The Commonwealth of Massachusetts went to the rescue of one of its railroads last week with the first state subsidy in U.S. history. After two years of diligent consideration, the legislature voted $900,000 to enable the New Haven railroad (first half loss: $4,962,496) to keep its Old Colony line (1957 loss: $2,400,000) running from Boston south along the vacation resorts (see map) for another year.
For New Haven President George Alpert—and the railroad business—the action was a major breakthrough. The industry's most persistent advocate of subsidy ("I cannot afford the luxury of commuter lines"), Alpert will put pressure on New York State...
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