North Pennsylvania Railroad
Encyclopedia
North Pennsylvania Railroad (NPR) was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Philadelphia, Montgomery County
, Bucks County
and Northampton County
, Pennsylvania
.
In 1856, the company suffered its first accident in The Great Train Wreck of 1856
. The following year, a branch was built from Lansdale
to Doylestown
and during the 1860s another extension was built to Sellersville
, running parallel to Bethlehem Pike
. This railroad was eventually completed to Bethlehem
, and later became the Reading Company
's Bethlehem Branch, a two-track main line, with one portion near Telford
being three-tracked. A single-track tunnel
is in Perkasie
.
The Reading Company leased North Pennsylvania Railroad on May 14, 1879, which later led to the eventual demise of NPR due to the bankruptcy of the Reading Company
and subsequent merger into Conrail.
As of 2008, the line is owned by SEPTA, which only operates its electric commuter trains as far north as Lansdale, where the Lansdale/Doylestown Line
continues on a branch line to Doylestown. Freight trains are operated on the portion from Lansdale to Quakertown
by CSX
and East Penn Railroad
.
The former Jersey City
main line of the Reading branches just north of the Jenkintown/Wyncote
station, although SEPTA only operates the West Trenton Line
as far as Ewing, New Jersey.
A branch extends from Glenside
to New Hope
, although SEPTA only operates the Warminster Line
line as far as Warminster. The 17 miles (27.4 km) portion from Warminster north to New Hope is owned and operated by the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
North of Quakertown, the double-track line is out of service. Until 2008, most of the rail infrastructure was intact except for a cut made near DeSales University
to extend Porter Lane. In addition, the northernmost section between Bethlehem and Hellertown
including Saucon Yard, which is owned by freight operator Norfolk Southern Railway
, was removed.
None of the former stations remain north of Quakertown, and all of the block signals north of Lansdale have been destroyed by vandals, although many are still in place.
discussions began in 2008 between Hellertown, Upper and Lower Saucon officials and SEPTA. Talks of converting the unused, double-track rail corridor into a bicycle and pedestrian pathway had floated around for a while, but pro-rail advocates protested that commuter service be reinstated (it had terminated on July 1, 1981). Proposals had been made to reinstate passenger service north of Lansdale since the 1990s, but SEPTA showed little interest in operating trains without electrification. To remedy this, local residents along the line suggested that PPL Electric
run their proposed high-tension electric line along the right-of-way, which would allow SEPTA to electrify the line.
Rather than abandoning the line outright, SEPTA leased the line to the communities, as the transit agency was looking for a "caretaker" for the line. SEPTA has emphasized that they are aware service restoration will terminate the lease with the communities. SEPTA currently owns the right-of-way and has no plans to abandon or sell the land.
To this end, the trail will be a simple dirt path: a paved trail would increase the cost of the restoring the line should service be resurrected. Though the suggestion of maintaining one track and removing the other had been discussed—known as "rails with trails
"—township officials balked at the idea, as it would still involve rail infrastructure maintenance and create a tripping hazard. Officials also cited the possibility of being struck by a train using the remaining track, though SEPTA had no plans of reinstating any sort of train activity.
, a passenger rail advocacy group, requested that SEPTA consider demarking their dormant railroad lines acting as rail trails with signage. PA-TEC was willing to work with the transit agency on this project, in hopes of maintain a high profile for the dormant rail corridor. Their request was based on a Federal study completed by the National Transportation Research Board in 2007, which stated the following:
Choosing to the keep their involvement low profile, SEPTA rejected PA-TEC's request, citing the following:
PA-TEC responded with the following statement:
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
and Northampton County
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census 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...
.
History
Construction of the line started in 1852 under the name Philadelphia, Easton and Water Gap Railroad Co., and became operational three years later. The railroad formally opened on Monday, July 2, 1855, with an excursion from the Cohoquinoque station, at Front and Willow Streets, Philadelphia, to Wissahickon (present-day Ambler), an outlying area to the northeast.In 1856, the company suffered its first accident in The Great Train Wreck of 1856
The Great Train Wreck of 1856
The Great Train Wreck of 1856 occurred between Camp Hill and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, on July 17, 1856. Two trains, traveling on the same track in opposite directions, collided, killing between 59 and 67, and injuring over 100. The incident was referred to as The Camp Hill Disaster in...
. The following year, a branch was built from Lansdale
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyards, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe,...
to Doylestown
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
and during the 1860s another extension was built to Sellersville
Sellersville, Pennsylvania
Sellersville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,249 at the 2010 census. Sellersville is part of Pennridge School District.-Geography:Sellersville is located at ....
, running parallel to Bethlehem Pike
Bethlehem Pike
Bethlehem Pike is a historic 41 mi long road in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, connecting Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It began as a Native American path called the Minsi Trail which evolved into a colonial highway called the King's Road in the 1760s. Most of the route...
