Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad summary
The Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (PN) is a Class III short line railroad that operates north of Philadelphia. With 100 miles of standard-gauge track, the railroad serves customers in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties on what was known as the “Lansdale Cluster” of CSX Transportation.
History
The tracks of what is now the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad began life as part of the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1856 between Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pa. Corporate changes over the years eventually led to the former Reading Company taking over the railroad. In the aftermath of the Reading becoming part of Conrail in 1976, ownership of the line was transferred to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Freight service was provided by the ex-Class I railroad until 1999 when Norfolk Southern and CSX divided the network between each other. CSX took over operations of the line out of Lansdale, earning the nickname the Lansdale Cluster. On July 25, 2011, the Surface Transportation Board issued a notification that the newly formed Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad would take over more than 50 miles of the Cluster.
Operations
Today’s Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad relies on freight haulage as the backbone of the railroad’s business. The diverse commodities include chemicals, plastics, frozen and refrigerated food, dimensional lumber, building supplies, compressed gases, aggregates, paper products, and flour. Two public warehouses on the line are a major advantage to the PN. Storage, cross-docking, fulfillment, and regional truck distributions are offered for a larger customer base outside the direct rail access. Other services provided by the Pennsylvania Northeastern are transloading, railcar storage, rail construction and rehabilitation, as well as land usage and development.
For many years, four-axle diesel locomotives have been the norm on the line. That all changed when the Pennsylvania Northeastern introduced six-axle motive power including the C39-8s from General Electric and the EMD SD40-2Ws. Modifications to the fleet are an absolute necessity to provide accessibility on SEPTA’s commuter network of cab signals and positive train control. In August 2012, the PN introduced its gold and silver paint scheme, inspired by the livery of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.
Interchange with CSX occurs in Newtown Junction and Neshaminy while the Pennsylvania Northeastern also connects with the East Penn Railroad in Telford and the New Hope Railroad in Ivyland. Trackage rights are also shared with the SEPTA commuter rail system from Jenkintown to Neshaminy, Warminster, Lansdale, and Doylestown.
Read more about the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad in Trains’ June 2014 issue.
