PRR Octoraro Branch (Partially Abandoned)

 railway, abandoned / shut down, historical layer / disappeared object

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The Octoraro branch was built in the late 1860s by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It split off from the PRR's West Chester branch (now SEPTA/West Chester Railroad) and traveled along US 1 through Wawa, Concordville, Brandywine, Chadds Ford, Oxford, Kennett Square and Nottingham; it then crossed the state line into Maryland where it continued through Rising Sun, Colora, Liberty Rock until it met with the PRR's Columbia & Port Deposit line ('Port Road') at Sylmar, MD.

Roughly 50% of the branch was abandoned in 1972 after the remnants of hurricane Agnes blew through the area, causing numerous landslides and creeks to flood, washing out many segments of the right-of-way.

The track is largely intact between Wawa Jct. and the Pennsylvania/Maryland state line.

The Octoraro Railway operates on what remains of the branch between Chadds Ford Jct. 9 connection with the former Reading's Wilmington & Northern line) and Nottingham, PA, where it abruptly ends at the state line.