Salem Branch

The Salem Branch is a rail freight line in the southwestern part of New Jersey in the United States between the Port of Salem and Woodbury Junction where it and the Penns Grove Secondary converge with the Vineland Secondary, approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of Pavonia Yard in Camden.

Salem Branch
bridge over railway line
A bridge over the Salem Branch as seen in June 2014.
Overview
LocaleSouthwest New Jersey, United States
Termini
Technical
Line length30.1 mi (48.4 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Apart from the Atlantic City Line (at top), South Jersey railroads now exclusively handle freight

Ownership of the line changes at Swedesboro. The 11.5-mile (18.5 km) northern section is part of Conrail's Delaware Valley South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Operations and known as the Salem Running Track; it is leased to the Southern Railroad of New Jersey (reporting mark SRNJ). The 18.6-mile (29.9 km) southern portion is owned by Salem County and operated under contract by SMS Rail Lines (reporting mark SLRS).

Route

The Salem Branch is located within Gloucester and Salem counties. The line begins in Woodbury at a junction with the Penns Grove and Vineland secondaries. It passes through West Deptford, Clarksboro/East Greenwich, Woolwich, Swedesboro, Pilesgrove, Woodstown, and Mannington. After crossing Fenwick Creek at Salem, a spur continues to the Port of Salem. The line also bridges Oldman's Creek and Raccoon Creek.

History

The Salem Railroad was incorporated on March 14, 1856. Construction was completed in 1863, stretching from Elmer to Salem, 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 10.8 miles (17.4 km), 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 (PRR) consolidated its southern New Jersey operations under the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad (WJ&S).[1][2] 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.[3] Passenger service on the Salem Branch ended December 30, 1950.[4] 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 17.4 miles (28.0 km) of the line and the 1.2-mile (1.9 km) Glass House Spur to the port was sold by Conrail to Salem County in 1985,[5] which in 1988 leased the line to Pioneer Railcorp subsidiary West Jersey Rail Company in 1988 to operate.[6] In 1995 operations of the Salem County Branch Line were assumed by SRNJ. In 2009 U.S. Rail Corporation took over operations.[7] In 2012 the county reassigned the contract to SRNJ.[8][9] In Woodbury, SRNJ maintains a yard and connection with Conrail along with a connection to the Swede Industrial Track.[10] 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.[11] Effective June of 2022, SMS Rail Lines has taken over the lease of the line south of Swedesboro.[12]

Rehabilitation and upgrades

Line condition has been rehabilitated due to funding from various county, state, regional, and federal funding appropriations since the county takeover.[7][13][14][15][16] Much of its infrastructure is antiquated and allows for maximum speeds of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h).[17][18][19][20] A 2010 New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) report anticipated increased port and freight activity in South Jersey.[21] 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 18-mile (29 km) Salem County Branch Line and a new link from the Penns Grove Secondary to Port of Paulsboro, and retrofitting of the Delair Bridge, the most downstream rail crossing of the Delaware River and crucial link between the national rail network and ports at Salem, Paulsboro and Camden.[17][20][22][23][24] With the federal appropriation and local matching funds, $1.55 million will be used for upgrading trackage from Swedesboro to Salem, expected to be completed by 2015, and $3.5 million to replace the trestle at Oldmans Creek, to be finished by 2014.[22][24] Train speeds will be improved to 10 to 25 miles per hour (16 to 40 km/h).[19][22]

Prior to 2013, NJDOT had deemed various project work along the Salem Branch eligible for future state funding.[25][26] 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.[19] 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, Pilesgrove Township, and Woodstown.[27][28]

In November 2017, a project to improve rail access at the end of the line in the Port of Salem was begun.[29][30] Upgrades to the Port continues as of 2022.[31]

See also

References
  1. Parsons Brinckerhoff (2012). New Jersey State Rail Plan (draft) (PDF) (Report). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-18. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  2. "PRR Chronology" (PDF). PRR Research. Philadelphia Chapter Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. January 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  3. Gladulich, Richard M. (1986). By rail to the boardwalk. Glendale, California: Trans Anglo Books. ISBN 0-87046-076-5.
  4. "South Jersey Timeline of Historic Events". sjrail.com. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  5. Salem County Planning Board, Salem, NJ (June 2012). "Salem County Traffic and Transportation Plan Element." p. 21.
  6. 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. 60 FR 52689.
  7. Clark, Randall (October 17, 2009). "New operator takes control of Salem County's short line railroad; grant sought for infrastructure improvements". nj.com.
  8. Salem County, New Jersey (2012-02-01). "Re-Assignment of Contract for Operating the Salem County Branch Line for the County of Salem."
  9. "42225 - Decision". Stb.dot.gov. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  10. "Federal Register :: Request Access".
  11. "JP Rail, Inc. d/b/a Southern Railroad Company of New Jersey-Lease and Operation Exemption-Consolidated Rail Corporation". Surface Transportation Board. April 17, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  12. "Federal Register :: Request Access".
  13. "Fiscal Year 2003" (PDF). State Rail Plan Summary (2003 - 2007). NJDOT. September 26, 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  14. Clark, Randall (May 4, 2009). "Short Line railroad from Salem to Swedesboro to get federal funding". The News of Cumberland County. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  15. Marine, Jaime E. (December 14, 2009). "Congress gives final OK to $750,000 for Salem County railroad repairs". South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  16. Dunn, Phil (September 17, 2011). "Salem County awards contract for $2 million in rehabilitation work on West Jersey Short Line railroad". Today's Sunbeam. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  17. "Federal Tiger III Grant Partnership Agreement Signed Today - $18.5 Million to Upgrade Southern New Jersey Rail and Port Infrastructure" (Press release). Southjerseyport.com. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  18. "West Jersey Shore Line Project" (PDF). Summary Statement. Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. October 2005. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  19. Dunn, Phil (January 31, 2012). "$21 million in new funding for Salem County Shortline railroad being sought" (PDF). Today's Sunbeam. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  20. Dunn, Phil (December 14, 2011). "Salem County officials announce funding from TIGER III Grant will help improve county railroad, Oldman's trestle". Today's Sunbeam. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  21. Southern New Jersey Freight Transportation and Economic Development Assessment Survey (PDF) (Report). New Jersey Department of Transportation. December 2010. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  22. "PortoCall" (PDF). South Jersey Port Corporation. Spring 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  23. Nussbaum, Paul (October 25, 2012). "Contract signed to boost South Jersey freight-rail links". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  24. Nussbaum, Paul (October 12, 2012). "Deal signed to boost South Jersey freight-rail links". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  25. State Fiscal Year 2011 Update Report of the New Jersey State Rail Plan (PDF) (Report). NJDOT. July 1, 2011. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  26. State Fiscal Year 2013 Update Report of the New Jersey State Rail Plan (PDF) (Report). NJDOT. July 1, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  27. "Christie Administration announces twelve grants through the Rail Freight Assistance Program - Almost $13 million will fund rail improvement projects supporting economic activity throughout the state" (Press release). NJDOT. September 25, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  28. "FY 2013 NJDOT Rail Freight Assistance Program" (PDF). State of New Jersey. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  29. "$3 million rail project hopes to spur development in Salem County". November 2017.
  30. "Company invested $1M to bring 150 jobs to this poor N.J. County, but it's backing out". 17 March 2019.
  31. "South Jersey's Port of Salem – part of a developing DE River wind-energy logistics chain". ajot.com.
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