Metropolitan Railroad (Maryland)

For the streetcar company in Washington D.C., see Metropolitan Railroad.

File:William Rich Hutton Metropolitan Railroad Map.png

An 1855 map of the proposed route of the Metropolitan Railroad

The Metropolitan Railroad was a 19th century Maryland corporation that proposed to build a railroad line from Washington, D.C. to the vicinity of Frederick, Maryland, where it would connect with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), and continue to Hagerstown. The company was organized by businessmen from Washington and Montgomery County, Maryland and was chartered by the Maryland General Assembly in 1853. It conducted some initial land surveys, but had difficulty raising funds and went bankrupt in 1863. The B&O subsequently constructed a rail line on a similar route, and opened its Metropolitan Branch in 1873.

References

• Maryland General Assembly. “An Act to incorporate the Metropolitan Rail Road Company.” 1853 Md. Laws, Chap. 196. Passed May 5, 1853.