Chester Creek Railroad

Chester Creek Branch

Company type	Railway line
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Chester Creek Railroad
Founded	1866
Defunct	1972
Headquarters	Delaware County, Pennsylvania , United States
Area served	Southern Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Parent	Pennsylvania Railroad (from 1916)

The Chester Creek Branch was a railway line located in southern Delaware County, Pennsylvania, which operated from 1869 until 1972.

Originally built by the Chester Creek Railroad, the line was first run and leased by the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad. Later, it came under the management of a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary and briefly operated by Penn Central, the PRR’s successor. This branch linked the Lamokin Street station in Chester with Lenni station in Middletown Township.

Starting near SEPTA’s former Lamokin Street station on the Northeast Corridor, the line extended to Lenni where it connected with the West Chester Branch, a portion of which is currently utilized by SEPTA’s Media/Wawa Line.

History

Chartered in 1866 and beginning operations three years later, the Chester Creek Railroad ran alongside Chester Creek from Lenni—where it intersected with the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad (WC&P)—southward through Upland to Lamokin Street, linking to the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B). The Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad, which owned WC&P, managed operations and leased the line, supplying both locomotives and rolling stock.

In 1916, ownership transitioned to the Pennsylvania Railroad via its subsidiary, the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad. By 1941, notable stations included Lenni—then functioning as a SEPTA training facility with a passing siding—and Lamokin Street, which ceased operations in 2003. The branch became part of Penn Central in 1968 following the merger of PRR and New York Central.

After devastating damage caused by a flash flood in 1971 followed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, Penn Central—already bankrupt since 1970—opted not to repair the line. When Conrail was established, this branch was excluded from its system and was instead transferred to SEPTA in the late 1970s through American Premier Underwriters. Although SEPTA took over commuter rail services in 1983, it decided against reinstating service on this branch. Later on, Friends of the Chester Creek Trail obtained a 30-year lease from SEPTA, with Delaware County eventually assuming responsibility for managing the trail.

Rail trail

By 2009, approximately 90 percent of the original rail corridor remained intact. In 2005, SEPTA granted a 30-year lease to Friends of the Chester Creek Branch, a community organization aiming to convert the disused line into the Chester Creek Trail, spanning between inactive Lenni Station and Upland. The initial phase of this rail trail project received government grant funding in 2010. While SEPTA retains ownership of the property, there are no current plans to resume rail service.

Friends of the Chester Creek Branch successfully secured funding and approvals to build a 2.8-mile section of the trail, which was completed by late 2016. Planning for additional extensions into Aston commenced in 2017.

The official opening event for Phase I took place on April 8, 2017. Delaware County has since continued efforts to expand this trail network.

See also

• Lamokin Tower (junction with Northeast Corridor)
• List of defunct Pennsylvania railroads
• SEPTA Regional Rail

External links

• Chester Creek Branch route map