The Brookline & Milford Railroad opened in 1894. It's primary purpose was to haul ice directly to Boston. Passenger service ended in 1926 and freight in 1931. The rails and ties were removed in 1942.
The Town of Pepperell owns a little less than one mile of the rail bed, purchased in June 2002. Other segments of this line, which once extended from Ayer, MA to Milford, NH, are also publicly owned. From Brookline Street to the New Hampshire border the former line is owned by the Massachusetts Div. of Fisheries and Wildlife. In New Hampshire some portions of the line belong to the Beaver Brook Trust in Hollis.
map hosted at ARRT 