the oc&n became the old colony railroad in 1872. around 1882, the old colony began diverting trains on a new branch from raynham to whittenton junction (the whittenton branch, which allowed all service to stop at the new taunton central station. in 1888, the old colony acquired the b&p; the easton branch was upgraded between stoughton and stoughton junction to allow use of the dighton and somerset as a through route to the south coast via the b&p mainline rather than the old colony mainline. in 1893, the old colony railroad was itself leased to the new york, new haven and hartford railroad. the new haven further consolidated service to taunton central; by 1895, the fall river line's "boat train" was the only passenger service between raynham and weir junction. all passenger service through dean street ended in 1897.