Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad
| Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reporting mark | EBGR |
| Locale | Boyertown to Pottstown, Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 2010– |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Length | 8.6 miles |
| Headquarters | Boyertown, Pennsylvania |
| Website | http://www.ebgrr.com/ |
The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad (reporting mark EBGR) is a short-line railroad in Pennsylvania running from Boyertown south to Pottstown, where it interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad is operated by U.S. Rail Partners.
Operations
The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad operates the 8.6-mile (13.8 km) long Colebrookdale Spur between Boyertown and Pottstown.[1] In Pottstown, it interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railway.[2] The railroad is owned by U.S. Rail Partners, which is based in Illinois. The tracks the railroad operates on are owned by Berks County.[1]
History
The Colebrookdale Railroad started building the railroad line between Boyertown and Pottstown in 1865 and trains started running in 1869. The Colebrookdale Railroad was leased by the Reading Railroad who operated the line until 1976, when it became a part of Conrail. Conrail planned to abandon the line, but the state of Pennsylvania acquired the line and hired operators. In March 2001, Berks County acquired the line for $155,000 to keep it active.[3] The Colebrookdale Spur was abandoned by the East Penn Railroad in 2008.[4][5] The Berks County Redevelopment Authority reactivated the line,[6] with the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad appointed to operate the line beginning in October 2010.[7] The company is working on developing freight traffic on the line. In 2011, a tourist railroad was proposed to operate on the line.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Reichl, Matthew (September 25, 2011). "Would you take the train from Boyertown to Pottstown?". The Boyertown Area Times. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ "Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad". Norfolk Southern Railway. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ "Colebrookdale Spur". Reading Eagle. May 2, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ "EAST PENN RAILROAD, LLC-ABANDONMENT EXEMPTION-IN BERKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES, PA". Surface Transportation Board. September 30, 2008. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ Young, Mary E. (May 3, 2008). "Losing rail spur will hurt, Boyertown company says". Reading Eagle. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
- ^ Duran, Carole (June 23, 2010). "Board continues Boyertown rail freight facility plan". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
- ^ Young, Mary E. (September 3, 2010). "County OKs lease with railroad to reopen Boyertown-Pottstown line". Reading Eagle. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
External links
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