Green Mountain Railroad summary
The Green Mountain Railroad (GMRC) is a short line railroad that operates in Vermont. It is a subsidiary of Vermont Rail System, a privately held firm that is owned by the Wulfson family for more than 50 years. From the state line in North Walpole, New Hampshire, to Bellows Falls and Rutland, Vt., the railroad operates more than 50 miles of standard-gauge track.
History
The Green Mountain Railroad was once the Bellows Falls branch line of the former Rutland Railroad that provided freight and passenger service for Vermont and northern New York until the early 1960s. With a rapid decline in business, the railroad filed for abandonment to its entire rail network in 1962. The Green Mountain Railroad was incorporated on April 3, 1964, by F. Nelson Blount to lease the branch for continual operations. At the time, the abandoned trackage fell into ownership of the State of Vermont who was under serious pressure to find a suitable operator. Vermont Railway purchased the GMRC in 1997, resulting in the formation of the Vermont Rail System to serve as the parent company for both railroads and their affiliates.
Operations
Nearly 90% of the inbound and outbound freight serves the businesses in Vermont. Minerals from the state including talc, limestones, granite, slate and marble are hauled out in large volumes to destinations throughout North America. The Green Mountain Railroad helps import heating and transportation fuel, as well as feed ingredients used in the dairy industry. The railroad serves the Riverside Reload Center, a transload and warehouse facility in Bellows Falls. Passenger service on the GMRC is provided with scenic excursions out of Chester, Vt.
The railroad’s diesel locomotive fleet is a mixture of previously owned units before the Vermont Rail System merger, and those coming from the parent company’s roster pool. The motive power rotates among the GMRC and its five affiliate railroads, ranging from EMD GP38-2s to the RS1 No. 405, originally built for the ex-Rutland. Since 2022, repainting of the units has taken place in the scheme of Vermont Railway’s bright red with white stylized mountain peaks logo reading “Vermont Rail System.” Both No. 405 and a GP9M will retain their Green Mountain color scheme as a tribute to the railroad’s predecessor.
Interchange is made at Bellows Falls with both CSX Transportation and the New England Central Railroad. The GMRC also connects with affiliate Vermont Railway in Rutland.
Read more about the Green Mountain Railroad in Trains’ June 2013 issue.
