It also failed as a competitive intercity route. The experiment trying to make it a thru line on the Poughkeepsie Bridge route in the 1890's failed. It had financial problems almost from the day it opened, through its control by the Boston & Lowell, all the way until B&M acquired it in 1900. And then during the 7 years the NYNH&H controlled B&M there was the Hampden RR fiasco. Originally it was intended to get a major shot in the arm via the New Haven a quick contiguous link between Boston and New Haven with the new Hampden trackage between Palmer and Athol Jct. in Springfield making it a fast and direct Inland Route competitor against NY Central. Instead of the original inferior routing via Northampton down the Conn River or Canal Line. Then the NH relinquished control of B&M before the Hampden was substantially under construction, dashing the chances at contiguous ops. Then the Hampden's trustees went belly-up before the line even opened and the dream was truly dead. Paper barriers cut intercity service. B&M couldn't find a good use for it with its Fitchburg RR acquisition being the superior route for points north. And passenger service west of Clinton got slashed within 8 years of the Hampden's failure to just 1 round trip per day. 1914-28 was pretty much one nonstop string of setbacks that killed it.
Then the Depression cut Clinton commuter service in '32. The '38 Hurricane destroyed the line in Barre and forced its abandonment between Hardwick at the junction with the B&A Ware River Line and West Boylston at the junction with the B&M Worcester, Nashua, and Rochester. West-end freight + east-end commuter rail and freight were all that were left until the 1950's started picking off the remnants.
Then the Depression cut Clinton commuter service in '32. The '38 Hurricane destroyed the line in Barre and forced its abandonment between Hardwick at the junction with the B&A Ware River Line and West Boylston at the junction with the B&M Worcester, Nashua, and Rochester. West-end freight + east-end commuter rail and freight were all that were left until the 1950's started picking off the remnants.
