# Frankford Branch

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frankford_Branch
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frankford_Branch.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankford_Branch
> Source revision: 1171154353
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

The **Frankford Branch** was a railway line located in the city of [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia) in the United States. Its opening in 1894 provided residents of the [Frankford](/source/Frankford,_Philadelphia) neighborhood with direct access to the [Reading Terminal](/source/Reading_Terminal). It was part of the [Reading](/source/Reading_Company) system until its 1976 conveyance to [Conrail](/source/Conrail). Conrail abandoned the branch in the 1990s.

## History

The branch was constructed between 1892 and 1894 by the Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad, a subsidiary of the [Philadelphia and Reading Railroad](/source/Philadelphia_and_Reading_Railroad) and forerunner of the [Reading Company](/source/Reading_Company).[1]

The line branched off from Reading's [Newtown Branch](/source/Newtown_Branch) at Frankford Junction,[a] east of [Olney](/source/Olney_station_(SEPTA_Regional_Rail)). The ceremonial opening of the line took place on June 29, 1894, with scheduled services beginning on July 2.[2]

The line's original terminus was Frankford Station, near Frankford Avenue and Unity Street. The Frankford extension of the [Market–Frankford Line](/source/Market%E2%80%93Frankford_Line), which opened in 1922, led to the Reading closing this station in 1928.[3]

The Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad was one of twelve Reading properties merged at the end of 1923 to create the new [Reading Company](/source/Reading_Company).[4]

The Frankford Branch was one of many Reading lines conveyed to [Conrail](/source/Conrail) in 1976 as a result of the Reading's bankruptcy.[5]

Conrail abandoned the line in the mid-1990s, prior to the [CSX Transportation](/source/CSX_Transportation) / [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway) acquisition.[b]

## Notes

1. Not to be confused with the more famous [Frankford Junction](/source/Frankford_Junction) on the [Northeast Corridor](/source/Northeast_Corridor).[6]

1. Compare the 1995 and 1997 Conrail track charts.[7][8]

## References

1. ["Reading's Frankford Branch"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102124352/readings-frankford-branch/). *[The Philadelphia Times](/source/The_Philadelphia_Times)*. July 7, 1892. p. 5. Retrieved May 18, 2022. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["The Reading's new line"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102114486/the-readings-new-line/). *[The Philadelphia Times](/source/The_Philadelphia_Times)*. June 30, 1894. p. 3. Retrieved May 18, 2022. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Frankford station"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102125336/frankford-station/). *[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. June 4, 1961. p. 42. Retrieved May 18, 2022. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Reading Company Twenty-six Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 1923"](https://books.google.com/books?id=4wQjAQAAMAAJ&pg=1795). *[Railway Age](/source/Railway_Age)*. **76** (37): 1795. June 21, 1924.

1. United States Railway Association (1975). [*Final system plan for restructuring railroads in the Northeast and Midwest region pursuant to the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973*](http://multimodalways.org/docs/govts/federal/executive/Agencies/DOT/USRA/FSP/FSP%20VI.pdf). Vol. 1. Washington, DC. p. 310. [OCLC 2889148](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2889148)

1. Duffy, Edward W. (August 13, 2019). ["In Northeast Philadelphia, A Rich History Of Train Tracks And Acquisitions"](https://hiddencityphila.org/2019/08/in-northeast-philadelphia-a-rich-history-of-train-tracks-and-acquisitions/). *Hidden City Philadelphia*. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

1. ["Maintenance Program and Track Chart: Philadelphia Division"](http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CR/CR%20Track%20Charts/CR%20Philadelphia%20Track%20Chart%201995.pdf). Conrail. 1995. p. 4; 129.

1. ["Maintenance Program and Track Chart: Philadelphia Division"](http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CR/CR%20Track%20Charts/CR%20Philadelphia%20Track%20Chart%201997.pdf). Conrail. 1997. p. 5.

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