schedules allowed commuting from fitchburg starting in 1864; after 1880, it was the outer terminal of commuter service on the line. fitchburg union station, a brick structure with a five-story clock tower, was constructed in the late 19th century. by 1900, the boston and maine railroad (b&m) had acquired the fitchburg, the v&m, and the cheshire; the new haven railroad owned the f&w. fitchburg was a major station for b&m intercity trains - including the "green mountain flyer", "mount royal" both on the cheshire branch, and "minuteman" on the boston–troy mainline.