Salem Railroad
| Company type | Railroad company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | March 14, 1856 |
| Defunct | December 31, 1887 |
| Fate | Merged into West Jersey Railroad and others |
| Headquarters | Salem, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | Salem County, New Jersey |
| Products | Rail transport services |
The Salem Railroad was a railway enterprise established in the United States in 1857, which completed a track linking Salem and Elmer, New Jersey by the year 1863. At Elmer, it intersected with the Bridgeton Branch operated by the West Jersey Railroad. The West Jersey Railroad, which later became part of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, took over the Salem Railroad under a lease agreement in 1868 and fully absorbed it by 1887.
History
Located on the Delaware River, Salem, the administrative center of Salem County, New Jersey, functioned as a port town. To secure reliable transportation throughout the year, local stakeholders formed the Salem Railroad company on March 14, 1856. To the east, the West Jersey Railroad had inaugurated the Bridgeton Branch connecting Glassboro and Bridgeton in July 1861. Construction of the Salem Railroad line proceeded westward from Elmer starting August 31, 1861. Passenger and freight service commenced between Elmer and Yorketown on January 14, 1863, with operations extending to Salem by July 1 of that same year.
The Salem Railroad was leased by the West Jersey Railroad effective January 1, 1868. The establishment of the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad in 1883 created a more direct connection from Salem to Camden. On December 31, 1887, the Salem Railroad merged with several other companies: the Swedesboro Railroad, Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad, Maurice River Railroad, Salem Branch Railroad, West Jersey Terminal Railroad, and West Jersey Railroad.
Following its incorporation into the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, the former Salem Railroad route was administratively segmented into:
- the Salem Branch, encompassing the stretch from Salem to Riddleton as well as lines from the Swedesboro and Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroads
- the Riddleton Branch, covering tracks between Riddleton and Elmer
References
- Cook, W. George. West Jersey rails: a series of stories about southern New Jersey railroad history, vol. 3, in Coxey, William J. (ed.), "Two Routes to Town: A History of Salem's Railroads," West Jersey Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Palmyra, New Jersey, 2002, pp. 30–41.
- Coverdale & Colpitts 4