Harrisburg Line

For the Amtrak (formerly Pennsylvania Railroad) line, see Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. For the CSX line, see Harrisburg Subdivision.
Harrisburg Line
Overview
Type Freight rail
System Norfolk Southern
Status Operational
Locale eastern Pennsylvania
Termini CP-River in Philadelphia
CP-Harrisburg in Harrisburg
Operation
Owner Norfolk Southern
Operator(s) Norfolk Southern
Technical
No. of tracks 1-2
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Harrisburg Line is a railroad line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Philadelphia west to Harrisburg along the former Reading Company main line. The line is part of the NS Harrisburg Division.[1]

At its east end, near the Falls of the Schuylkill, the Harrisburg Line junctions with CSX Transportation's Trenton Subdivision. Its west end is at a junction with the Pittsburgh Line, the Lurgan Branch, the Royalton Branch, and Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. The line junctions the Morrisville Line (indirectly) at Norristown and the Reading Line near Reading.

History

The Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road opened in 1839, including the current Harrisburg Line east of Reading.[2] The line from Reading to Harrisburg was opened by the Lebanon Valley Railroad in 1858.[3] Through leases, mergers, and takeovers, the line eventually became part of Conrail in 1976. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, the line was assigned to Norfolk Southern.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Norfolk Southern (2008). "Harrisburg Division." Track chart.
  2. ↑ "PRR Chronology, 1839." June 2004 Edition.
  3. ↑ "PRR Chronology, 1858". March 2005 Edition.
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