Brandywine Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Brandywine Valley Railroad is a class III railroad
operating in Pennsylvania
.
It was established in 1981 by the Lukens Steel Company
to operate trackage at Coatesville, Pennsylvania
and the neighboring town of Modena
. It was acquired, with the rest of the Lukens properties, by Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1998.
The Brandywine Valley's main line was originally built by the Wilmington and Northern Railroad, largely following the Brandywine Creek, to connect Reading
with Wilmington, Delaware
. By the time of the Brandywine Valley's formation, the line had been abandoned north of Valley Station, just north of Coatesville. BVRY took over the line from this point, the site of an interchange with Amtrak
's Keystone Corridor
, south to Modena, below which the ex-W&N was owned by PennDOT
and operated by a number of shortlines over the years.
Under Bethlehem operation, BVRY took over operation of the Delaware Valley Railroad, then operating the remainder of the ex-Wilmington and Northern, in early 1999. This gave the railroad interchange access not only to Conrail at Coatesville (subsequently replaced by the Norfolk Southern Railway
), but to CSX Transportation
at the southern end of the line at Elsmere, Delaware
. It also thus began to operate a connecting branch of the former Pennsylvania Railroad
from Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, on the W&N, to Nottingham
.
After the acquisition of Bethlehem Steel's assets by International Steel Group
in 2003, Brandywine Valley began to scale back its operations. The ex-PRR line, also known as the Octoraro line
, was taken over in that year by the Morristown and Erie Railroad. In 2005, the ex-W&N line south of Modena was turned over to the East Penn Railroad
, reducing the Brandywine Valley to its original extent.
With the merger of ISG in 2005, the railroad and steel plant are now owned by Mittal Steel Company
.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
operating in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
It was established in 1981 by the Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company is located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Lukens is the oldest steel mill in commission within the United States. In 1995 it was one of the three largest producers of plate steel and the largest domestic manufacturer of alloy-plate. It is ranked fourth out of 24 public steel...
to operate trackage at Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
and the neighboring town of Modena
Modena, Pennsylvania
Modena is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 535 at the 2010 census. It was originally called Modeville, after the local Mode family.-Geography:Modena is located at ....
. It was acquired, with the rest of the Lukens properties, by Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1998.
The Brandywine Valley's main line was originally built by the Wilmington and Northern Railroad, largely following the Brandywine Creek, to connect Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
with Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. By the time of the Brandywine Valley's formation, the line had been abandoned north of Valley Station, just north of Coatesville. BVRY took over the line from this point, the site of an interchange with Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Keystone Corridor
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a Federal Railroad Administration "designated high speed corridor" with a 349-mile railroad line between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a top speed of...
, south to Modena, below which the ex-W&N was owned by PennDOT
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
and operated by a number of shortlines over the years.
Under Bethlehem operation, BVRY took over operation of the Delaware Valley Railroad, then operating the remainder of the ex-Wilmington and Northern, in early 1999. This gave the railroad interchange access not only to Conrail at Coatesville (subsequently replaced by the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
), but to CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
at the southern end of the line at Elsmere, Delaware
Elsmere, Delaware
Elsmere is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 6,131.-Geography:Elsmere is located at ....
. It also thus began to operate a connecting branch of the former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
from Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, on the W&N, to Nottingham
Nottingham, Pennsylvania
Nottingham is an unincorporated community located in West Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The community is located at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Pennsylvania Route 272 near the border with East Nottingham Township a short distance north of the Maryland border. It is home to...
.
After the acquisition of Bethlehem Steel's assets by International Steel Group
International Steel Group
International Steel Group was a steel company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 it was ranked #426 on the Fortune 500. It was created after the turn around fund, WL Ross & Co. LLC, purchased LTV Steel in February 2002...
in 2003, Brandywine Valley began to scale back its operations. The ex-PRR line, also known as the Octoraro line
Octoraro Railroad
The Octoraro Railroad was a shortline railroad that operated in Pennsylvania in the 1980s and 1990s.The company was formed in the 1980s and operated freight trains took on the Octoraro Branch, a former Pennsylvania Railroad branch line that ran from Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania to the state line near...
, was taken over in that year by the Morristown and Erie Railroad. In 2005, the ex-W&N line south of Modena was turned over to the East Penn Railroad
East Penn Railroad
The East Penn Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates a number of mostly-unconnected lines in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Delaware...
, reducing the Brandywine Valley to its original extent.
With the merger of ISG in 2005, the railroad and steel plant are now owned by Mittal Steel Company
Mittal Steel Company
Mittal Steel Company N.V. was one of the world's largest steel producers by volume, and also one of the largests in turnover. The company is now part of ArcelorMittal....
.