York Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | Yorkrail, Inc.; Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Fate | Acquired by Genesee & Wyoming |
| Headquarters | York , United States |
Area served | York, Pennsylvania and vicinity |
| Owner | Genesee & Wyoming (since 2002) |
The York Railway is a shortline railroad managing track mileage in the vicinity of York, Pennsylvania. Since its acquisition by Genesee & Wyoming in 2002, it supports a load limit of 286,000 pounds and maintains three interchange points: with CSX at both Porters, Pennsylvania and Hanover, Pennsylvania; with East Penn Railroad in York, Pennsylvania; and with Norfolk Southern also in York, Pennsylvania.
History and notable features
Established in 1999 through the merger of Yorkrail, Inc. and the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad (M&P), entities previously held by the Emons Railroad Group, the enterprise promptly assigned its assets to limited liability companies bearing the same names. Control of York Railway along with affiliated Emons assets was assumed by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2002.
York Railway runs two main lines running parallel southwest from York, connecting with CSX interchanges. Although the majority of the M&P’s former York-to-Baltimore route has been abandoned, a small portion remains operational. The M&P’s primary line—originally part of an ex-Pennsylvania Railroad corridor transferred from the Penn Central Transportation Company in 1976—links Norfolk Southern in York to CSX at Hanover. Meanwhile, the Yorkrail route extends from a junction with M&P within York to a CSX interchange at Porters Sideling, Pennsylvania; this line was inaugurated in 1893 by the Baltimore and Harrisburg Railway (Eastern Extension), subsequently integrated into the Western Maryland Railway, and was sold by CSX to Yorkrail in 1989.
The locomotive fleet consists of three former ex-Santa Fe CF7 diesel units (#1500—the final model produced—1502, and 1504), which are generally operated in pairs with alternating usage to equalize service hours. Additionally, it utilizes ex-CSX EMD GP16 locomotives (#1600, 1602, 1604, 1606) along with two LTEX GP15-1 engines (#1414 and #1444). Locomotives numbered 1502, 1504, and GP9 #1754 were stored near York for several years; early in 2018, a traction motor from unit #1504 was transplanted into #1606. The dismantling process for these three out-of-service locomotives commenced on January 30, 2021.