Reporting mark EBGR Length 8.6 miles | Dates of operation 2010– | |
Locale Boyertown to Pottstown, Pennsylvania Track gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Headquarters Boyertown, Pennsylvania | ||
The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad (reporting mark EBGR) is a short-line railroad in Pennsylvania that runs from Boyertown south to Pottstown, where it interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad was operated by U.S. Rail Partners until 2013, when the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust took over.
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Operations
The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad operates the 8.6-mile (13.8 km) long Colebrookdale Spur between Boyertown and Pottstown. In Pottstown, it interchanges with the Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad is operated by the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust. The tracks the railroad operates on are owned by Berks County.
The inaugural run of a passenger service geared towards railfan tourism took place on January 17, 2014. The passenger line was ready for regular operation in October 2014 and is operated as the Colebrookdale Railroad.
History
The Colebrookdale Railroad started building the railroad line between Boyertown and Pottstown in 1865 and trains started running in 1869. The Colebrookdale Railroad was leased by the Reading Railroad who operated the line until 1976, when it became a part of Conrail. Conrail planned to abandon the line, but the state of Pennsylvania acquired the line and hired operators. In March 2001, Berks County acquired the line for $155,000 to keep it active. The Colebrookdale Spur was abandoned by the East Penn Railroad in 2008. The Berks County Redevelopment Authority reactivated the line, with the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad appointed to operate the line beginning in October 2010. The railroad is working on developing freight traffic on the line. The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad was owned by U.S. Rail Partners, which is based in Illinois. At the end of 2013, the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust took over operations of the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad from U.S. Rail Partners.
In 2011, a tourist railroad was proposed to operate on the line. Tourist passenger operations began in early October 2014 with a series of "soft" trips, intended to work out any operational issues before the full and widely advertised grand opening on October 18. The Colebrookdale Railroad began regular tourist service on October 18, 2014.