Pavonia Yard
Pavonia Yard is a Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) rail yard in Camden, New Jersey.
The yard begins just north of where the Vineland Secondary tracks cross the Cooper River near the intersection of State and Federal Streets, and continue ...
in
Camden
Camden may refer to:
People
* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
Places Australia
* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
.
Ownership of the line changes at Swedesboro. The northern section is 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 ...
's
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...
Penns Grove
Penns Grove is a borough in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,147,Vineland secondaries. It passes through West Deptford, Clarksboro/
East Greenwich
East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan ...
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
The Salem Railroad was incorporated on March 14, 1856. Construction was completed in 1863, stretching from Elmer to
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, and leased to the West Jersey Railroad (WJ) on January 1, 1868. The Swedesboro Railroad was built by WJ from Woodbury to Swedesboro, a distance of , and completed in October 1869. In 1883, the WJ's Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad built a line from the end of the Swedesboro Railroad to Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad.
On May 4, 1896, the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
(PRR) consolidated its southern New Jersey operations under the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad (WJ&S). In 1931, New Jersey's public utility regulators ordered consolidation of PRR and Reading Railroad (RDG) South Jersey operations. The PRR bought two-thirds of RDG's stock, and the consolidation, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), became effective June 25, 1933. Passenger service on the Salem Branch ended December 30, 1950. PRSL was acquired by Conrail in 1976, including what had been known as Salem Secondary Track. Following the division of Conrail in 1999, it was designated part of Conrail Shared Assets Operations.
The southern of the line and the Glass House Spur to the port was sold by Conrail to Salem County in 1985,Salem County Planning Board, Salem, NJ (June 2012) "Salem County Traffic and Transportation Plan Element." p. 21. which in 1988 leased the line to Pioneer Railcorp subsidiary West Jersey Rail Company in 1988 to operate.ICC (1995-10-10). "JP Rail, Inc., d/b/a Southern Railroad Company of New Jersey--Notice of Exemption--Operation of Salem Branch Rail Line in Salem County, New Jersey." Finance Docket No. 32700. . In 1995 operations of the Salem County Branch Line were assumed by SRNJ. In 2009
U.S. Rail Corporation
U S Rail Corporation (reporting mark USRC) is a family-owned short-line railroad operating the Winamac Southern Railway in Indiana.
Operation
Kokomo
The Kokomo division, in Kokomo, Indiana, operates a line for the Kokomo Grain Company and Wi ...
took over operations. In 2012 the county reassigned the contract to SRNJ.Salem County, New Jersey (2012-02-01) "Re-Assignment of Contract for Operating the Salem County Branch Line for the County of Salem." /ref> In Woodbury, SRNJ maintains a yard and connection with Conrail along with a connection to the Swede Industrial Track. They also maintain a yard in Swedesboro to SMS Rail Lines and the Salem Running Track. In 2018, SRNJ leased the section of the Salem Secondary between Swedesboro and Woodbury from Conrail, with an interchange with Conrail established in Woodbury. Effective June of 2022, SMS Rail Lines has taken over the lease of the line south of Swedesboro.
Rehabilitation and upgrades
Line condition has been rehabilitated due to funding from various county, state, regional, and federal funding appropriations since the county takeover. Much of its infrastructure is antiquated and allows for maximum speeds of . A 2010 New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) report anticipated increased port and freight activity in
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...
. In 2011, the South Jersey Port Corporation, Conrail, and Salem County received $18.5 million in federal money to partially fund rail infrastructure improvements for the Salem County Branch Line and a new link from the Penns Grove Secondary to
Port of Paulsboro
The Port of Paulsboro is located on the Delaware River and Mantua Creek in and around Paulsboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, approximately from the Atlantic Ocean. Traditionally one of the nation's busiest for marine transfer operations, ...
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, Paulsboro and
Camden
Camden may refer to:
People
* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
Places Australia
* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
. With the federal appropriation and local matching funds, $1.55 million will be used for upgrading trackage from Swedesboro to
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, expected to be completed by 2015, and $3.5 million to replace the trestle at Oldmans Creek, to be finished by 2014. Train speeds will be improved to .
Prior to 2013, NJDOT had deemed various project work along the Salem Branch eligible for future state funding. In 2012, the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC), Conrail, and Salem County sought another $21 million in federal or NJ state grants in order to complete all needed upgrades for the Salem County Branch Line. NJDOT's 2013 Rail Freight Assistance Program approved 90 percent funding for $2,250,000 for rehabilitation of the Salem Shortline Running Track through
Mannington Township
Mannington Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Salem County, New Jersey, Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 1,475, a decrease of 331 (−18.3%) from the ...
, Pilesgrove Township, and Woodstown.
In November 2017, a project to improve rail access at the end of the line in the Port of Salem was begun. Upgrades to the Port continues as of 2022.