Grafton and Upton Railroad Company summary
The Grafton and Upton Railroad Company (GU) is a Class III short line railroad that operates in central-east Massachusetts. It’s privately owned by Jon Delli Priscoli, Chief Executive Officer; Michael Milanoski, President; and John DeWaele, General Manager. Approximately 15 miles of standard-gauge track is used between North Grafton and Milford with an additional 10 miles of trackage rights over the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority line to serve the Interstate 90 and 495 corridors.
History
The Grafton and Upton Railroad was first chartered in 1873 as narrow gauge before transitioning into a standard-gauge line. Electrification on the railroad took place from 1919 to 1946 when diesel locomotives became the primary motive power. The Grafton and Upton experienced multiple changes in ownership until Jon Delli Priscoli took over current operations beginning in 2009. Since then, Priscoli and his team invested in revitalizing the railroad into a linear industrial park that not only benefits the customer but provides economic benefits to the community.
Operations
Opening at the end of January 2018, the Grafton and Upton Railroad’s Liquid Propane Gas Transfer Facility handles high volume of propane gas. The railroad’s significant investment to the facility provides state-of-the-art technology in safely handling the storage and shipment of the principal commodity. Transloading and bulk transfers have become key components to the business on the GU. As a 3PL partner, transload and warehouse facilities along the line handles long center-beam lumber cars, high cube boxcars, gondolas and dry bulk hoppers carrying cement, fly ash, plastics, and aggregates. The bulk transfer facilities allow a diverse customer base off site of the railroad property.
The Grafton and Upton rely on two of its three MP15ACs diesel locomotives from CSX Transportation. The railroad’s fleet also consists of a fourth MP15AC and a GP9R.
Interchange with CSX is made at North Grafton, while trackage rights are provided by the MBTA east of Milford to Franklin.
Read more about the Grafton and Upton Railroad Company in Trains’ December 2021 issue.
