# Buffalo Line

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{{Short description|Rail line in New York and Pennsylvania}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width     = 
| name          = Buffalo Line
| image         = NS Buffalo-Line-Signal-304-3042-APPROACH.jpg
| image_width   = 300px
| caption       = The Buffalo Line north of [Rockville, Pennsylvania](/source/Rockville%2C_Pennsylvania), with an old [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) signal bridge that has since been removed
| type          = [Freight rail](/source/Freight_rail)
| system        = [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway)
| status        = Operational
| locale        = [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) and [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania)
| start         = [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York)
| end           = [Rockville, Pennsylvania](/source/Rockville%2C_Pennsylvania)
| stations      = 
| open          = 1854
| close         = 
| owner         = [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway) 
| operator      = [Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad](/source/Buffalo_and_Pittsburgh_Railroad) (Buffalo-[Machias, New York](/source/Machias%2C_New_York))<br> [Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Western_New_York_and_Pennsylvania_Railroad_(2001)) (Machias-[Driftwood, Pennsylvania](/source/Driftwood%2C_Pennsylvania))<br>[Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway) (Driftwood-Rockville)
| linelength    =  
| tracks        = 1-2
| gauge         = {{track gauge|ussg|al=on}}
| electrification = 
| speed         = 
| map           = 
| map_state     = collapsed
}}
The '''Buffalo Line''' (also known as the River Line) is a [railroad](/source/railroad) line owned by the [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway) in the [U.S. state](/source/U.S._state)s of [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) and [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania). The line runs from [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York) southeast to [Rockville, Pennsylvania](/source/Rockville%2C_Pennsylvania) near [Harrisburg, Pennsylvania](/source/Harrisburg%2C_Pennsylvania) along a former [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) line. Its north end is at Seneca Yard in Buffalo, with no direct access to the [Lake Erie](/source/Lake_Erie) district, and its south end is at the [Pittsburgh Line](/source/Pittsburgh_Line) at Rockville. The line is operated by the [Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad](/source/Buffalo_and_Pittsburgh_Railroad) between Buffalo and [Machias, New York](/source/Machias%2C_New_York), the [Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Western_New_York_and_Pennsylvania_Railroad_(2001)) between Machias and [Driftwood, Pennsylvania](/source/Driftwood%2C_Pennsylvania), and the Norfolk Southern Railway between Driftwood and Rockville.

==History==
{{see also|Philadelphia and Erie Railroad main line}}
[[File:Montgomery RR Tracks.JPG|thumb|left|The Buffalo Line in [Montgomery, Pennsylvania](/source/Montgomery%2C_Pennsylvania)]]
The [Sunbury and Erie Railroad](/source/Sunbury_and_Erie_Railroad) opened from [Williamsport, Pennsylvania](/source/Williamsport%2C_Pennsylvania) south to [Milton](/source/Milton%2C_PA) in 1854,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1854%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1854 }}&nbsp;{{small|(79.1&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> [Northumberland](/source/Northumberland%2C_PA) in 1855,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1855%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1855 }}&nbsp;{{small|(47.0&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> and [Sunbury](/source/Sunbury%2C_PA) in 1856.<ref name="PRR 1856">{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1856%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1856 }}&nbsp;{{small|(52.4&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> Extensions west from Williamsport opened to [Whetham](/source/Whetham%2C_Pennsylvania) in 1859,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1859%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1859 }}&nbsp;{{small|(60.9&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> [Keating](/source/Keating%2C_Pennsylvania) (as the [Philadelphia and Erie Railroad](/source/Philadelphia_and_Erie_Railroad)) in 1862, reorganize in 1895 to [Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway](/source/Western_New_York_and_Pennsylvania_Railway_(1895%E2%80%931955)),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1862%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1862 }}, March 2005 Edition</ref> and finally reaching [Emporium](/source/Emporium%2C_PA) (also as the P&E) in 1863.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1863%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1863 }}, March 2005 Edition</ref> A cutoff bypassing downtown Williamsport to the south, from [Allen's](/source/Allen's%2C_Pennsylvania) west to [Nisbet](/source/Nisbet%2C_Pennsylvania), opened in the early 1870s,<ref name="PRRCH PRR">[http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/rail/prr/Corphist/prr3.html PRR Corporate History, Development of Fixed Physical Property] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20071229015742/http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/prr3.html |date=2007-12-29 }}</ref> and is now part of the Buffalo Line.

The [Northern Central Railway](/source/Northern_Central_Railway) opened a line from [Dauphin, Pennsylvania](/source/Dauphin%2C_Pennsylvania) north to [Millersburg](/source/Millersburg%2C_PA) in 1856,<ref name="PRR 1856"/> extending it north to [Herndon](/source/Herndon%2C_Pennsylvania) in 1857<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1857%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1857 }}&nbsp;{{small|(54.1&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> and [Sunbury](/source/Sunbury%2C_PA) in 1858.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1858%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1858 }}&nbsp;{{small|(56.8&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> In 1882, the [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) opened their Rockville Branch from Rockville (on their [main line](/source/Main_line_(railway))) north to Dauphin on the Northern Central.<ref name="PRRCH PRR"/>

