Housatonic Railroad
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| Reporting mark | HRRC |
|---|---|
| Locale | Southwestern New England |
| Dates of operation | 1840–Present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Canaan, CT |
| Website | www |
The Housatonic Railroad (/ˌhuːsəˈtɒnɪk/ HOOS-ə-TON-ik) (reporting mark HRRC) is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.
The Housatonic Railroad was also a company chartered in 1836 and leased by the New Haven in 1892. It followed much the same route as the current company, but did not run west into New York.
The Housatonic Railroad, originally (mis)spelled as 'Ousatonic Railroad', was chartered in May 1836 to build a line from Bridgeport, Connecticut north to the Massachusetts state line, along the Housatonic River valley. On February 19, 1840, regular service began from Bridgeport to New Milford, and on December 1, 1842 it opened to the state line.
On the other side of the line, the Berkshire Railroad was incorporated April 13, 1837 to continue the line north to , where it would connect to the West Stockbridge Railroad (see below) and the never-built Lee and Hudson Railroad. Construction began in February 1841, and it was completed on December 1, 1842, the same day the line in Connecticut opened. The Housatonic Railroad leased the Berkshire Railroad on January 1, 1843.
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