The Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Branch was a former rail line that opened in 1884 and extended for 135 miles from Philadelphia to the anthracite coal regions of central Pennsylvania. At milepost 83.40 near Auburn, the Schuylkill Branch crossed over the Schuylkill River and the Reading Railroad Pottsville Branch.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Branch was a former rail line that opened in 1884 and extended for 135 miles from Philadelphia to the anthracite coal regions of central Pennsylvania. At milepost 83.40 near Auburn, the Schuylkill Branch crossed over the Schuylkill River and the Reading Railroad Pottsville Branch. After the bridge collapsed in 1913, it was replaced with a girder structure over the river and a Warren through truss over the Reading. 3
The Schuylkill River Trail is an 82-mile rail trail that runs along the Schuylkill River between Philadelphia and Frackville. It generally follows the routes of the former Schuylkill Canal and PRR Schuylkill Branch. Although proposals for a trail along the old railroad began in the late 1960s, significant construction did not commence until the 1990s.
In November 2019, the Schuylkill River Greenways secured a $367,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to rehabilitate the Schuylkill River bridge south of Auburn. 1 2 On November 9, 2023, after two decades of effort, the bridge was re-dedicated for the Schuylkill River Trail. The 320-foot girder structure, originally built in 1919, was rehabilitated with a new concrete deck and a ramp, allowing the trail to descend to an on-road section, River Road, which connects to a nearby off-road section. 1 2 3 It did not include the renovation of the Warren through truss structure over the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad (former Reading Railroad Pottsville Branch) because of landowner opposition. 3 The completion of this project closed the last remaining gap in Auburn, creating a continuous 9.5-mile segment of trail between Auburn, Hamburg, and Port Clinton. 2
Information
- State: Pennsylvania
- Route: Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Valley Branch Railroad and Schuylkill River Trail
- Type: Girder, Warren Through Truss
- Status: Active - Pedestrian
Sources
- Hugg, Jason. “Schuylkill River Trail extended with Auburn Bridge completion, connecting Berks and Schuylkill Counties.” Berks Weekly, 9 Nov. 2023.
- “The Auburn Bridge.” Schuylkill River Greenways.
- Smith, Brian. “Railroad bridge renovation project ceremoniously kicks off near Auburn.” Republican and Herald, 6 Dec. 2018, pp. A1-A8.