The northernmost portion of the main line from Islington to Dedham was rerouted to the east in 1881, and the original alignment abandoned two years later.

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad assumed operation of the Norfolk County lines in 1898.

The company constructed a rail line between Dedham and Blackstone from 1847 to 1849, opening for business that spring.

[2] Such were the company's finances that it declared bankruptcy that same month, as only $400,000 worth of stock had been subscribed to cover the $900,000 in construction costs.

[7] Made redundant by the Charles River Railroad, the Medway Branch was abandoned in 1864.

[7] The New Haven received approval to cut these trains as well in April 1966, but offered to keep running them if local municipalities paid for the operating costs; several communities agreed to subsidize operations, but Blackstone did not.

[5] MBTA Commuter Rail took over passenger service in 1973, with freight handled by Penn Central, taken over by Conrail in 1976.