Swedesboro Railroad
| Company type | Railroad company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | February 23, 1866 |
| Defunct | December 31, 1887 |
| Fate | Merged into West Jersey Railroad |
| Headquarters | Swedesboro, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | New Jersey |
Key people | Joshua S. Thompson (founder) |
The Swedesboro Railroad was a railroad enterprise in the United States, established in 1866, which completed a route connecting Woodbury, New Jersey and Swedesboro, New Jersey by 1869. In the same year, it was leased by the West Jersey Railroad, an antecedent of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, and eventually merged into it in 1887.
History
The first initiative to construct a rail line to Swedesboro was undertaken in 1854 through the Woodbury and Swedesboro Railroad, led by Joshua S. Thompson, a local attorney and Gloucester County prosecutor at that time. Although there was interest from the Camden and Amboy Railroad, the endeavor did not progress.
Thompson later led a renewed and successful effort with the formation of the Swedesboro Railroad, officially incorporated on February 23, 1866. This project received support from the West Jersey Railroad, which operated a primary route from Camden, New Jersey to Cape May, New Jersey passing through Woodbury. The West Jersey Railroad leased the Swedesboro Railroad on August 17, 1869; subsequently, the line commenced operations on October 2.
The Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad extended the line southward from Swedesboro to Woodstown, linking with the Salem Railroad east of Salem. This extension was completed in February 1883, creating a continuous route between Woodbury and Salem. Under the ownership of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, this segment was designated as the Salem Branch. On December 31, 1887, the Swedesboro Railroad along with several affiliated railroads—including the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad, Salem Railroad, Maurice River Railroad, Salem Branch Railroad, and West Jersey Terminal Railroad—were consolidated into the West Jersey Railroad.