{{about|the railroad line owned by Norfolk Southern Railway|the CSX line|Lurgan Subdivision}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox rail line | box_width = | name = Lurgan Branch | image = Early Morning Romp - Mt Rock Rd South of Shippensburg, PA (6251885020).jpg | image_width = 300px | caption = Northbound Norfolk Southern autorack train on the Lurgan Branch south of Shippensburg | type = Freight rail | system = Norfolk Southern | status = Operational | locale = central Pennsylvania and western Maryland | start = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | end = Hagerstown, Maryland | stations = | open = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} --> | close = | owner = Norfolk Southern | operator = Norfolk Southern | linelength = | tracks = 1-2 | gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|al=on}} | electrification = | speed = | map = | map_state = collapsed }} The '''Lurgan Branch''' is a railroad line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway {{reporting mark|NS}} in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The line is part of the NS Harrisburg Division and runs from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania southwest to Hagerstown, Maryland along former Reading Company {{reporting mark|RDG}} and Pennsylvania Railroad {{reporting mark|PRR}} lines.<ref>Norfolk Southern Corp. (2008). [http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/NS/NS%20Track%20Charts/NS%20Harrisburg%20Division%20Track%20Chart%202008.pdf "Harrisburg Division."] Track chart.</ref> Its northeast end is at a junction with the Harrisburg Line, Pittsburgh Line, Royalton Branch, and Amtrak's Keystone Corridor (Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line); its southwest end is at the beginning of the Hagerstown District. At Lemoyne it intersects the Enola Branch.
==History== In 1837, the Cumberland Valley Railroad {{reporting mark|CVRR}} opened the line from Lemoyne to Chambersburg, including the Lurgan Branch southwest of Shippensburg.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1837%20June%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1837 }} {{small|(98.8 KiB)}}, June 2004 Edition</ref> The Franklin Railroad extended the line from Chambersburg to Greencastle in 1839<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1839%20June%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1839 }} {{small|(82.7 KiB)}}, June 2004 Edition</ref> and Greencastle to Hagerstown in 1841.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1841%20May%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1841 }} {{small|(60.7 KiB)}}, May 2004 Edition</ref> This part of the line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad through leases and mergers.
The Harrisburg and Potomac Railroad was built in the 1870s from Lemoyne to Shippensburg.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} It was later linked to Harrisburg via the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Bridge,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} and became part of the Reading Company via leases and mergers. At Lurgan tower, just southwest of Shippensburg, Reading ownership ended and the Western Maryland Railway Lurgan Subdivision began, continuing the rail connection to that railroad's Hagerstown classification yard. A connection was subsequently built in Shippensburg between the PRR line and the RDG line to allow for interchange coal traffic.
Conrail took over both companies in 1976. The PRR line was abandoned from Shippensburg to Carlisle, a portion that saw much street-running and -crossing, as this was the segment that was never significantly improved by the Cumberland Valley Railroad. The existing Cumbo connection was used to create the new hybrid line. The branch was assigned to Norfolk Southern in the 1999 breakup of Conrail. For similar reasons, the WM line south of Shippensburg, to Chambersburg, has been downgraded.
==Expansion plans== NS is preparing for expanded traffic on the Lurgan Branch as part of its Crescent Corridor project. A new intermodal terminal is planned for Greencastle, Pennsylvania<ref>Norfolk Southern (2009). [http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2009/greencastle.html "Norfolk Southern Selects Greencastle Site for New Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility, Supporting Crescent Corridor Initiative."] Press release. 2009-08-12.</ref> and the existing terminal at Harrisburg will be upgraded. Work was scheduled to be completed by 2013.<ref name="bizns">Norfolk Southern (2009). [http://www.nscorp.com/nscorphtml/bizns/bizNS1.pdf#page=6 "Crescent Corridor project aims to increase capacity for intermodal growth, reduce carbon footprint."] ''BizNS'' (magazine). January/February 2009. pp. 6-7.</ref>
==See also== * List of Norfolk Southern Railway lines
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Susquehanna Valley Railroads}}
Category:Norfolk Southern Railway lines Category:Reading Company lines Category:Pennsylvania Railroad lines Category:Rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania Category:Rail infrastructure in Maryland