Contents

Neshaminy Line

Railway line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Neshaminy Line
Outbound West Trenton Line train on the Neshaminy Line between the Meadowbrook and Bethayres stations
Overview
Owner	SEPTA
Service
Services	West Trenton Line
History
Opened	1 May 1876 (1876-05-01) (New York Branch)
Technical
Line length	21.7 mi (34.9 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	12kv 25hz overhead catenary
Route map Legend Trenton Subdivision 32.5 West Trenton New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware Canal 30.7 Yardley 26.6 Wood Connecting Track 26.5 Woodbourne 26.4 Woodbourne Yard 24.0 Langhorne 21.9 Neshaminy Falls Trenton Subdivision 19.9 Trevose 19.4 Pennsylvania Turnpike 18.2 Somerton 17.7 Forest Hills Philmont Yard 16.4 Philmont 15.1 Bethayres 14.8 Newtown Branch 13.8 Meadowbrook 12.8 Rydal 12.0 Noble 10.8 Jenkin SEPTA Main Line [1][2] This diagram: view talk edit

The Neshaminy Line is a railway line in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It runs 21.7 miles (34.9 km) from a junction with the SEPTA Main Line just north of Jenkintown–WyncotetoWest Trenton, just across the Delaware River. It was originally built in 1876 as part of the much longer New York Branch, which continued north to Bound Brook, New Jersey. The electrified section between Jenkin and West Trenton was designated the Neshaminy Line and is now owned by SEPTA. It hosts the West Trenton Line commuter rail service. The freight-only Trenton Subdivision runs parallel between Neshaminy Falls and West Trenton.

History[edit]

The North Pennsylvania Railroad and the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad built the New York Branch to create an alternative route between Philadelphia and New York City, competing with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The line opened on May 1, 1876.^[3][4] The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, forerunner of the Reading Company, leased the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad and North Pennsylvania Railroad on May 14, 1879.^[5] The Reading electrified the New York Branch between Jenkintown and West Trenton in 1931; electric trains began operating from the Reading Terminal on July 26, 1931.^[6]

With the Reading's final bankruptcy and the creation of Conrail in 1976, the line was split. The electrified line between Jenkin and West Trenton was conveyed to SEPTA and designated the Neshaminy Line. Conrail's Trenton Line ran from Port Reading Junction to a junction with the Philadelphia Subdivision in Philadelphia proper. This new subdivision included the New York Branch between the northern end at Port Reading Junction and West Trenton, shared operation with SEPTA between West Trenton and Woodbourne, a single parallel track between Woodbourne and Neshaminy Falls, and then three other former Reading lines: the New York Short Line, the Low Grade Branch, and the Richmond Branch.^[7][8] Diesel service north of West Trenton ended on August 1, 1981.^[6]

The Conrail split in 1999 saw the Trenton Line pass to CSX Transportation, which renamed it the Trenton Subdivision. Growing congestion and the need to implement positive train control (PTC) led to SEPTA and CSX undertaking the West Trenton Separation Project in 2015. This project built a new third track between Woodbourne and Yardley, fully separating the Neshaminy Line and the Trenton Subdivision.^[8] SEPTA activated PTC on the West Trenton Line on October 24, 2016.^[9]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Conrail (July 23, 1995). "Philadelphia Division" (PDF).
• Holton, James L. (1989). The Reading Railroad: History of a Coal Age Empire : The Nineteenth Century. Vol. 1. Laury's Station, PA: Garrigues House. ISBN 0-9620844-1-7.
• Warner, Paul T. (May 1957). "Eight-Wheelers Between New York and Philadelphia 1870-1900". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. 96: 44–62. JSTOR 43520154.
• Williams, Gerry (1998). Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. ISBN 978-0-9621541-7-1.