West Chester Railroad
| West Chester Railroad | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The WCRL station in 2013 | |
| Locale | Chester/Delaware counties, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Terminus | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Reporting mark | WCRL |
| Length | 7.7 mi (12.4 km)[1] |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | November 1858 |
| 1858 | West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad begins |
| Closed | September 1986 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1997 | West Chester Railroad began operating |
| Headquarters | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Website | |
| www | |
| West Chester Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The West Chester Railroad (reporting mark WCRL) is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania,[2] in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.
The West Chester Railroad operates 90-minute round-trip excursions over 7.7 miles (12.4 km)[1] of former Pennsylvania Railroad track on the West Chester Branch. Trains operate Sundays, June through December. Besides the regular trains, the schedule expands with Saturday rides for a number of special events including Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Halloween, and Christmas. The railroad is owned by the for-profit 4 States Railway Service, Inc. and operated by the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the railroad. All employees of the railroad are volunteers.[3]
Proposed commuter rail reactivation
In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation commissioned a feasibility study for rebuilding the line and restoring direct commuter rail service from West Chester to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. SEPTA service below the Elwyn station was terminated in 1986 due to low ridership and unsafe track conditions[4] but the area has since grown in population and has few transportation alternatives. The study concluded that restoration was feasible but the projected ridership was not high enough to qualify for capital funding.[5]
In September 2021, local officials proposed a short-term plan to upgrade the trackage in order to provide a shuttle service between the line's Market Street station in West Chester and SEPTA's new Wawa Station.[6] The proposed shuttle would use battery-powered cars rebuilt from retired London transit cars. These cars however do not meet US Federal Railroad Administration collision standards and WCRR could not operate their standard heavy weight trains while the shuttle is running. Further, a physical barrier between the shuttle cars and SEPTA cars would have to be built at the proposed Wawa transfer point.[7]
Equipment
Locomotives
| Number | Image | Model | Built | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
20-ton switcher | 1940s | Plymouth | Display |
| 3 (B&O 9115) | 
|
S-2 | 1949 | American Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 1803 | 
|
RS-18u | 1960 | Montreal Locomotive Works | Operational |
| 4213 | 
|
Century 424 | 1965 | American Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 6499 | 
|
GP9 | 1957 | Electro-Motive Division | Operational |
| 7706 | 
|
GP38 | 1969 | Electro-Motive Division | Operational |
Former units
| Number | Image | Model | Built | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4230 | 
|
Century 424 | 1965 | American Locomotive Works | Sold to NDC Railroad |
| 9 | 65-ton switcher | 1941 | General Electric | Sold to private owner in Delaware |
See also
References
- ^ a b "West Chester Railroad - West Chester, PA". www.westchesterrr.net.
- ^ McGuane, Kimberly (21 November 2020). "Historic West Chester Railroad Offers One of Pennsylvania's Most Scenic Fall Train Rides". VistaToday.com. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "West Chester Railroad - West Chester, PA". www.westchesterrr.net.
- ^ McGuane, Kimberly (28 January 2018). "Rail service for West Chester discussed at meeting". VistaToday.com. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "West Chester Line Restoration Feasibility Study" (PDF). SEPTA Construction Programs. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Rettew, Bill (16 September 2021). "Good news for proponents of rail service to West Chester". Local Daily News. Exton, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ Alan, Peter David (25 March 2025). "Pop-Up Metro: New Model for New Starts". RailwayAge.com. Omaha, Nebraska: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Equipment Roster". West Chester Railroad. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
External links
