New England Southern Railroad summary
The New England Southern Railroad (NEGS) is a short line railroad that operates in central New Hampshire. Though owned by the State of New Hampshire, the railroad is an operating subsidiary of the Vermont Rail System, a privately held firm that is owned by the Wulfson family for more than 50 years. The NEGS operates 22 miles of the standard-gauge White Mountain Branch from Concord to Tilton.
History
The New England Southern Railroad was once part of the former Boston and Maine Railroad’s White Mountain Branch between Concord and Lincoln. The 1970 bankruptcy of the ex-BM resulted in the State of New Hampshire retaining ownership of the branch line. In 1981, the New England Southern was founded to serve the central New Hampshire freight business along the line. Certain assets and operating rights were transferred to Vermont Rail System in May 2020.
Operations
Since 1982, the New England Southern Railroad provides freight traffic for a variety of commodities including metal, agricultural products, coal, chemicals, fuel, lumber, paper, and rail materials. The railroad helps bring in heating and transportation fuel, feed ingredients used in the dairy industry, as well as road salt and winter sand for New Hampshire and other New England states during the winter season.
The New England Southern’s diesel locomotive fleet comes from the Vermont Rail System’s roster pool which ranges from EMD GP38-2s to GP40FH-2s. The motive power rotates among the NEGS and its five affiliate railroads. 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.”
Interchange is made with CSX Transportation in Concord. The New England Southern also shares the White Mountain Branch for passenger excursions with the Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad based out of Lincoln, Meredith, Weirs Beach, and Laconia.
