Salem Branch Railroad
| Company type | Rail freight corridor |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1863 |
| Headquarters | Woodbury, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | Southwestern New Jersey |
| Products | Freight rail service |
The Salem Branch is a rail freight corridor located in southwestern New Jersey, linking the Port of Salem with Woodbury Junction. At Woodbury Junction, it connects to the Penns Grove Secondary and Vineland Secondary lines, situated approximately south of Pavonia Yard in Camden.
Ownership transitions at Swedesboro. The northern portion falls under Conrail's Delaware Valley South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area, referred to as the Salem Running Track, and is leased by the Southern Railroad of New Jersey (SRNJ). Meanwhile, the southern segment is owned by Salem County and operated through a contract with SMS Rail Lines (SLRS).
Route
The Salem Branch runs through both Gloucester and Salem counties. Originating at Woodbury, it links with the Penns Grove and Vineland secondary lines, passing through several municipalities such as West Deptford, Clarksboro/East Greenwich, Woolwich, Swedesboro, Pilesgrove, Woodstown, and Mannington. After crossing Fenwick Creek near Salem, a branch line extends to the Port of Salem. The route also includes bridges over Oldman's Creek and Raccoon Creek.
History
The Salem Branch was developed incrementally by various companies associated with the West Jersey Railroad. The initial section was constructed by the Salem Railroad, which was incorporated on March 14, 1856. This segment from Elmer to Salem was finished in 1863 and leased to West Jersey Railroad in 1868. The Swedesboro Railroad, established in 1866, built a 10.8-mile stretch from Woodbury to Swedesboro that opened in October 1869. In 1883, the line was extended to Riddleton Junction on the Salem Railroad east of Salem by the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad. Additionally, the Salem Branch Railroad added roughly one mile of track near Salem between 1886 and 1887.
On May 4, 1896, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) consolidated its southern New Jersey operations under the umbrella of the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad (WJ&S). Later in 1931, regulatory authorities in New Jersey mandated a merger between PRR and the Reading Railroad (RDG) operations in South Jersey. PRR acquired a two-thirds stake in RDG stock, leading to the formation of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL), which commenced on June 25, 1933. Passenger services on the Salem Branch ceased on December 30, 1950. PRSL was absorbed by Conrail in 1976 along with the Salem Secondary Track. Following Conrail’s breakup in 1999, this line became part of the operations managed by Conrail Shared Assets Operations.
In 1985, Conrail sold the southern portion—comprising a 17.4-mile stretch plus a 1.2-mile Glass House Spur to the Port of Salem—to Salem County. By 1988, Salem County had leased operational responsibilities to Pioneer Railcorp’s subsidiary known as the West Jersey Rail Company. Operational control shifted to SRNJ in 1995 and later transferred to U.S. Rail Corporation in 2009. The county reassigned operations back to SRNJ in 2012. SRNJ manages yards and maintains connections with Conrail at Woodbury and Swedesboro; these include access points such as the Swede Industrial Track and SMS Rail Lines.
In 2018, SRNJ secured a lease from Conrail for the Salem Secondary segment between Swedesboro and Woodbury, creating an interchange facility at Woodbury. Beginning June 2022, SMS Rail Lines took over leasing responsibilities south of Swedesboro.
Rehabilitation and Upgrades
Following the county's acquisition, the line has been the focus of rehabilitation efforts financed through a combination of county, state, regional, and federal funding sources. Despite these investments, much of the existing infrastructure remains antiquated, restricting train speeds to a maximum of 5 mph. A 2010 report by NJDOT anticipated a rise in port and freight operations throughout South Jersey. In 2011, the South Jersey Port Corporation, Conrail, and Salem County jointly obtained $18.5 million in federal grants aimed at enhancing the 18-mile Salem County Branch Line. This initiative included the creation of a new connection from the Penns Grove Secondary to the Port of Paulsboro, along with the modernization of the Delair Bridge—an essential rail link that connects national rail networks to ports in Salem, Paulsboro, and Camden. From this allocation, $1.55 million was designated for track upgrades between Swedesboro and Salem, with completion targeted for 2015, while $3.5 million was earmarked for replacing the Oldmans Creek trestle, expected to finish by 2014. These enhancements are intended to raise allowable train speeds to between 10 and 25 mph.
Before 2013, NJDOT had identified multiple Salem Branch projects as candidates for state funding support. In 2012, SJPC, Conrail, and Salem County applied for an additional $21 million in federal or state grants to finalize all essential improvements on the Salem County Branch Line. Subsequently, NJDOT's 2013 Rail Freight Assistance Program approved funding covering 90% ($2.25 million) for the rehabilitation of the Salem Shortline Running Track traversing Mannington Township, Pilesgrove Township, and Woodstown.
In November 2017, work began on a $3 million initiative aimed at enhancing rail connectivity at the Port of Salem’s terminal to foster economic growth in the region. Although private investment faced challenges in 2019, port modernization efforts persisted through 2022, underpinning the expansion of South Jersey’s freight and logistics industries.