Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Bethlehem Railroad (established 1862) |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Fate | Merged into Lehigh and New England Railroad in 1904 |
| Headquarters | Bethlehem , United States |
Area served | Pennsylvania, United States |
| Products | Rail transport services |
The Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad was a railway enterprise in the United States, founded in 1864. By 1878, it had inaugurated its first 25.3-mile stretch connecting Bethlehem to Wind Gap. Initially established as the Bethlehem Railroad in 1862, its purpose was to construct a route heading north from the Lehigh River at Bethlehem, following Monocacy Creek, with service commencing to Chapman in 1867. This line intersected with the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, which later became part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, within Bethlehem.
The railroad was leased by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company (LC&NC) in 1868 and later by CNJ in 1871. During this period, the track was extended from Chapman to Wind Gap, establishing a connection with the Pennsylvania and New England Railroad. In 1883, the adjacent Wind Gap and Delaware Railroad completed a link to Bangor, integrating into the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad system.
In 1904, the company underwent reorganization as the Lehigh and Delaware Railroad, but within the same year it was merged into the Lehigh and New England Railroad (L&NE) under LC&NC’s control. The portion running from Bethlehem to Benders Junction was designated as L&NE’s Bethlehem Branch, while the stretch from Benders Junction to Wind Gap became part of its main line.
Following World War II, reductions in coal shipments and changes in cement transportation contributed to L&NE halting operations in 1961. Subsequently, the Central Railroad of New Jersey created the Lehigh and New England Railway to take over segments between Bethlehem and Bath; remaining sections were abandoned by 1962. Due to financial struggles during the 1970s, this line became part of Conrail in 1976. Conrail combined it with sections of the Martins Creek Branch, forming the Cement Secondary route that runs through Bethlehem to Forks Township via Nazareth. Ownership of this line transferred to the Norfolk Southern Railway following Conrail’s division in 1999.