Train Tunnel — Attraction in Southborough

The Clinton Train Tunnel, located near the Wachusett Reservoir and Dam in Massachusetts, is a remnant of the Central Massachusetts Railroad, which once connected Boston to Northampton. Built in the early 1900s, the tunnel was part of a re-routing project required by the creation of the Wachusett Reservoir, which submerged earlier sections of track. Construction of the tunnel and new line alignment was completed in 1903, allowing the railroad to continue operation while accommodating the state’s growing need for water storage. At approximately one thousand feet long, the tunnel was engineered through solid rock, reflecting the ambition of early twentieth-century rail expansion.

For several decades, the tunnel carried both freight and passenger trains, serving as an important transportation link across central Massachusetts. However, by the mid-twentieth century, passenger service declined as automobiles and highways took precedence, and freight demand along this particular line waned. By the 1950s, service beyond Clinton had been cut back, and in 1958 the line through the tunnel was formally abandoned. Tracks were removed and supporting infrastructure, such as bridges, dismantled, leaving the tunnel unused. Today, the Clinton Train Tunnel remains accessible as a historical site. Damp, dark, and atmospheric, it serves as a quiet reminder of Massachusetts’ industrial and...

Definitely worth checking out. Recommend bringing waterproof boots as well a strong flashlight as your phone won’t do good enough in the tunnel to see the walls or what’s above you especially in the cave part of it. If you decide to go all the way past the tunnel and to where the trail extends, definitely bring bug spray because it’s all mud and there are a lot of mosquitoes even during the day time. You can manage to get to the area where it’s hard ground using the wood and sticks but if you don’t have good balance, your going to go knee deep (or further) into mud. There is still time to check it out even though it says it’s closed, the gates will still be ripped out if they ever go in and the signs are immediately covered in graffiti because nothing has been done to it since it was bought by that group (the gate was ripped a week after it was put up and a lot of people...

This Abandoned Train Tunnel is worth exploring. It’s 0.2 miles long and you can get to the tunnel by parking on the side of the road next to the remains of the large stone foundation. Follow a path to the right and up the embankment and voila. The tunnel is heavily graffitied by local gutter punks so be mindful of this as you bring young children. The tunnel becomes muddy near the end, so rainboots or galoshes may be needed if you plan on exploring past the end of the tunnel. In early 1900 with the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir, a railroad line was constructed that crossed the river just below dam and ran through a hill, hence the tunnel. By mid century, the railway ceased to be used. In the 70's the bridge that crossed the river was removed. Now, all that remains is the tunnel and a stunningly beautiful trench in...