Commuter Services in the Boston Area, 1835–1860
- 1 January 1962
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Business History Review
- Vol. 36 (2) , 153-170
- https://doi.org/10.2307/3111453
Abstract
In the late 1840's, under the leadership of the Boston and Maine management, the seven steam railroads in Boston promoted the development of suburbs by lowering fares and providing frequent commuter trains. By 1855 the volume of commuter traffic was of sufficient magnitude and the fares so low as to depress the earning power of the seven roads. When the managements attempted to offset increases in wages and material costs with higher commuter fares, the commuters on one line dramatically and successfully staged a revolt. The policy of deliberately developing commuter service as a by-product not only stimulated the urban development of Greater Boston but also influenced the philosophy of railroad management itself.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
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