South Branch Valley

Company History: The South Branch Valley Railroad (SBVR) is owned and operated by the West Virginia State Rail Authority. The line provides freight and passenger service to the state's eastern panhandle. It had formerly operated as the South Branch line of the Chessie System's Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSXT). When Chessie turned over the rail line to the state on October 11, 1978, West Virginia became the first state in the nation to both own and operate a commercial freight railroad.

The South Branch Valley Railroad comprises a 52.4-mile route from Petersburg to Green Spring where it links to the CSXT mainline connecting Cumberland, MD to Martinsburg, WV. The SBVR generally parallels the South Branch of the Potomac River-from which the railroad takes it name. Crossing Hampshire, Hardy and Grant counties, the SBVR serve the towns of Romney, Moorefield and Petersburg. Primary categories of freight include grain, lumber, polymers and aggregates. The railroad is headquartered in Moorefield, WV. State employees perform maintenance and freight operations. A private operator under contract with the state runs the excursion train.

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