However, the route did not directly reach either Salem or Lowell, instead connecting to other railroads at each end of the line near the two cities.

[2] Even before opening, plans began for the railroad to transport significant amounts of grain and flour from Salem, which were highly in demand in Lowell.

[2] In 1871, the B&L paid $468,000 to purchase a majority of the Salem and Lowell's shares and take direct control of the company.

This segment, which generated almost zero traffic for the Boston and Maine, saw its last trains in August 1924, followed by formal abandonment in late 1925.

This portion of the line saw very little traffic and was abandoned in 1939 beyond a point half a mile (0.8 km) west of South Middleton where the furthest remaining rail served customers were located.

This remnant of the Salem and Lowell saw its final train service in 1980, and with its abandonment in 1987 no active portions of the line remained.

In July 2020, the state awarded $45,000 for a feasibility study of a trail on the right-of-way in North Reading along with the design of a bridge over Route 1 in Peabody.