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Green Line (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Greenline is a proposed $138 million mass transit line for the Upper Schuylkill Valley
region in southeastern Pennsylvania
in the United States
. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed. The line is being advocated by a group called Citizens for the Train. No operator has been selected.
Gannett Fleming Inc.
) to determine the feasibility of the project. The group is putting together $250,000 for an alternative analysis to see if a different transportation project, such as widening roads or adding bus routes, would work better. The study was slated for completion by the end of 2009.
Citizens for the Train will pursue an estimated $1.5 million for an environmental and engineering study. When approved, funding for the project will be sought from both public and private sources.
Due to the ill-fated $2 billion Schuylkill Valley Metro
(SVM) project, the Greenline proposal has received overwhelming support from regional politicians and businesses alike. The Greenline is currently part of the Chester County Transportation Improvements Inventory (TII) document for 2009-2010. No funding has been allocated for design or construction.
, with the Oaks terminal situated at the new Greater Philadelphia Expo Center At Oaks. The route will utilize Norfolk Southern Railway
's (NS) disused 11-mile Phoenixville Industrial Track, with an additional seven miles of new railway construction to be built between end-of-track in Devault (where trains will be stored) and the current Amtrak
/SEPTA Paoli Station
.
The bulk of the route is the Phoenixville Industrial Track. Never a prominent line for former tenant, the Pennsylvania Railroad
, the route gained momentum in its later years. With the help of PennDOT
, the single-track line received a substantial infrastructure upgrade via Conrail
in the late 1980s. New wooden ties were laid, and drainage was significantly improved. In addition, grade crossings received additional protective hardware, including flashers and gates. Freight service continued through 2004, when sole customer American Sweetener Corporation, whose plant was located at the end of the line in Devault, closed its doors. NS applied to officially discontinue rail service on the line in October 2007, which became effective that December. Since minimal track improvements are needed due to the recent upgrade, the Greenline essentially has a ready-made railway awaiting it, which Citizens for the Train plans to purchase from NS.
of commuter rail. Paoli Station also hosts Amtrak
's Keystone Service
and Pennsylvanian
, serving trains en route to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and New York City
.
Notable towns that the Greenline will serve are listed below:
-built diesel-electric DMU (diesel multiple unit
) cars used on New Jersey Transit
's successful River LINE
that operates between the towns of Camden
and Trenton, New Jersey
. Equipment will be stored at the unused depot at the end of track in Devault; these tracks were previously used to store freight cars when the Maslo paper company received shipment via rail.
The RiverLINE's unique rail cars offer a tighter turning radius than typical main line light rail vehicles, and thus are capable of the street running needed on Moreland Road. The rail cars are also used regularly in Italy
, the Netherlands
and Switzerland
.
The Greenline would be only the second light rail operation in the United States
to utilize these units; the River LINE marked the first.
s, which last carried passengers through Phoenixville in July 1981 when SEPTA terminated all diesel trains between Pottsville
and Philadelphia.
Schuylkill Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Schuylkill Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It contains the village of Valley Forge. The population was 8,516 at the 2010 census....
region in southeastern 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed. The line is being advocated by a group called Citizens for the Train. No operator has been selected.
Planning stages
Citizens for the Train is currently spearheading the Greenline's planning stages, and concluded a preliminary study (performed by engineering firmEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
Gannett Fleming Inc.
Gannett Fleming Inc.
Gannett Fleming, Inc., is an American-based engineering firm specializing in international planning, design, and construction management. The company has been providing quality, full-service, multidisciplinary engineering services and technical innovation, first in the U.S. with its founding on...
) to determine the feasibility of the project. The group is putting together $250,000 for an alternative analysis to see if a different transportation project, such as widening roads or adding bus routes, would work better. The study was slated for completion by the end of 2009.
Citizens for the Train will pursue an estimated $1.5 million for an environmental and engineering study. When approved, funding for the project will be sought from both public and private sources.
Due to the ill-fated $2 billion 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...
(SVM) project, the Greenline proposal has received overwhelming support from regional politicians and businesses alike. The Greenline is currently part of the Chester County Transportation Improvements Inventory (TII) document for 2009-2010. No funding has been allocated for design or construction.
Route
The proposed route will originate in Oaks, PennsylvaniaOaks, 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...
, with the Oaks terminal situated at the new Greater Philadelphia Expo Center At Oaks. The route will utilize 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...
's (NS) disused 11-mile Phoenixville Industrial Track, with an additional seven miles of new railway construction to be built between end-of-track in Devault (where trains will be stored) and the current 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...
/SEPTA Paoli Station
Paoli (SEPTA station)
Paoli Station is a commuter rail station located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at13 Lancaster Avenue , Paoli, Pennsylvania. It is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian trains, and most Paoli/Thorndale Line trains. The station has a waiting room and a coffee shop.The SEPTA...
.
The bulk of the route is the Phoenixville Industrial Track. Never a prominent line for former tenant, the 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....
, the route gained momentum in its later years. With the help of 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...
, the single-track line received a substantial infrastructure upgrade via Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
in the late 1980s. New wooden ties were laid, and drainage was significantly improved. In addition, grade crossings received additional protective hardware, including flashers and gates. Freight service continued through 2004, when sole customer American Sweetener Corporation, whose plant was located at the end of the line in Devault, closed its doors. NS applied to officially discontinue rail service on the line in October 2007, which became effective that December. Since minimal track improvements are needed due to the recent upgrade, the Greenline essentially has a ready-made railway awaiting it, which Citizens for the Train plans to purchase from NS.
