Junction Railroad (Philadelphia)

Junction Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	May 3, 1860 (1860-05-03)
Defunct	1908 (1908)
Fate	Absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , United States
Area served	Philadelphia metropolitan area

The Junction Railroad was created in 1860 to establish a connection between rail lines located west of central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, facilitating north–south transit across the metropolitan area for the first time. This railroad consisted of 3.56 miles of double-tracked mainline and 5.3 miles of sidings but did not possess any locomotives or rolling stock. The route linked the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road at the western end of the Columbia Railroad Bridge over the Schuylkill River, crossed over the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, ran alongside Market Street, and then curved southward to meet the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad near Gray's Ferry Bridge.

Control of the Junction Railroad was assumed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1881, and it was ultimately absorbed and ceased to exist as an independent entity by 1908.

History

By 1860, four railroads approached downtown Philadelphia from the west:

• The Reading line followed a southeasterly path along the Schuylkill River’s west bank to Belmont District, Pennsylvania, entering downtown from the northwest.
• The Pennsylvania Railroad came from the west-northwest near 32nd Street, turning southeast onto Market Street into downtown.
• The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad connected near the PW&B's Newkirk Viaduct at Grays Ferry, then proceeded northeast along 31st Street before terminating at Market Street.
• The PW&B approached from the southwest via what is now the Airport Line, crossed the Viaduct, and entered downtown from the south.

Incorporated on May 3, 1860, the Junction Railroad’s purpose was to link these railroads through West Philadelphia, PA, situated across the Schuylkill River from downtown. On August 1, 1861, ownership was divided equally among these three lines; formal organization occurred on October 3. Construction commenced in 1862 on the segment stretching from Belmont to West Philadelphia, which included trackage rights over PRR tracks between 35th Street (currently known as Zoo interlocking) and Market Street. This portion opened on November 23, 1863. The southern section ran parallel to and crossed the WC&P near Spruce Street; however, disputes delayed its inauguration. One track south of this crossing became operational in December 1864, allowing temporary routing via WC&P through West Philadelphia. The final stretch from Market Street to Spruce Street—including the Market Street Tunnel—was completed and opened on July 1, 1866.

The Connecting Railway, managed by the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad, began operations in 1867, providing an additional link from Junction Railroad and PRR mainline at Zoo interlocking eastward toward northern routes.

Following the Darby Improvement in 1871, PW&B realigned to its current Northeast Corridor path; its former route was leased to Reading in 1873. Reading initiated passenger service across the entire Junction Railroad on September 3, 1873, utilizing transfers at Grays Ferry. For a one-year period starting April 1, 1876, Reading leased the northern portion to access a temporary station during the U.S. Centennial celebrations.

Conflicts arose beginning in 1880 due to PRR’s ownership of the central section when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad redirected New York-bound traffic via Junction Railroad toward Belmont. After PRR acquired control of PW&B in 1881, B&O constructed its own line—the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad—which bypassed Junction Railroad by following the Schuylkill River’s east bank. Subsequently, Reading trains also shifted away from Junction Railroad onto B&O’s new route.

The PB&W leased Junction Railroad starting March 1, 1899. With PRR’s completion of the West Philadelphia Elevated line in 1904, freight traffic gained an alternative route that circumvented Junction Railroad’s central segment through Market Street Tunnel or PRR’s River Line along the Schuylkill River.

Integration into PRR

On March 31, 1908, the Junction Railroad was absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), with its northern segment becoming known as the Belmont Branch and its southern portion, situated south of West Philadelphia, designated as the Grays Ferry Branch (also referred to as the 32nd Street Branch). Apart from the Market Street Tunnel, the Grays Ferry Branch constituted a section of the main route extending from Broad Street Station toward Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Belmont Branch continued to function as a link to the Reading Railroad.

Era Following PRR

Following the consolidation of PRR and Reading into Conrail in 1976, this line was incorporated into the Harrisburg Line, together with the West Philadelphia Elevated Branch and Delaware Extension, which led to Greenwich Yard. When Conrail was divided in 1999, the portion of the Harrisburg Line located south of Belmont was transferred to CSX Transportation, becoming part of their Harrisburg Subdivision.

The segment of the former Junction Railroad passing through Market Street Tunnel has since been discontinued. However, the remaining track continues to operate as a major route for SEPTA Regional Rail, extending to Arsenal Interlocking, and provides a connection to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor via the Grays Ferry crossing.

See also

• Connecting Railway
• History of rail transport in Philadelphia

References

• Reading Eagle - Aug 21, 1910