In 1858 the Metropolitan was authorized by the legislature to acquire the West Roxbury Railroad, which provided service between Roxbury and West Roxbury,; . The property and franchise of the company were conveyed to the Metropolitan on August 29, 1862. and in 1859 it received similar permission to purchase the franchise and property of the Brookline Railroad.; . In 1863 the company expanded into Dorchester with the absorption of the Dorchester Railway and Dorchester Expansion Railway, which collectively connected that town to Boston with lines along Dorchester Avenue and several other streets,; . For the routes of these companies, see and a year later Dorchester and Roxbury Railroad was also acquired.; .