Relief for Paoli Station
The route will transverse the Pickering Valley region, ultimately terminating at SEPTA's heavily used Paoli/Thorndale LinePaoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
of commuter rail. Paoli Station also hosts 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 Service
Keystone Service
Amtrak's Keystone Service provides frequent passenger train service along the Amtrak-owned Keystone Corridor and Northeast Corridor between the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Station in New York via 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. It is...
and Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...
, serving trains en route to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and New York City
New 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...
.
Notable towns that the Greenline will serve are listed below:
- OaksOaks, PennsylvaniaOaks 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...
- Port ProvidencePort Providence, PennsylvaniaPort Providence is an unincorporated village along the Schuylkill River in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally known as Jacobs, then Lumberville, the village is located on one of the two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal...
- Mont ClareMont Clare, PennsylvaniaMont Clare is a village in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River, opposite Phoenixville, at the site of the former Jacobs' ford. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock and one of only two remaining...
- PhoenixvillePhoenixville, PennsylvaniaPhoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
- Charlestown
- Devault
- MalvernMalvern, PennsylvaniaMalvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2010 census. The main road through the borough is King Street, although the borough is also bordered by Paoli Pike on the south, and is near US 30 on the north. The primary cross street is Warren...
- PaoliPaoli, PennsylvaniaPaoli is a census-designated place in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown...
Equipment
Diesel-electric DMUs
Several options for train equipment are being considered. One is the Stadler GTWStadler GTW
The Stadler GTW, sold by Stadler Rail of Switzerland, is an articulated railcar for local transport. GTW stands for Gelenktriebwagen .-Description:...
-built diesel-electric DMU (diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
) cars used on 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...
's successful River LINE
River Line (New Jersey Transit)
The River Line is a diesel light rail system in New Jersey, United States, that connects the cities of Camden and Trenton, New Jersey's capital. It is operated for New Jersey Transit by the Southern New Jersey Rail Group , which originally included Bechtel Group and Bombardier...
that operates between the towns of Camden
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
and Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
. Equipment will be stored at the unused depot at the end of track in Devault; these tracks were previously used to store freight cars when the Maslo paper company received shipment via rail.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The Greenline would be only the second light rail operation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to utilize these units; the River LINE marked the first.
RDCs
Another less expensive option would be to utilize refurbished Budd Rail Diesel CarBudd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
s, which last carried passengers through Phoenixville in July 1981 when SEPTA terminated all diesel trains between Pottsville
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
and Philadelphia.
List of proposed stations
- Oaks Park-Ride/Route 422 MarketplaceOaks, PennsylvaniaOaks 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...
/Greater Philadelphia Expo Center At Oaks. - Longford Road
- Port ProvidencePort Providence, PennsylvaniaPort Providence is an unincorporated village along the Schuylkill River in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally known as Jacobs, then Lumberville, the village is located on one of the two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal...
- Mont ClareMont Clare, PennsylvaniaMont Clare is a village in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River, opposite Phoenixville, at the site of the former Jacobs' ford. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock and one of only two remaining...
- Phoenixville Transportation Center
- Franklin StreetPhoenixville, PennsylvaniaPhoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
- IronsidesPhoenixville, PennsylvaniaPhoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
- Wilmer (Pothouse Road)Phoenixville, PennsylvaniaPhoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
- Pickering
- Commons at Great Valley
- AtwaterAtwater-Places:Atwater is the name of several locations in the United States of America:* Atwater, California, a city in Merced County, California* Atwater Village, Los Angeles, California, a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California...
- Great Valley ParkwayGreat Valley (Chester County, Pennsylvania)Great Valley is a west-to-east valley through the center of Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is also sometimes referred to as Chester Valley, and both names are in use throughout the region. The valley stretches from the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County in the east, southwesterly...
- Valley Stream WestGreat Valley (Chester County, Pennsylvania)Great Valley is a west-to-east valley through the center of Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is also sometimes referred to as Chester Valley, and both names are in use throughout the region. The valley stretches from the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County in the east, southwesterly...
- Valley Stream EastGreat Valley (Chester County, Pennsylvania)Great Valley is a west-to-east valley through the center of Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is also sometimes referred to as Chester Valley, and both names are in use throughout the region. The valley stretches from the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County in the east, southwesterly...
- Swedesford Road
- Worthington/VanguardThe Vanguard GroupThe Vanguard Group is an American investment management company based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, that manages approximately $1.6 trillion in assets. It offers mutual funds and other financial products and services to individual and institutional investors in the United States and abroad. Founder...
- WyethWyethWyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
- Paoli Transportation CenterPaoli (SEPTA station)Paoli Station is a commuter rail station located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at13 Lancaster Avenue , Paoli, Pennsylvania. It is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian trains, and most Paoli/Thorndale Line trains. The station has a waiting room and a coffee shop.The SEPTA...
See also
- Schuylkill Valley MetroSchuylkill Valley MetroThe 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...
- Paoli/Thorndale LinePaoli/Thorndale LineThe Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
, a commuter rail line operating between Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and adjacent Philadelphia suburbs.
External links
- Citizens for the Train; website detailing all aspects of the Greenline project
- Main Street Phoenixville; contains details of Greenline as it pertains to Phoenixville
- "New rail line proposed in Chester County" - 6 ABC news report
- Greenline page at PA-TEC.org
- Greenline assessment
- http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/03/02/story8.html?b=1235970000%5E1785515"Idea on line: Oaks-Great Valley by train"; article featured in the Philadelphia Business JournalPhiladelphia Business JournalThe Philadelphia Business Journal is a weekly business-oriented newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is published by the American City Business Journals....
]