| Lurgan Subdivision | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Active |
| Owner | CSX Transportation |
| Locale | Pennsylvania,Maryland,West Virginia |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Type | Freight rail |
| System | CSX Transportation |
| Operator(s) | CSX |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
TheLurgan Subdivision is arailroad line owned and operated byCSX Transportation in the U.S. states ofPennsylvania,Maryland, andWest Virginia. The line runs fromChambersburg, Pennsylvania, south toHagerstown, Maryland, and west toCherry Run, West Virginia,[1] along a formerWestern Maryland Railway (WM) line. It meets theHanover Subdivision at Hagerstown and theCumberland Subdivision at Cherry Run.[2][3] The line is named after its former northern end inLurgan Township,Franklin County, Pennsylvania, where the WM once connected to theReading Company along theAlphabet Route.
The Western Maryland Railway, which operated a main line fromBaltimore toWilliamsport, Maryland, made its initial expansion into Pennsylvania in 1881. The WM leased a line from theBaltimore and Cumberland Valley Rail Road and the Baltimore & Cumberland Valley Rail Road Extension Company, which connectedEdgemont, Maryland, toShippensburg, Pennsylvania. In 1886, the line was further connected in Shippensburg to theHarrisburg and Potomac Railroad, which later became part of the Reading system in 1891.[4]
In 1899, the WM implemented a route modification between Chambersburg and Hagerstown known as the Altenwald Cutoff. This new route, connecting Hagerstown andQuinsonia, Pennsylvania, served to reduce steep grades for heavy coal trains and shorten the overall distance on the branch line. A portion of the cutoff wasdouble-tracked, leading to improved operational efficiency. However, the remaining section between Quinsonia and Edgemont experienced lower traffic levels. Eventually, the segment betweenWaynesboro, Pennsylvania, and Edgemont was dismantled in the late 1950s.[5]
During the late 1920s, the Reading Railroad constructed a new connection to the WM at Lurgan.[5]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(June 2008) |