The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad is a short-line railroad in Pennsylvania that runs from Boyertown south to Pottstown over the Colebrookdale branch, where it interchanges with the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

. The railroad was operated by U.S. Rail Partners until 2013, when the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust took over.

Operations

The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad operates the long Colebrookdale Spur between Boyertown and Pottstown. In Pottstown, it interchanges with the

. The railroad is operated by the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust. The tracks the railroad operates on are owned by Berks County. The inaugural run of a passenger service geared towards railfan tourism took place on January 17, 2014. The passenger line was ready for regular operation in October 2014 and is operated as the Colebrookdale Railroad.

History

The Colebrookdale Railroad started building the railroad line between Boyertown and Pottstown in 1865 to serve the iron ore industry along the Manatawny Creek and trains started running in 1869. The line, which featured both freight and passenger service, originally continued further north to

Bechtelsville Bechtelsville is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 942 at the 2010 census. Geography Bechtelsville is located at (40.370078, -75.628590). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all lan ...

and Barto before service was later cut back to Boyertown. The Colebrookdale Railroad was leased by the Reading Railroad who operated the line until 1976, when it became a part of

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...

. Conrail planned to abandon the line, but the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation acquired the line and hired operators. The line was operated by the

Anthracite Railway The Anthracite Railway was a short line railroad in the state of Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1983 to operate various former Reading Company lines that it leased from the state. The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad took over the leas ...

, the

Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad , sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on of track. Its mainl ...

, and

Penn Eastern Rail Lines 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. Except for two industrial park switching operations, all are former Pennsylvania Railroad or Read ...

. In March 2001, Berks County acquired the line for $155,000 to keep it active; the line was soon sold to Penn Eastern Rail Lines. The Colebrookdale Spur was abandoned by the

East Penn Railroad 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. Except for two industrial park switching operations, all are former Pennsylvania Railroad or Read ...

(the successor to Penn Eastern Rail Lines) in 2008. The Berks County Redevelopment Authority reactivated the line, with the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad appointed to operate the line beginning in October 2010. The railroad is working on developing freight traffic on the line. The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad was owned by U.S. Rail Partners, which is based in Illinois. At the end of 2013, the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust took over operations of the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad from U.S. Rail Partners. In 2011, a tourist railroad was proposed to operate on the line. Tourist passenger operations began in early October 2014 with a series of "soft" trips, intended to work out any operational issues before the full and widely advertised grand opening on October 18. The Colebrookdale Railroad began regular tourist service on October 18, 2014.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad Pennsylvania railroads Railway companies established in 2010