The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, known locally as the Stonington Line  was formed from the merger of the Boston and Providence Railroad and the Providence and Stonington Railroad in 1833. The Boston and Providence Railroad was originally chartered in 1831 and the Providence and Stonington in 1832. Construction was begun on the Stonington route from Providence in 1832 and the entire route was completed in 1837.

When first completed, the New York Providence and Boston Railroad did not connect physically with any other railroads. It's northern terminus was Fields Point in Providence where a Ferry connected passengers to the Boston and Providence Railroad on the other side of the bay. It's southern terminus was in Stonington, Connecticut where passengers boarded steamships to New York.

The New Haven, New London and Stonington line was completed in 1858 and leased to the New York, Providence and Boston in 1859, which further extended the railroad and increased its profitability. The Groton Extension was added in 1864.

With the completion of the Thames River Bridge in 1889, the last obstacle standing in the way of a complete rail system extending from Boston to New York ended. The New Haven Railroad leased the New York, Providence and Boston line in 1892 and it became a part of the busiest rail line in New England, carrying over it's tracks such famous old trains as the Yankee Clipper and the Merchants Limited.

In 1969, the Penn Central took control of the line and in 1971 Amtrak began passenger service on the road. Amtrak purchased the New York, Providence and Boston outright in 1976. Freight operations on the rail line were handled by Conrail until 1982 when the Providence and Worcester took over freight operations..

There was only one real branch on the railroad, a three and a half mile branch owned and operated by the Newport and Wickford Railroad and Steamship Company. This branch was chartered in 1862 and opened in 1871. The N&W RR & SC operated at least partially until 1962. 

See: The Steamship "General" in Wickford Harbor for a more complete history of this branch Railroad.

The old "Kingston Station" built in 1875 and located near the University of Rhode Island on Route 138 was a part of this line. In early 1964, after graduating from Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes Illinois; I traveled on the Penn Central and New Haven Railroads to this old depot where "mom" picked me up for a pleasant two week vacation back home in Saunderstown, RI. This was my one and only trip on the New York, Providence and Boston line.