structural costs of doing business, loss of demand outside of rush hour, and restrictive regulations. The Boston-area railroads were not immune to these trends, and as the decade wore on sought to end or reduce their money-losing commuter operations. In addition, the extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike over part of the B&A main line would reduce its capacity going forward. By 1957, daily ridership was just 3,100 passengers. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) first proposed buying the Highland branch and rebuilding it as a light rail line in 1956, for a total estimated cost of $9 million. The MTA was attracted to the project because it could extend rapid transit service quickly and cheaply. The state legislature approved the purchase and a total expenditure of $9.2 million on June 20, 1957. By the time the New York Central ended the seven inbound and nine outbound daily trains on May 31, 1958, daily patronage on the branch had fallen to 2,200 passengers. The MTA bought the Highland branch from the Boston and Albany on June 24, 1958 for $600,000. Even as the MTA took this action, the Boston and Maine Railroad was reducing service on its lines radiating out of North Station and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad threatened to end all service on the Old Colony Railroad lines. Construction on the new light rail line began on July 10, 1958. A new -long tunnel was built to connect with the existing Beacon Street Line tunnel west of Kenmore Square. Streetcar stations with automobile parking were built at all the former station sites; Riverside and Woodland were both relocated to the southeast. Additional construction included a yard at Riverside; a loop, busway, and connection with the existing yard at Reservoir; an additional station at Park Drive; and overhead electrification including a new substation at the South Boston power station. The MTA reopened the branch as the Riverside Line on July 4, 1959. Total construction costs came to $8 million. Daily ridership was 25,000, ten times what the B&A trains had carried at the end. The project was "ahead of schedule and under budget", and ridership exceeded projections. The faster acceleration of the electric streetcars permitted faster operation between downtown and Riverside (35 minutes versus 40 minutes) than the conventional trains they replaced. While other government entities were subsidizing passenger operations around the United States, it was the only