Concord was once a booming rail hub

Concord, NH, was once a mighty rail town, with a charming station, huge rail yard, and acres of buildings for the repair and refit of railcars. At its height,  rail service was provided by the Boston & Maine Railroad. Concord was a busy station with as many as 32 passenger trains a day. Hundred of jobs, and dozens of businesses all depended on the rail hub.

That grand passenger station was built in 1885, designed by the Bradford L. Gilbert, who also designed Grand Central in New York City.

The Concord and Claremont Railroad  linked the 2 cites in the 19th century. The Northern Railroad (Northern New Hampshire Railroad)  took fright and passengers to the Upper Valley. And the Concord and Montreal Railroad connected to Wells River, VT.  A  trolley line ran from Penacook, through Concord and Bow Junction, to Pembroke, Suncook, Allenstown, Hooksett, and Manchester. Imagine that!

Concord, NH, was once a mighty rail town, with a charming station, huge rail yard, and acres of buildings for the repair and refit of railcars. At its height, rail service was provided by the Boston & Maine Railroad. Concord was a busy station with as many as 32 passenger trains a day. Hundred of jobs, dozens of businesses all depended on the rail hub.

But times changed, passenger service was discontinued to Concord in 1967 and the railway went in bankruptcy in the early 1970s, and the iconic railroad station in downtown Concord was pulled down in 1959 to give way to a shopping mall.  The MBTA offered service for a brief time in the early 1980s.

The tracks are still therefor the most part, and a few cargo trains a week rumble to Tilton. The old B+M sheds are scattered around the tracks, and Concord awaits a new chapter of rail service.