Editing Conrail Shared Assets Operations

{{Short description|American railroad company}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more footnotes needed|date=December 2010}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2019}}
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{{Infobox rail
| railroad_name=Conrail Shared Assets Operations
| logo_filename=Conrail logo.svg
| logo_size=
| marks=CRCX
| image = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=300|ids=
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| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| locale=three separate networks, in the [[Detroit]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Newark, New Jersey]] areas
| predecessor_line=[[Conrail]]
| start_year=June 1, 1999
| end_year=present
| hq_city=[[Mount Laurel, New Jersey]], U.S.
| website={{URL|http://www.conrail.com}}}}

'''Conrail Shared Assets Operations''' ('''CSAO''') is the commonly used name for modern-day [[Conrail]] ([[reporting mark]] '''CRCX'''), an American [[railroad]] company. It operates three networks, the [[North Jersey]], [[South Jersey]]/[[Philadelphia]], and [[Detroit]] Shared Assets Areas,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.conrail.com/system-map/ | title=System Map }}</ref> where it serves as a contract local carrier and switching company for its owners, [[CSX Transportation]] and the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]. When most of the former [[Conrail]]'s track was split between these two railroads, the three shared assets areas (a total of about 1,200 miles of track) were kept separate to avoid giving one railroad an advantage in those areas. The company operates using its own employees and infrastructure but owns no equipment outside [[Maintenance of way|MOW equipment]].

==North Jersey Shared Assets Area==
The '''North Jersey Shared Assets Area''' stretches from the [[North Bergen Yard]] in [[North Bergen, New Jersey]] south into [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] and [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], and beyond to [[Manville, New Jersey|Manville]] ([[Port Reading Junction]]) and [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], much of which is operated over [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]] and [[New Jersey Transit]] lines through [[trackage rights]]. Primary connections are to CSX's [[River Subdivision (CSX)|River Subdivision]] north to [[Albany, New York]] at North Bergen, NS's [[Southern Tier Line]] northwest to [[Buffalo, New York]] at [[Croxton, Jersey City|Croxton Yard]] in Jersey City, NS's [[Lehigh Line (Norfolk Southern)|Lehigh Line]] west to [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]] and CSX's [[Trenton Subdivision (CSX Transportation)|Trenton Subdivision]] southwest to [[Philadelphia]] at Manville, and the Conrail [[South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area]] at Trenton. [[Oak Island Yard]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] is the principal yard for the region with smaller ones at Bayonne, [[Greenville Yard|Greenville]] (Jersey City), [[Linden Yard|Linden]], Manville, [[Metuchen, New Jersey|Metuchen]], Newark, Old Bridge, and Port Reading in Woodbridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conrail.com/freight.htm |title=Conrail Operations |publisher=Conrail.com |date=2011-07-18 |access-date=2012-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722080814/http://www.conrail.com/freight.htm |archive-date=2012-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.choosenj.com/getattachment/Quality-of-Life/Healthcare-(1)/New-Jersey-Transportation.pdf.aspx |title=Transportation Infrastructure |website=www.choosenj.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219122852/http://www.choosenj.com/getattachment/Quality-of-Life/Healthcare-%281%29/New-Jersey-Transportation.pdf.aspx |archive-date=2014-12-19}}</ref>

