Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-11-04
THE RAILROAD SITUATION.

History is being made in railroad de-
velopment in Brattleboro this week, The
Boston 4 Maine railroad seems to have
abandoned its plan to build a road from
Hnsdale to Brattleboro and settled down
definitely to the proposition of building
road from Bratteboro to South Vernon
paralleng the Central Vermont.
1t will be remembered that during the
litigation between the town and the Cen
trail Vermont relative to the new rail-
road station and crossing here the Cen
tral Vermont company sought delay on
account Of the moves which were being
made by the Boston & Maine railroad.
| The town committee, however, pressed
the matter to a conclusion At the final
hearing before the public service COM
mission last June the Boston & Maine
attorneys appeared and presented their
plan Of the proposed railroad from Hins-
dale showing in detail their survey and
/ just what they proposed 10 do and asked
the public service commission to suspend
action until that road could be laid out
and started. This position was taken by
the Boston & Maine road on the ground
the West river and have a fine new sta
tion there and that would affect the ne
| cessities for a new station at Bridge
! street. The town committee and their
attorney vigorously protested against the
/ delay, claiming that there was more to it
| than appeared on the face. At the town
meeting on July attorneys for the Bos-
ton & Maine road appeared and stated
! that they proposed to start on the road
/ from Hinsdale right away. Again the
committee and their attorney protested
| that there should be no delay in pushing
the litigation OF the Central Vermont to
a conclusion. The town unanimously
voted as requested by the committee.
Now the Hinsdale plan seems to be
abandoned and the Boston & Maine have
had introduced by Mr. Alderman OF South
Vernon a bill authorizing the Vermont
! Valley railroad, which is a part of the
Boston & Maine system, to build a road
from Bratteboro to South Vernon. The
clause in the proposed bill which vtally
affects Brattleboro's interests is the pro-
vision that the Vermont Valley road may
take for the purposes OF the new road any
property, including railroad property, ex-
cepting only the single track line of the
Central Vermont road from Brattleboro
to South Vernon.
This bill, II passed, would, as will be
J seen, permit the Boston & Maine people
to take for railroad purposes the site Of
the proposed passenger station and would
also permit them to take Vernon street.
Brattleboro citizens are tremendously
interested in seeing that Brattleboro
interests are protected and that no meas
ure is permitted to pass which leaves
Brattleboro with its passenger station in
a hole for the next 50 years.
The attitude Of Brattleboro almost
unanimously is to welcome the proposed
new line of the Boston & Maine road It
will give us another connection south,
better train service and real competition
ana no one interested IN Brattleboro will
stand in the way of the development. on
the contrary the citizens and officers of
Brattleboro will do everything reasonable
to facilitate this enterprise of the Boston
& Maine road On the other hand it is
of the utmost importance that we have
it absolutely fixed that the passenger
station shall be west of all the tracks
If we do not look out for ourselves now
it will be too late. The authority asked
for the Vermont Valley road to take
other railroad property will get no oppo
sition from BrattlebOro, we imagine, Il
it does not bear upon the proposed station
site. Probably the Central Vermont anC
the Boston & Maine will have more OF
less of clash over getting Boston &
Maine rights of way through the Contra
= Vermont yards. But for the best inter
ests of Brattleboro the roads ought Il
; get together on 1t and there would seen
to be no reason why it cannot feasibl!
be done. Expressions of opinions on tn
T part of business men and othe
citizens and members of the board o
! selectmen of Brattleboro is that amend
ments should be made to the proposes
d bill which would prevent the taking c
: the proposed station site and Of Verno
= street for railroad purposes and tina
with such amendments Brattleboro woul
heartily support the measure includin
e the right to run tracks through the Ger
[ tral Vermont yard.
There was no hearing last night a
I Montpelier, as expected on the bill I
/. permit the Boston & Maine to build froI
Brattleboro to South Vernon, but ther
= was a conference between w. b, Sticl
e ney representing the Boston d Main
= and John Calvin, A. p. Carpenter, L. !
: Holden, c. c. Fits and RepresentatiN
Stafford, all representing Brattleboro il
terests
n Mr.. Stickney disclosed the general pla
70 of the Boston & Maine, which he state
~ was to build at such a grade as wou
=. bring the railroad track % feet high
- than the present track at Bridge stree
. He stated that they expected there wou
be a union station and that Brattlebo
would not have to contribute.
-. He stated that the detailed plans as
VI how to care for other properties and Il
" freight yard, etc, were not yet furnish'
y, | him.
= 1t is expected that there will be
= meeting at Brattleboro within a fe
days between the Boston & Maine e
gineers and attorneys and the Brattl
o. boro officials.