and Hyannis. More than 26,000 riders boarded in Braintree, according to state transportation officials. Stops included Braintree, Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater, Middleborough, Wareham, Buzzards Bay, Sandwich, West Barnstable, and Hyannis.
The 1988 stops on the main line were Braintree, Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater (at the former railroad station), Middleborough (near the National Guard armory), Wareham, Buzzards Bay, Sandwich, West Barnstable, and Hyannis. In addition, branch line service was added between Buzzards Bay and Falmouth.
At the time, service could not be extended further north to Boston because of a missing rail link over the Neponset River. The old railroad bridge burned in 1959, severing the direct link into South Station. A new Neponset River bridge would be built when the MBTA initiated commuter rail service over the former Old Colony lines in 1997.
At first, trains ran without a state subsidy, but eventually Massachusetts partially funded the service. The subsidy was cut in early 1989, with the last trains rolling to the Cape in 1988.