In 2024, the Central Vermont & Vermont Rail System jointly purchased the New Hampshire Central to both expand into northern New Hampshire (The Conway Scenic Railroad also became part owner later that year when the NHC proposed to take over responsibility for freight operations from Hazens to Fabyan’s.)
After the purchase, the NHC formally became the operator for NHDOT trackage from Whitefield to Littleton & St Johnsbury, which it is now in the process of rebuilding.
The line from Stratford to Beecher Falls is only being operated as far as a gravel pit in Columbia, but both PV&T & VRS salesmen are working the phones trying to coax a few large shippers back to the rails.
In 2026, the NHC became the parent of the Portland & North Conway
Railroad, restoring the MEC’s Mountain Division to service
under one management (PNCR to North Conway, freight operations on
the Conway Scenic between North Conway & Fabyan, then the NHC proper
from Fabyan to St Johnsbury. No through freights are operated on
this line (with the exception of one planned as a celebration for
when the line between Whitefield & St Johnsbury is finally
rehabilitated) because the B&M Guilford Pan Am Railways
made that restriction a condition of transferring the trackage
in New Hampshire to the state, and CSX thinks that restriction
is just fine to keep in place now that they own the ruins of
the the whole Guilford mess.
The NHC has a fairly small roster, primarily EMDs, but in 2025 saw the arrival of 10 Derby-built RS-38s to replace most of the leased (also EMD) power it had been using.
| No. | Type | Builder | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | RS-38 | Derby | 2020 | leased from the Joint Locomotive Pool |
| 360 | 44 ton switcher | GE | 1943 | originally US Army #7931 |
| 901 | RP39-2C | Morrison-Knudsen | 1985 | originally L&N #4024 |
| 7324 | GP9 | EMD | 1955 | originally NYC #5924 |