West Chester Branch
Encyclopedia
The West Chester Branch was a local passenger and freight
railroad line owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR) and later Penn Central. The line connected with the Philadelphia-Washington Main Line
(Northeast Corridor) at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania
and the Philadelphia-Chicago Main Line
near Frazer, Pennsylvania
. It is now called the Media/Elwyn Line
and is owned by SEPTA.
built a 9 miles (14.5 km) line from West Chester to Malvern
. The line was leased by the PRR beginning in 1859, and the PRR relocated the Malvern end of the line to a junction
at Frazer in 1880. The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
(WC&P) built the other portion between 1852 and 1858, a 26 miles (41.8 km) line from Philadelphia to West Chester. In 1880 the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
(PWB; a PRR subsidiary) purchased the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, and in 1881 the WC&P was consolidated into the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
. The PRR acquired the West Chester Railroad in 1903.
After acquisition by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the West Chester Branch served as a commuter rail line between Philadelphia, Media
, and West Chester
, the county seat of Chester County
. In the 1920s, the PRR, after successfully completing electrification
projects on the Paoli and Chestnut Hill lines, electrified both its Philadelphia-Washington Main Line to Wilmington
and the West Chester Branch out to West Chester. The PRR discontinued passenger service from West Chester to Frazer in 1932 and removed those tracks in the early 1960s. In 1971 and 1972 there were washouts on the nearby Chester Creek Branch
and Octoraro Branch, due to heavy storms and Hurricane Agnes
. Subsequently the Penn Central (PC) ended service north of West Chester and parts of the nearby branches and removed some of the tracks. Some of the right-of-way can still be seen in places.
and the formation of Conrail in 1976, operations and ownership of the West Chester Branch was ceded to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA) in 1983. SEPTA operated the line as its R3-Media/West Chester service until 1986, when service was truncated to Elwyn
.
As of early 2011, SEPTA operates commuter rail operations on the line between Philadelphia and Elwyn, while the West Chester Railroad
operates a scenic excursion train on weekends between West Chester and Glen Mills
. Occasional nocturnal freight service occurs via Amtrak
to obtain track ballast
from a quarry
in Glen Mills
.
.
This project is on hold, pending approval of the Fiscal Year 2011 Capital Budget. A surge of local population since 1986 has prompted local groups to lobby both SEPTA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to restore commuter rail service to the original West Chester terminal
.
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
railroad line owned by 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....
(PRR) and later Penn Central. The line connected with the Philadelphia-Washington Main Line
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...
(Northeast Corridor) at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and the Philadelphia-Chicago Main Line
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...
near Frazer, Pennsylvania
Frazer, Pennsylvania
Frazer, Pennsylvania is a community in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, United States....
. It is now called the Media/Elwyn Line
Media/Elwyn Line
The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.Originally known as the Media/West Chester Branch, service was truncated on September 19, 1986 from West Chester to its current terminus at Elwyn. Service expansion beyond Elwyn...
and is owned by SEPTA.
History
The branch comprised rail lines built by two companies in the 19th century. The West Chester Railroad (1831-1903)West Chester Railroad (1831-1903)
The West Chester Railroad was chartered in 1831 and began operation in 1832. The railroad line ran from West Chester, Pennsylvania for to Malvern, Pennsylvania, where it connected with the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad...
built a 9 miles (14.5 km) line from West Chester to Malvern
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Malvern 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...
. The line was leased by the PRR beginning in 1859, and the PRR relocated the Malvern end of the line to a junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
at Frazer in 1880. The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad operated in the greater Philadelphia area in the 19th century. It later became the West Chester Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad , and is now called the Media/Elwyn Line on the SEPTA system....
(WC&P) built the other portion between 1852 and 1858, a 26 miles (41.8 km) line from Philadelphia to West Chester. In 1880 the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
(PWB; a PRR subsidiary) purchased the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, and in 1881 the WC&P was consolidated into the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
The Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
. The PRR acquired the West Chester Railroad in 1903.
After acquisition by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the West Chester Branch served as a commuter rail line between Philadelphia, Media
Media, Pennsylvania
The borough of Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and is located west of Philadelphia. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District...
, and West Chester
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
, the county seat of Chester County
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
. In the 1920s, the PRR, after successfully completing electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
projects on the Paoli and Chestnut Hill lines, electrified both its Philadelphia-Washington Main Line to Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
and the West Chester Branch out to West Chester. The PRR discontinued passenger service from West Chester to Frazer in 1932 and removed those tracks in the early 1960s. In 1971 and 1972 there were washouts on the nearby Chester Creek Branch
Chester Creek Branch
The Chester Creek Branch railroad line ran from Lamokin Street in Chester, Pennsylvania to Lenni in Middletown Township, until 1972. It was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad , and later by Penn Central. The branch diverged from the Northeast Corridor main line near the now-defunct SEPTA Lamokin...
and Octoraro Branch, due to heavy storms and Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
. Subsequently the Penn Central (PC) ended service north of West Chester and parts of the nearby branches and removed some of the tracks. Some of the right-of-way can still be seen in places.
Later years
After the PC bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and the formation of Conrail in 1976, operations and ownership of the West Chester Branch was ceded to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
(SEPTA) in 1983. SEPTA operated the line as its R3-Media/West Chester service until 1986, when service was truncated to Elwyn
Elwyn (SEPTA station)
Elwyn is the southern terminus of the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line. Until 1986, service continued west to West Chester. Services was suspended due to poor track conditions...
.
As of early 2011, SEPTA operates commuter rail operations on the line between Philadelphia and Elwyn, while the West Chester Railroad
West Chester Railroad
The West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania in Chester County and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania in Delaware County....
operates a scenic excursion train on weekends between West Chester and Glen Mills
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills is an unincorporated community in Concord Township and Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States about 17 miles from Philadelphia. Glen Mills is known for its gardens and its golf course. Major offices including Deloitte with a headcount of about 100 people...
. Occasional nocturnal freight service occurs via 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...
to obtain track ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
from a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in Glen Mills
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Glen Mills is an unincorporated community in Concord Township and Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States about 17 miles from Philadelphia. Glen Mills is known for its gardens and its golf course. Major offices including Deloitte with a headcount of about 100 people...
.
Restoration of service
SEPTA currently has plans of restoring rail service west of Elwyn to a new Park and Ride station in WawaWawa (SEPTA station)
Wawa is an abandoned train station adjacent to U.S. Route 1 in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. The station was a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad's West Chester Branch...
.
This project is on hold, pending approval of the Fiscal Year 2011 Capital Budget. A surge of local population since 1986 has prompted local groups to lobby both SEPTA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to restore commuter rail service to the original West Chester terminal
West Chester (SEPTA station)
West Chester is a train station located on Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The station was a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad's West Chester Branch line...
.