Schuylkill Branch
Encyclopedia
The Schuylkill Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the former Pennsylvania Railroad
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. The line ran from the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
at 52nd Street in Philadelphia north via Norristown, Reading, and Pottsville to Delano Junction (near Delano
). From Delano Junction, the PRR had trackage rights
over the Lehigh Valley Railroad
's Hazleton Branch and Tomhicken Branch to Tomhicken
, where the PRR's Catawissa Branch began. In conjunction with the Catawissa Branch, Nescopeck Branch, and Wilkes-Barre Branch, the Schuylkill Branch gave the PRR a direct line from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre.
service, the Schuylkill Branch service primarily as a commuter rail line between Philadelphia and Norristown, with the lines being within plain sight of each other between Manayunk
and Norristown. Service to Pottstown was made available in 1886, and an extension to New Boston (near Mahanoy City) was opened by the Pottsville and Mahanoy Railroad at around the same time. The final piece, from New Boston to Delano Junction, had been built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad
before 1870,, but this was leased by the PRR in 1885. In the 1930s, as part of the extensive electrification project that brought New York–Washington
and Harrisburg
–Philadelphia intercity passenger and through-freight service under wire, the Schyulkill Branch was electrified from its 52nd Street Junction in Philadelphia to Norristown.
With the surge in automobile sales and construction of extensions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
and the Interstate Highway System
in Pennsylvania in the 1950s, the PRR eliminated commuter rail service in 1960 north of Manayunk, yielding Philadelphia, Norristown, and Reading commuter and through-passenger service to the rival Reading.
With the bankruptcies of the PRR's successor Penn Central and the Reading Company, the creation of Conrail in 1976 led to the closure and abandonment of the Schuylkill Valley Branch north of Manayunk. SEPTA, which took over the rail line in 1983, operated the former Conrail service as its Cynwyd Line
rail service until 1986, when spalling conditions on the Manayunk Bridge
concrete viaduct connecting the line between Bala Cynwyd
and Manayunk/Ivy Ridge warranted its closure, forcing SEPTA to scale back service its Cynwyd Station in Bala Cynwyd. The viaduct has since been repaired and restored to its previous glory, though service has not resumed. SEPTA leased the unused section between Cynwyd and Ivy Ridge to local townships for used as an interim rail trail.
near King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
, a short piece at Norristown is used by the Norfolk Southern Railway
(a part successor, along with CSX Transportation
, of Conrail) as part of their Morrisville Connecting Track. The line between Oaks
and Phoenixville is part of the currently unused NS Phoenixville Industrial Track. The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad owns the line from Temple
(north of Reading) north to Hamburg
. The catenary erected by the PRR is still maintained by Amtrak, as it powers both the Northeast
and Keystone Corridor
s with electricity (except for the ex-PRR/Penn Central lines electrified prior to 1925) generated by the Safe Harbor Dam
located near York, Pennsylvania
.
The proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro
, an electrified rail service that would have restored passenger service connecting Philadelphia and Reading, would have used the ex-PRR/Penn Central tracks from 52nd Street to Ivy Ridge, connecting with the existing ex-Reading Manayunk/Norristown service to Reading. Because of its rejection by the Federal Railroad Administration
due to the high cost (primarily for electrification of the entire line and the need to literally rebuild the entire Philadelphia-Manayunk section of the Schuylkill Branch), alternate plans currently on the table only envision the use of the ex-Reading Manayunk/Norristown route only, with partial extension of the electrified service as far as King of Prussia, and any service west of King of Prussia requiring the use of push-pull consists using hybrid
locomotives similar to those being ordered by New Jersey Transit
for its future Trans-Hudson Express (THE) Tunnel service connecting New York Penn Station with all of the non-electrified services on its Hoboken Division.
In July 1981, SEPTA eliminated non-electrified rail services between Philadelphia and Reading, Bethlehem
and Newark, New Jersey
; service between Fox Chase and Newtown
followed in January 1983. The discontinuing of these services was strongly opposed by both Conrail employees and passengers.
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....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The line ran from the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
The Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line is an electrified rail line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Zoo Interlocking in Philadelphia, where it meets the Northeast Corridor, west to Harrisburg , where electrification ends, along the former...
at 52nd Street in Philadelphia north via Norristown, Reading, and Pottsville to Delano Junction (near Delano
Delano, Pennsylvania
Delano is a census-designated place in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delano is located at ....
). From Delano Junction, the PRR had trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
's Hazleton Branch and Tomhicken Branch to Tomhicken
Tomhicken, Pennsylvania
Tomhicken is an unincorporated community in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. Tomhicken is notable for being a junction point between the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Tomhicken Branch and the Pennsylvania Rail Road's Catawissa Branch. Tomhicken is part of the Greater Hazleton region....
, where the PRR's Catawissa Branch began. In conjunction with the Catawissa Branch, Nescopeck Branch, and Wilkes-Barre Branch, the Schuylkill Branch gave the PRR a direct line from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre.
