Eastern Railroad Discussion > will the west chester railroad start any freight business?

what are the chances that the west chester railroad will pick up any freight business? with all the diesel engines they have, their certainly capable of it

nick

I rode this line out of West Chester in the late 1970's.  I think I saw one boxcar on the entire line between West Chester and Media - I doubt there is any new customer clamoring for freight service.

Media out to west chester was all farm and dairy farm territory up till the 1970's, when mega dairy farmers, and larger food stores carrying "fresh" milk replaced milk delivery and local dairy farmers.  The area is all condos now.   All the railroad carload freight that was left on the Media-westchester line was chased away by over 30 yaers ago. And of course septa was no help.  IDK what it is with govt commute agencies, but they are incredibly myopic, and generally seem to think of commuter rail in the same terms as running a subway.  Their mission ends with moving people, and that's it.  No sense of greater good for the community.

 

The only industry on the line is the Hansen Quarry complex in Glen Mills.  When I first moved out here in early 2000's there was an occasional Amtrak ballast train pick up at the quarry.  But that's been a long time ago, everything is truck now.

The ballast train stopped running account of the deteriorated bridge that needed replaced over Crum Creek. With the new bridge in now it could return.
Go