. This railroad was eventually completed to 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 later became the Reading Company
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
's Bethlehem Branch, a two-track main line, with one portion near Telford
Telford, Pennsylvania
Telford is a borough in Bucks and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 4,872 at the time of the 2010 census.- History :...
being three-tracked. A single-track tunnel
Perkasie Tunnel
The Perkasie Tunnel is a train tunnel located behind the Post Office in Perkasie, Pennsylvania on 7th Street, on a line now operated by the East Penn Railroad. The tunnel itself is located near 8th Street and Ridge Road. Northbound passenger trains going through the tunnel traveled to Union...
is in Perkasie
Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Perkasie is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. Establishments in the borough early in the twentieth century included silk mills, baseballs, brickyards, lumber mills, tile works, a stone crusher, and manufacturies of cigars, tags and labels, wire novelties, etc. The...
.
The Reading Company leased North Pennsylvania Railroad on May 14, 1879, which later led to the eventual demise of NPR due to the bankruptcy of the Reading Company
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
and subsequent merger into Conrail.
As of 2008, the line is owned by SEPTA, which only operates its electric commuter trains as far north as Lansdale, where the Lansdale/Doylestown Line
Lansdale/Doylestown Line
The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County.-Route:The Lansdale-Doylestown segment of the R5 line utilizes what is known as the "SEPTA Main Line", a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983...
continues on a branch line to Doylestown. Freight trains are operated on the portion from Lansdale to Quakertown
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
by CSX
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...
and 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...
.
The former Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
main line of the Reading branches just north of the Jenkintown/Wyncote
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. "Jenkintown" is also used to describe a number of neighborhoods surrounding the borough, which also are known by names such as Rydal, Jenkintown Manor and Noble...
station, although SEPTA only operates the West Trenton Line
West Trenton Line (SEPTA)
The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to West Trenton, New Jersey.-Route:The West Trenton Line connects Center City, Philadelphia with the West Trenton section of Ewing, New Jersey...
as far as Ewing, New Jersey.
A branch extends from Glenside
Glenside, Pennsylvania
Glenside is a census-designated place in Abington, Cheltenham, and Springfield townships, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,384 at the 2010 census...
to New Hope
New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
, although SEPTA only operates the Warminster Line
Warminster Line
The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail. It serves stations between its namesake town, Warminster, and Center City, Philadelphia...
line as far as Warminster. The 17 miles (27.4 km) portion from Warminster north to New Hope is owned and operated by the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
North of Quakertown, the double-track line is out of service. Until 2008, most of the rail infrastructure was intact except for a cut made near DeSales University
DeSales University
DeSales University is a private Catholic university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.- History :...
to extend Porter Lane. In addition, the northernmost section between Bethlehem and Hellertown
Hellertown, Pennsylvania
Hellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hellertown is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.The population of Hellertown was 5,606 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
including Saucon Yard, which is owned by freight operator 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...
, was removed.
2008 rail trail
Rail trailRail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
discussions began in 2008 between Hellertown, Upper and Lower Saucon officials and SEPTA. Talks of converting the unused, double-track rail corridor into a bicycle and pedestrian pathway had floated around for a while, but pro-rail advocates protested that commuter service be reinstated (it had terminated on July 1, 1981). Proposals had been made to reinstate passenger service north of Lansdale since the 1990s, but SEPTA showed little interest in operating trains without electrification. To remedy this, local residents along the line suggested that PPL Electric
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
run their proposed high-tension electric line along the right-of-way, which would allow SEPTA to electrify the line.
Rather than abandoning the line outright, SEPTA leased the line to the communities, as the transit agency was looking for a "caretaker" for the line. SEPTA has emphasized that they are aware service restoration will terminate the lease with the communities. SEPTA currently owns the right-of-way and has no plans to abandon or sell the land.
To this end, the trail will be a simple dirt path: a paved trail would increase the cost of the restoring the line should service be resurrected. Though the suggestion of maintaining one track and removing the other had been discussed—known as "rails with trails
Rails with trails
Rails with trails are a small subset of rail trails in which a railway right-of-way remains in use by trains yet also has a parallel recreational trail. Hundreds of kilometers of RWTs exist in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Western Australia.- United States :In the United States the...
"—township officials balked at the idea, as it would still involve rail infrastructure maintenance and create a tripping hazard. Officials also cited the possibility of being struck by a train using the remaining track, though SEPTA had no plans of reinstating any sort of train activity.
Controversy
In March 2011, the Pennsylvania Transit Expansion CoalitionPennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition
The Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition is a network of transit advocates who promote responsible investment in transit expansion. The organization's goal is to work with local transit organizations to redirect limited transportation funding to investment in expanding rail-based transit in...
, a passenger rail advocacy group, requested that SEPTA consider demarking their dormant railroad lines acting as rail trails with signage. PA-TEC was willing to work with the transit agency on this project, in hopes of maintain a high profile for the dormant rail corridor. Their request was based on a Federal study completed by the National Transportation Research Board in 2007, which stated the following:
Choosing to the keep their involvement low profile, SEPTA rejected PA-TEC's request, citing the following:
PA-TEC responded with the following statement: