Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-29
Disappears on Denial by
Prominent Railroad Men.
q
'lIeged Plan Included Nearly
{ All New England Roads
But MeI|en Says New Haven Is
Not After Boston & Albany.

Boston. March 2S.--A vision Of an
other transportation consolidation, per
fecting the practical union of nearly all
the railroad lines in New England APP
peared today through the announce
ment Of closer traffic arrangements be-
tween the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Railroad and the Boston &
Albany division Of the New York Cen
trail Railroad But the vision faded
when President Charles 5. Mellcn and
Vice President T. T. Byrnes of the New
Haven system denied that their COM
pany contemplated the acquisition or
transfer to it of the lease of the Boston
& Albany.
In denying the original report of
such o consolidation President Mellen
issued statement from his Office in
\ this city to the effect that the two
roads had entered into an arrangement
looking to an increase of traffic at GER
tain junction points and also for the
use of certain portions of the Boston
& Albany lines by New Haven trains
hauled by the latter's own motive pow
er.
This arrangement, added Vice
President Byrnes this afternoon, can
as even a start toward consolidation.
first, for the reason that such action
would necessitate an appeal to the
! Legislature; second, because, as | un-
> derstand it. it would be in violation of
the interstate commerce act. In fact,
il has not been and is not in contempt
lation.
The arrangement with the New
York Central system is as yet only in
kind and not in degree We have come
to an understanding for the inter-
change of traffic at junction points in
order to increase its volume and for
economys sake. We have not as yet
agreed as to those junction points. In
other words we shall use certain por-
tons of the tracks of the Boston & AL
bany Road just as we use certain por-
tions of the Central Vermont Railroad
in Vermont and that company uses
certain portions of the Boston &c
Maine"
Upon being pressed to explain what
advantage either the New Haven or
the Albany would derive from CONSOLE
dation, Mr.. Byrnes said he could see
none as yet. 1T certainly would not
hasten electrification in and about
Boston," he thought.
THE New York. New Haven & Hartford
Railroad has not bought or sought to buy
the Boston Albany Railroad and has
control ovrr its operation. 1t has entered
into arrangements with the New York
Central 1.-THE lessee of the Boston Al
bany Railroad) looking TO increased
traffic by way of the Boston & Albany juno
lions and will probably in the near future
perfect arrangements by which it will run
its own trains with its power
portions of the Boston & Albany lines.
notably between South birmingham and
Boston; between Ashland and South Franz
ingham between Ludlow and Springfield
in connection with the projected Hampden
Railroad extension of the Central Massa-
chusetts and between Pittsield and North
Adams These arrangements are SO OBJ
viously in the public interests 1t is
necessary to enlarge upon the beneficial re-
suits that are bound to follow
This arrangement, which establishes i'm
pOrtant connections for through traffic. to
serve Boston as well the central and
extreme western parts of the state, may
obviatc the necessity of building the Hamp-
den Railroad to which the statement re-
fers. That projected road was authorized
by the railroad commission last fall. 1t
Il planned to run from Springfield to Bonds
vile and was opposed as useless by the
Boston & Albany Railroad. whose line it
parallels. Now the New Haven Railroad
proposes to use the Boston e. Albany tracks
for considerable distance along which
the proposed Hampden road was to run.
Another point which the Few arrange
nent emphasizes is the possibility of the
Boston & Albany coming into Inc new tun-
mel, If one is built under Boston harbor.
Thus the Boston Albany would not have
to come to dead end at the South station,
and it would have shorter way for reach
ing its docks in East Boston.
The rumors of consolidation and the
denias coupled with the statement of the
agreement aroused much interest
throughout New England and set the ex-
perts at work figuring on new railroad
map. On many of the old maps the New
Haven lines are drawn i'm red, the New
York Central in green and the Central
Vermont and Grand Trunk in drab In
the last 10 years the thin red line has
passed beyond Boston and now includes
ali lines in New Hampshire except a short
drab line of the Grand Trunk and all
those in Maine except another portion of
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