From the Buffalo end, the [Buffalo and Washington Railway](/source/Buffalo_and_Washington_Railway) opened its line to [East Aurora, New York](/source/East_Aurora%2C_New_York) in 1868<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1868%20June%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1868 }}&nbsp;{{small|(93.8&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, June 2004 Edition</ref> and [South Wales](/source/South_Wales%2C_New_York) in 1870.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1870%20Jan%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1870 }}&nbsp;{{small|(57.0&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, January 2005 Edition</ref> In 1871 its name was changed to the [Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railway](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York_and_Philadelphia_Railway),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1871%20Jan%2005.pdf |title= PRR Chronology, 1871 |access-date= 2006-11-27 |archive-date= 2013-10-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131014023302/http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1871%20Jan%2005.pdf |url-status= dead }}&nbsp;{{small|(72.9&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, January 2005 Edition</ref> and it was extended to [Emporium, Pennsylvania](/source/Emporium%2C_Pennsylvania) in 1872, completing the line between Buffalo and Harrisburg.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1872%20Feb%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1872 }}&nbsp;{{small|(86.1&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, February 2005 Edition</ref> The newest piece of the Buffalo Line, opened in 1909, is at Buffalo, running from the old main line at Gardenville southwest to [Seneca Yard](/source/Seneca_Yard).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1909%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1909 }}&nbsp;{{small|(56.8&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref>

The line became part of the [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) and [Conrail](/source/Conrail) through leases, mergers, and takeovers. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail it was assigned to Norfolk Southern. The [Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Western_New_York_and_Pennsylvania_Railroad_(2001)) has leased and been operating the part of the line between [Machias, New York](/source/Machias%2C_New_York) and [Driftwood, Pennsylvania](/source/Driftwood%2C_Pennsylvania) since 2007. By 2008, Norfolk Southern no longer used the line into Buffalo and leased it to the [Buffalo & Pittsburgh](/source/Buffalo_and_Pittsburgh_Railroad),<ref>[http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/NS/NS%20ETTs/NS%20Harrisburg%20Div%20ETT%20%231%208-4-2008.pdf#page=8 Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Region Timetable 1, August 4, 2008]</ref> which now uses it to reach its Main Line in Machias, NY; this allowed the B&P to abandon and remove its old Third Subdivision (ex [B&O](/source/Baltimore_and_Ohio_Railroad)) line between [Orchard Park, NY](/source/Orchard_Park%2C_NY) and Ashford Jct. By 2009, NS had taken the portion from Gardenville Junction to Seneca Yard out of service; this left its Ebenezer Running Track from [CSX's](/source/CSX_Transportation) Buffalo Terminal Subdivision to Gardenville as the only connection between Buffalo and the line.<ref>[http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/NS/NS%20Track%20Charts/NS%20Harrisburg%20Division%20Track%20Chart%202009.pdf#page=316 Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Region Track Charts, 2009]</ref>

In 2009, the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad portion of the Buffalo Line was used to film scenes in the film ''[Unstoppable](/source/Unstoppable_(2010_film))''. Filming took place over three months during the daylight hours while the railroad ran its regular services at night.<ref name="Trains mag June 2012">{{cite journal |last1=Zimmermann |first1=Karl |year=2012 |title=Where Alcos Tough It Out|journal=[Trains](/source/Trains_(magazine)) |volume=72 |issue=6 |pages=44 |publisher=[Kalmbach Publishing](/source/Kalmbach_Publishing)}}</ref>

==Named passenger trains==
thumb|''The Buffalo Day Express'' stands ready to depart Williamsport, PA on July 20, 1969. Passenger service along the line would end soon after.
When passenger trains ran on the line, [Lock Haven](/source/Lock_Haven%2C_Pennsylvania) (west of Williamsport) was a transfer point for trains to [Pennsylvania State University](/source/Pennsylvania_State_University) 38 miles to the southwest of Lock Haven. The Pennsylvania Railroad ran several trains on this run between Buffalo and Washington, with major intermediate stops being Emporium, [Williamsport](/source/Williamsport%2C_PA), Harrisburg, [York](/source/York%2C_PA), and [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore). The last passenger train on the line was the [Penn Central](/source/Penn_Central)'s unnamed Buffalo-Harrisburg successor to the ''Buffalo Day Express.'' Service ended on April 30, 1971, when Amtrak declined to pick up the route.<ref name=Edmonson>{{cite book |last1=Edmonson |first1=Harold A. |title=Journey to Amtrak |date=1972 |publisher=Kalmbach Publishing |isbn=978-0890240236 |pages=102–104}}</ref><ref name=Eve>{{cite magazine |magazine=[Trains](/source/Trains_magazine)|title=Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak |url=https://ctr.trains.com/~/media/import/files/pdf/f/7/7/passenger_trains_operating_on_the_eve_of_amtrak.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224220507/https://ctr.trains.com/~/media/import/files/pdf/f/7/7/passenger_trains_operating_on_the_eve_of_amtrak.pdf |archive-date=2021-02-24 }}</ref>
*''[Buffalo Day Express](/source/Buffalo_Day_Express)'' (Washington and Philadelphia—Buffalo train) / ''Baltimore Day Express'' (southbound train)
*''Dominion Express'' (overnight train of the above route)

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Susquehanna Valley Railroads}}

Category:Norfolk Southern Railway lines
Category:Pennsylvania Railroad lines
Category:Rail infrastructure in New York (state)
Category:Rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania
Category:Railway lines opened in 1854

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Buffalo Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Line) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Line?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.