Junction Railroad (Philadelphia)
Encyclopedia
The Junction Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
, connecting lines west of downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. It came under Pennsylvania Railroad
control in 1881, and was eliminated by merger in 1908.
, and Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
through West Philadelphia, across the Schuylkill River
from downtown. At the time there were four lines into downtown Philadelphia from the west:
The Reading, Pennsylvania, and PW&B each bought a one-third share in the Junction Railroad on August 1, 1861, and the company was organized on October 3. Construction began from Belmont to West Philadelphia in 1862, including trackage rights
along the PRR between 35th Street (now Zoo Interlocking) and Market Street; this opened on November 23, 1863. From West Philadelphia south to Grays Ferry, the Junction Railroad mostly paralleled the WC&P, and had to cross it somewhere, leading to a dispute between the two companies and a delay in opening the southern half. One track opened south of the WC&P crossing at Spruce Street in December 1864, giving a temporary routing via the WC&P through West Philadelphia. The final portion, from Market Street to Spruce Street, including the Market Street Tunnel, opened on July 1, 1866.
The Connecting Railway
, operated by the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
, opened in 1867. It served as another connecting link, running from the Junction Railroad and PRR main line at Zoo Interlocking east to the lines heading north from downtown.
In 1871, the south end was reconfigured due to the Darby Improvement, which moved the PW&B to the current Northeast Corridor
alignment; the old alignment was leased to the Reading in 1873. The Reading began operating passenger trains over the entire Junction Railroad on September 3, 1873, with a transfer to the PW&B at Grays Ferry. On April 1, 1876, the Reading leased the northern piece of the line for a year to access a temporary station for U.S. centennial celebrations.
The PRR ownership of the middle portion led to problems starting in 1880, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
shifted its New York traffic coming off the PW&B to the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad, using the entire Junction Railroad to Belmont. The PRR gained control of the PW&B in 1881, forcing the B&O to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad
to retain Philadelphia access; this line completely avoided the Junction Railroad by running along the east bank of the Schuylkill. Through Reading trains were also moved off the Junction Railroad, using the B&O's route instead.
The PB&W leased the Junction Railroad on March 1, 1899. The PRR's West Philadelphia Elevated Branch, completed in 1904, provided an alternate route for freight trains that would use the central piece of the Junction Railroad through the Market Street Tunnel or the PRR's River Line along the Schuylkill. The Junction Railroad was merged into the PRR on March 31, 1908, becoming the Belmont Branch north of and the Grays Ferry Branch (also 32nd Street Branch) south of West Philadelphia. Except for the Market Street Tunnel, the Grays Ferry Branch was part of the main line from Broad Street Station
towards Baltimore. The Belmont Branch remained a connection to the Reading; after the PRR and Reading both became part of Conrail in 1976, it became part of the Harrisburg Line, along with the West Philadelphia Elevated Branch and Delaware Extension
to Greenwich Yard. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, the Harrisburg Line south of Belmont became CSX Transportation
's Harrisburg Subdivision
. The old Junction Railroad through the Market Street Tunnel has been abandoned, and the rest of the line is now a SEPTA Regional Rail
main line to Arsenal Interlocking and Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
to Grays Ferry
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
, connecting lines west of downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia 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,...
. It came under 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....
control in 1881, and was eliminated by merger in 1908.
History
The Junction Railroad was incorporated on May 3, 1860 to connect the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road, Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania 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....
, and 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...
through West Philadelphia, across the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
from downtown. At the time there were four lines into downtown Philadelphia from the west:
- The Reading's main line ran along the west (right) bank of the Schuylkill to Belmont, where it crossed to the east bank and entered downtown from the northwest.
- The Pennsylvania's main line hit the west shore of the Schuylkill near 32nd Street, turning southeast and crossing the Schuylkill along Market StreetMarket Street (Philadelphia)Market Street, originally known as High Street, is a major east–west street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the majority of its length, it serves as Pennsylvania Route 3....
into downtown from the west. - The West Chester and Philadelphia RailroadWest Chester and Philadelphia RailroadThe 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....
came from the west, meeting the west shore near Grays FerryGrays Ferry, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaGrays Ferry, also known as Gray's Ferry, is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bounded by 25th Street on the east, the Schuylkill River on the west, Vare Avenue on the south, and Grays Ferry Avenue on the north. The section of this neighborhood west of 34th Street is also known as The Forgotten...
