New Castle Subdivision

The first tracks along this route were opened in 1879 by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Youngstown, Ohio via New Castle. The Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Toledo Railroad opened tracks from New Castle to Youngstown and a line continuing west to Valley Junction (near Akron, Ohio) in 1884. On August 1, 1887, much of PC&T's railway was leased by the Pittsburgh and Western Railway Company for passenger service directly between Chicago, Illinois to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[7] Soon thereafter, the PC&T Railroad would be absorbed into the P&W Railroad. By 1902, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad took over the Pittsburgh & Western Railroad and converted all of its tracks to standard gauge.[8]

As the P&LE improved their single-track line, B&O's route followed a similar path between Pittsburgh and Youngstown. B&O's route, however had high grades and curves throughout Pittsburgh. By 1934, the B&O opted to instead purchase trackage rights between McKeesport and New Castle. It would prove to be a major rail line through the region, connecting major industrial cities such as Youngstown, Akron, and Pittsburgh. B&O eventually merged with other railroads to form the Chessie System in 1973, which would own the tracks on the current New Castle Subdivision between New Castle and Greenwich.

Chessie System later merged with Seaboard Coast Line Industries to form CSX in 1980. By 1993, the P&LE was purchased by CSX, giving the company full control over the New Castle Subdivision and the New Castle Terminal Subdivision.[9]