{{Incomplete list|date=August 2022}}
*[[Center Street Branch]], Kearny Meadows, "P&HL", [[Centre Street Bridge (Newark)|Centre Street Bridge]] (demolished)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjgxGVT6-7IC&q=conrail+center+street+Branch&pg=PA15925|title=Federal Register|date=April 12, 1982|publisher=Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration|via=Google Books}}</ref>
*[[Passaic and Harsimus Line]] "P&HL", formerly Northeast Corridor at Waverly Yard In Newark, New Jersey, now [[Oak Island Yard]] to Jersey City
**[[Northern Running Track (Conrail)|Northern Running Track]] "NRTB", from 'CP Hack' and interchange with Passaic and Harsimus Line with connections to [[Marion Junction, New Jersey]], Croxton Yard, interchange with New York Susquehanna & Western at 'CP West Croxton' and ending at 'CP-1' of [[CSX]] [[North Bergen Yard]]
*[[National Docks Branch]] "NATB", Northern Running Track at Bergen Junction, New Jersey to [[Upper Bay Bridge]] to [[Oak Island Yard]]
*[[Chemical Coast Line|Garden State Secondary]] formerly [[Chemical Coast Line]] "COAS", [[Oak Island Yard]] to [[North Jersey Coast Line]] at [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey|Perth Amboy]]
*[[Lehigh Line (Conrail)|Lehigh Line]] "LEHL", National Docks Branch, Bayonne to CSX [[Trenton Subdivision (CSX Transportation)|Trenton Subdivision]] and NS [[Lehigh Line (Norfolk Southern)|Lehigh Line]] at [[Manville, New Jersey|Manville]]
*Perth Amboy Running Track, comes off Garden State Secondary to service industries in [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey]].
*'''Amboy Secondary''' "AMBS" ([[Amboy Branch]] and [[Jamesburg Branch]]), from William to Midway [[Amtrak]]. Connects to [[NJ Transit]] [[North Jersey Coast Line]] via the Essay and Church Running Tracks in [[South Amboy, New Jersey]].
*[[Raritan River Railroad#Conrail Sayreville Secondary|Sayreville Running Track]], Gillespie Running Track and Phoenix Branch
*[[Southern Secondary (railway)|Southern Secondary]] "SOUS", trackage rights over NJ Transit's [[North Jersey Coast Line]] from South Amboy to [[Red Bank, New Jersey]], to an interchange with the [[Delaware and Raritan River Railroad]] located in Red Bank.
*[[Port Reading Secondary]] "MANS", a line that runs from [[Port Reading Junction]] and Yard to Bound Brook where it connects with the Lehigh Line - recently upgraded and may lose its 'secondary' status.
*[[Staten Island Railroad]] "NOSL", from 'CP Ralph' in Elizabeth, NJ over the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge to Arlington Yard in Staten Island, NY including the [[Travis Branch (Staten Island Railway)|Travis Industrial Track]], which runs from Arlington Yard to a New York Department of Sanitation Waste Transfer Facility at Fresh Kills.
*[[Hightstown Industrial Track]], an Industrial Track that runs from a junction with the Amboy Secondary in Jamesburg, NJ to [[Cranbury, New Jersey|Cranbury, NJ]].
*Bonhamtown Branch, runs from NEC south of [[Metuchen station]] to [[Raritan Center]], interchanges with Raritan Central Railway at Metuchen Yard.

==South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area==
The [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] anticipated in 2010 increased freight activity in [[South Jersey]] that has led to capital improvement and expansion projects for this designated area.<ref>{{cite report   | title = Southern New Jersey Freight Transportation and Economic Development Assessment Survey | publisher = [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] | date = December 2010   | url = http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/freight/plan/pdf/sjfeda_final.pdf   | access-date = 2013-07-17 }}</ref>

The '''South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area''' is operated out of [[Pavonia Yard]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]], with smaller yards in Marcus Hook, Paulsboro, Millville, [[Morrisville Yard|Morrisville]], Frankford Junction, Burlington, Port Richmond and South Philadelphia.

*[[Atlantic City Line]], trackage rights along [[New Jersey Transit]] from [[Bordentown Secondary]] at Delair, New Jersey to [[Winslow Junction, New Jersey]] 
*'''Bordentown Secondary''' ([[Amboy Branch]] and [[Bordentown Branch]]), CP Hatch to Northeast Corridor at Millham in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]
**[[Robbinsville Industrial Track]], [[Bordentown Secondary]] at [[Bordentown, New Jersey]] to [[Yardville, New Jersey]] in [[Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hamilton Township]].
*[[Northeast Corridor]], trackage rights along [[Amtrak]] ([[Northeast Corridor]]) from Northern New Jersey operations border at [[Princeton Junction, New Jersey]] to Philadelphia.
*[[Delair Branch]], Pavonia Running tracks at CP Hatch Delair, New Jersey to [[CSX]] ([[Philadelphia Subdivision]]) at Park Junction in Philadelphia.
*[[Pemberton Industrial Track]], runs from NJT CP Jordan (Pennsauken) to Hainesport, NJ.
*Beesley's Point Secondary, Vineland Secondary at CP Brown in [[Camden, New Jersey]] to Beesley's Point Industrial Track at [[Palermo, New Jersey]]. Primary trackage rights below [[Winslow, New Jersey]] to [[Palermo, New Jersey]] has been leased to the [[Cape May Seashore Lines]] as of 2022, but Conrail has retained secondary trackage rights depending on what happens with the shuttered [[B.L. England Generating Station]] site.
**Beesley's Point Industrial Track, via Beesley's Point Secondary at Palermo to [[Beesley's Point, New Jersey]]
*[[Vineland Secondary]], Camden Running track at CP Mill at the south end of [[Pavonia Yard]] in Camden to [[Millville, New Jersey]]
*Grenloch Industrial Track, Vineland Secondary in [[Gloucester City, New Jersey]] to the Interstate Business Park in [[Bellmawr, New Jersey]].
*[[Penns Grove Secondary]], Salem Secondary and Vineland Secondary at [[Woodbury, New Jersey]] to Deepwater Point Running Track at [[Penns Grove, New Jersey]]
**[[Deepwater Point Running Track]], Penns Grove Secondary at [[Penns Grove, New Jersey]] to [[Deepwater, New Jersey]]
*[[Salem Branch|Salem Running Track]], Penns Grove Secondary and Vineland Secondary at [[Woodbury, New Jersey|Woodbury, NJ]] to [[Swedesboro, New Jersey|Swedesboro, NJ]] for a connection to the [[Southern Railroad of New Jersey]]'s [[Salem Branch]]. Leased to SRNJ in 2018.
*[[Chester Secondary]], CSX RG yard at Eastwick to SEPTA's Airport Line, Lester, and ends at Eddystone.