. It turned northeast near the river, ending up along 31st Street and ending at Market Street. - The PW&B came from the southwest along the current Airport Line and crossed the Schuylkill at Grays Ferry, entering downtown from the south. The former roadbed is currently known as Washington Avenue.
The Reading, Pennsylvania, and PW&B each bought a one-third share in the Junction Railroad on August 1, 1861, and the company was organized on October 3. Construction began from Belmont to West Philadelphia in 1862, including trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
along the PRR between 35th Street (now Zoo Interlocking) and Market Street; this opened on November 23, 1863. From West Philadelphia south to Grays Ferry, the Junction Railroad mostly paralleled the WC&P, and had to cross it somewhere, leading to a dispute between the two companies and a delay in opening the southern half. One track opened south of the WC&P crossing at Spruce Street in December 1864, giving a temporary routing via the WC&P through West Philadelphia. The final portion, from Market Street to Spruce Street, including the Market Street Tunnel, opened on July 1, 1866.
The Connecting Railway
Connecting Railway
The Connecting Railway was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, incorporated to build a connection between the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad and the PRR in the city of Philadelphia.-Connecting railway:...
, operated by the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
The Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad was a railroad from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Trenton, New Jersey that became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. The majority of it is now part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.-History:...
, opened in 1867. It served as another connecting link, running from the Junction Railroad and PRR main line at Zoo Interlocking east to the lines heading north from downtown.
In 1871, the south end was reconfigured due to the Darby Improvement, which moved the PW&B to the current Northeast Corridor
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...
alignment; the old alignment was leased to the Reading in 1873. The Reading began operating passenger trains over the entire Junction Railroad on September 3, 1873, with a transfer to the PW&B at Grays Ferry. On April 1, 1876, the Reading leased the northern piece of the line for a year to access a temporary station for U.S. centennial celebrations.
The PRR ownership of the middle portion led to problems starting in 1880, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
shifted its New York traffic coming off the PW&B to the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad, using the entire Junction Railroad to Belmont. The PRR gained control of the PW&B in 1881, forcing the B&O to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad
Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad
The Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad was a railroad line built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Baltimore, Maryland. It was built in the 1880s after the B&O lost access to its previous route to Philadelphia, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad...
to retain Philadelphia access; this line completely avoided the Junction Railroad by running along the east bank of the Schuylkill. Through Reading trains were also moved off the Junction Railroad, using the B&O's route instead.
The PB&W leased the Junction Railroad on March 1, 1899. The PRR's West Philadelphia Elevated Branch, completed in 1904, provided an alternate route for freight trains that would use the central piece of the Junction Railroad through the Market Street Tunnel or the PRR's River Line along the Schuylkill. The Junction Railroad was merged into the PRR on March 31, 1908, becoming the Belmont Branch north of and the Grays Ferry Branch (also 32nd Street Branch) south of West Philadelphia. Except for the Market Street Tunnel, the Grays Ferry Branch was part of the main line from Broad Street Station
Broad Street Station (Philadelphia)
Broad Street Station at Broad & Market Streets was the primary passenger terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1881 to the 1950s...
towards Baltimore. The Belmont Branch remained a connection to the Reading; after the PRR and Reading both became part of Conrail in 1976, it became part of the Harrisburg Line, along with the West Philadelphia Elevated Branch and Delaware Extension
Delaware Extension
The Delaware Extension was a rail line owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.The line, located in the city of Philadelphia, ran from Arsenal Interlocking in West Philadelphia southeast, south, east and north to the intersection of Delaware Avenue and...
to Greenwich Yard. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, the Harrisburg Line south of Belmont became CSX Transportation
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...
's Harrisburg Subdivision
Harrisburg Subdivision
The Harrisburg Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line is located in the city of Philadelphia, connecting Greenwich Yard and the Philadelphia Subdivision with the Trenton Subdivision along a former Pennsylvania Railroad line...
. The old Junction Railroad through the Market Street Tunnel has been abandoned, and the rest of the line is now a SEPTA Regional Rail
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
main line to Arsenal Interlocking and 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 Northeast Corridor
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...
to Grays Ferry
Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Grays Ferry, also known as Gray's Ferry, is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bounded by 25th Street on the east, the Schuylkill River on the west, Vare Avenue on the south, and Grays Ferry Avenue on the north. The section of this neighborhood west of 34th Street is also known as The Forgotten...
.