Gettysburg and Northern Railroad

The Gettysburg and Northern Railroad is a short-line railroad located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The railroad operates a long line running between Gettysburg in Adams County and Mount Holly Springs in Cumberland County.

Operations

The Gettysburg and Northern Railroad operates a long line running from Gettysburg in Adams County north to Mount Holly Springs in Cumberland County. Between Gettysburg and Mount Holly Springs, the railroad serves Biglerville, Aspers, Gardners, Peach Glen, Hunters Run, and Upper Mill. The Gettysburg and Northern Railroad interchanges with CSX Transportation in Gettysburg and the Norfolk Southern Railway in Mount Holly Springs. Among the products carried by the railroad are canned goods, pulpboard, soda ash, grain, and scrap paper

The railroad was built in the late 19th century and opened in 1891 as the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway. The line was later leased to the Reading Railroad and operated as the "Gettysburg Branch." The bankrupt Reading Railroad became part of Conrail in 1976, however the Gettysburg Branch was left out of the Conrail system. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation took over the branch and sold the line to a new company, the Blairsville & Indiana Railroad, in 1976; this company changed its name to Gettysburg Railroad.
In 1996, the Gettysburg Railroad was sold to RailAmerica subsidiary Delaware Valley Railroad Company, which operated the line as the Gettysburg Railway. In 2001, the Gettysburg Railway was sold to Pioneer Railcorp and the Gettysburg and Northern Railroad took over operations.
Patriot Rail Company acquired Pioneer Railcorp in 2022, and in early 2024 announced that it would resume tourist excursions on the Gettysburg and Northern Railroad. Excursion service began in mid-2025, using 5 coaches and 2 dedicated locomotives.