===Delair Bridge===
The south track at the [[Delair Lift Bridge]] (part of the Delair Branch) is used by Conrail; the north track is used by [[New Jersey Transit]]'s [[Atlantic City Line]].

==Detroit Shared Assets Area==
The '''Detroit Shared Assets Area''' consists of:
* Detroit Line, from junction with [[Norfolk Southern]] [[Detroit Line (Norfolk Southern)|Detroit Line]] in [[Gibraltar, Michigan]] at MP 20 to junction with Conrail North Yard Branch at CP-West Detroit. 
* North Yard Branch, from junction with Conrail Detroit Line at CP-West Detroit to junction with Conrail Sterling Secondary at CP-North Yard.
* Sterling Secondary and Utica Industrial Track, from junction with the Conrail North Yard Branch at CP-North Yard to the end of the Utica Industrial Track at MP 27. 
* Michigan Line (runs parallel to Michigan Avenue, US Hwy 12), CP-Townline in Dearborn (junction with [[Amtrak]] [[Michigan Line]]) to CP-Bay City Jct.
* [[Lincoln Secondary]], from junction with [[CSX Transportation|CSXT]] Toledo Terminal Subdivision at Carleton to Ecorse Junction in Detroit. Trains can operate track authority EC-1 forms issued by the CSX RL Dispatcher located in Calumet City, Illinois. 

CP-West Detroit, Delray, CP-YD, and River Rouge Yard lie close to each other on the Utica/MP 20 line, giving the whole a rough K-shape. Various spurs and industrial tracks branch off from this trackage.  Mileage in both directions is measured from the [[Michigan Central Railway Tunnel]].

==Locomotives==
Conrail Shared Assets utilizes the following types of locomotives, all supplied by CSX and Norfolk Southern.
*[[EMD GP38-2]]
*[[EMD GP40-2]]
*[[EMD SD40-2]]
*[[EMD SD45-2]]
*[[EMD SD40E3]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=http://stb.dot.gov/Decisions/readingroom.nsf/402b4e9fcad7829285256f7b006f787a/11ad450113a64dea8525663c004c5641?OpenDocument |title=CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation Inc., Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation--Control and Operating Lease/Agreements--Conrail Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation |date=July 23, 1998 |publisher=[[Surface Transportation Board]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060425191833/http://stb.dot.gov/Decisions/readingroom.nsf/402b4e9fcad7829285256f7b006f787a/11ad450113a64dea8525663c004c5641?OpenDocument |archive-date=2006-04-25}}
*{{cite report |title=Abandoned Railroad Inventory and Policy |publisher=Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission |date=September 1997 |url=http://www.dvrpc.org/reports/97006.pdf}}
*{{cite web |title=Conrail Shared Assets Operation (CSAO) |publisher=Railnuts |url=http://centralnjfan.railfan.net/njsaa.html}}
*{{cite news |title=Marketing Department Inspection Trip |publisher=Conrail |date=October 11, 1984|url=http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CR/CR%20Track%20Charts/CR%20Phila%20Inspection%20Train%2010-11-1984.pdf}}
*{{cite web |last=Doherty |first=Tim |title=Wiseguys and Wayfreights |publisher=Railfan |date=April 2016 |url=http://railfan.com/wiseguys-wayfreights-conrail-north-jersey/}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Railways}}
*{{Official website|https://conrail.com/}}
*[http://www.thecrhs.org/ The Conrail Historical Society]


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[[Category:Conrail| ]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1999]]
[[Category:Companies based in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Delaware railroads]]
[[Category:Michigan railroads]]
[[Category:New Jersey railroads]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania railroads]]
[[Category:Switching and terminal railroads]]
[[Category:Non-operating common carrier freight railroads in the United States]]<!--Staten Island-->
[[Category:CSX Transportation]]
[[Category:Norfolk Southern Railway]]