Rutland Railroad

The Rutland Railroad (AAR reporting marks RUT), was a small railroad in the north-eastern United States, primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York. The earliest ancestor of the Rutland, the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, was chartered in 1843 by the state of Vermont to build between Rutland, Vermont and Burlington, Vermont. A number of other railroads were formed in the region, and by 1867 the Rutland & Burlington Railroad had changed its name to simply the Rutland Railroad.

Between 1871 and 1896 the Rutland Railroad was leased to the Central Vermont, regaining its independence when that road entered receivership. The New York Central Railroad briefly had a controlling interest in the Rutland from 1904, but sold half of its shares to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1911.

Never a solid financial operation, the Rutland entered receivership for the first time in 1938. Cost cutting, including wage reduction, brought things around.

After World War II, the decline continued. Many branches were closed down. 1950 saw the reorganisation as the Rutland Railway. 1953 saw three weeks of employee strike action, which killed off the remaining passenger service on the line.

Further strike action in 1961 brought the realisation that the railroad was not viable under the conditions demanded by the unions, and the management applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission for complete abandonment. This was approved, and the railroad closed down on May 20, 1963. The strike was brought on by the employees' unwillingness to accept operational changes that would have moved the center of Rutland operations from Rutland to Burlington. This would have required them to relocate from Rutland to Burlington.

The operational changes would have lengthened the runs, running from Burlington to Bellows Falls or Ogdensburg on one day, staying over and then running back the next day. Under current operating orders they would make the run from Rutland to Burlington or Bellows Falls and back in a day, or from Malone, NY running out and back to Ogdensburg, NY and Burlington, VT.

A few years later the national unions agreed to nationwide job changes that allowed this type of change. If the Rutland local unions had been more flexible they would saved their jobs and their employer's business.

Much of the right-of-way was purchased by the State of Vermont. The Northern Division across the top of New York State from Ogdensburg to Norwood remains in tracks. Interestingly, it is now owned by Vermont Railway, so all the remaining trackage of the Rutland is owned by one company. Ownership of the railbed from Norwood to Burlington has been dispersed.

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