History
Opened in 1884 to compete with the Reading Railroad for Philadelphia–Reading service, when the latter decided to compete with the PRR for Philadelphia-New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
service, the Schuylkill Branch service primarily as a commuter rail line between Philadelphia and Norristown, with the lines being within plain sight of each other between Manayunk
Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located on the banks of the Schuylkill River, it contains the first canal begun in the United States . The area's name comes from the language of the Lenape Indians...
and Norristown. Service to Pottstown was made available in 1886, and an extension to New Boston (near Mahanoy City) was opened by the Pottsville and Mahanoy Railroad at around the same time. The final piece, from New Boston to Delano Junction, had been built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
before 1870,, but this was leased by the PRR in 1885. In the 1930s, as part of the extensive electrification project that brought New York–Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
–Philadelphia intercity passenger and through-freight service under wire, the Schyulkill Branch was electrified from its 52nd Street Junction in Philadelphia to Norristown.
With the surge in automobile sales and construction of extensions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
and the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in Pennsylvania in the 1950s, the PRR eliminated commuter rail service in 1960 north of Manayunk, yielding Philadelphia, Norristown, and Reading commuter and through-passenger service to the rival Reading.
With the bankruptcies of the PRR's successor Penn Central and the Reading Company, the creation of Conrail in 1976 led to the closure and abandonment of the Schuylkill Valley Branch north of Manayunk. SEPTA, which took over the rail line in 1983, operated the former Conrail service as its Cynwyd Line
Cynwyd Line
The Cynwyd Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Cynwyd in Montgomery County.Originally known as the Ivy Ridge Branch, service was truncated on October 25, 1986 from Ivy Ridge to its current terminus at Cynwyd....
rail service until 1986, when spalling conditions on the Manayunk Bridge
Manayunk Bridge
The Manayunk Bridge is a historic bridge in Pennsylvania across the Schuylkill River and adjacent Schuylkill Canal between Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County and the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia.-History:...
concrete viaduct connecting the line between Bala Cynwyd
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
and Manayunk/Ivy Ridge warranted its closure, forcing SEPTA to scale back service its Cynwyd Station in Bala Cynwyd. The viaduct has since been repaired and restored to its previous glory, though service has not resumed. SEPTA leased the unused section between Cynwyd and Ivy Ridge to local townships for used as an interim rail trail.
The Schuylkill Branch Today
While mostly abandoned, and since converted to a "rail trail" connecting Philadelphia with the Valley Forge National Historical ParkValley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777–1778 near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolutionary War. The National Historical Park preserves the site and interprets the history of the Valley Forge encampment. ...
near King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
, a short piece at Norristown is used 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...
(a part successor, along with 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...
, of Conrail) as part of their Morrisville Connecting Track. The line between Oaks
Oaks, Pennsylvania
Oaks is a village located in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Its boundaries are defined in large part by the village's position at the junction of Perkiomen Creek and the Schuylkill River.-History:The two waterways defined much of the...
and Phoenixville is part of the currently unused NS Phoenixville Industrial Track. The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad owns the line from Temple
Temple, Pennsylvania
Temple is an unincorporated community in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States at an elevation of . The community was named for a hotel sign urging travelers to "Stop at Solomon's Temple." Temple was formerly an independent borough, until it was disincorporated on January...
(north of Reading) north to Hamburg
Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Hamburg is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,114 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Hamburg, Germany.-Geography:Hamburg is located at ....
. The catenary erected by the PRR is still maintained by Amtrak, as it powers both the Northeast
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
and 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...
s with electricity (except for the ex-PRR/Penn Central lines electrified prior to 1925) generated by the Safe Harbor Dam
Safe Harbor Dam
The Safe Harbor Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the lower Susquehanna River with an associated hydroelectric power station. It is the most northerly and last of three Great Depression-era public electrification projects' hydroelectric dams and was constructed between 1 April 1930 and 7 December...
located near York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
.
The proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro
Schuylkill Valley Metro
The Schuylkill Valley Metro was a proposal for a 62-mile railway system that would link Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania in central Berks County, USA, using the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line and Cynwyd Line, as well as two current freight-only rights-of-way owned...
, an electrified rail service that would have restored passenger service connecting Philadelphia and Reading, would have used the ex-PRR/Penn Central tracks from 52nd Street to Ivy Ridge, connecting with the existing ex-Reading Manayunk/Norristown service to Reading. Because of its rejection by the Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
due to the high cost (primarily for electrification of the entire line and the need to literally rebuild the entire Philadelphia-Manayunk section of the Schuylkill Branch), alternate plans currently on the table only envision the use of the ex-Reading Manayunk/Norristown route only, with partial extension of the electrified service as far as King of Prussia, and any service west of King of Prussia requiring the use of push-pull consists using hybrid
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
locomotives similar to those being ordered by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
for its future Trans-Hudson Express (THE) Tunnel service connecting New York Penn Station with all of the non-electrified services on its Hoboken Division.
In July 1981, SEPTA eliminated non-electrified rail services between Philadelphia and Reading, Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
; service between Fox Chase and Newtown
Fox Chase-Newtown Rapid Transit Line
The Fox Chase Rapid Transit line was an experimental transit operation spearheaded by SEPTA from 1981 to 1983, utilizing Philadelphia city transit operators instead of traditional railroad workers...
followed in January 1983. The discontinuing of these services was strongly opposed by both Conrail employees and passengers.