The first tracks along this route were opened in 1879 by the
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, connecting
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to
Youngstown, Ohio via New Castle. The Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Toledo Railroad opened tracks from New Castle to Youngstown and a line continuing west to Valley Junction (near
Akron, Ohio) in 1884. On August 1, 1887, much of PC&T's railway was leased by the
Pittsburgh and Western Railway Company for passenger service directly between
Chicago, Illinois to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Soon thereafter, the PC&T Railroad would be absorbed into the P&W Railroad. By 1902, the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad took over the Pittsburgh & Western Railroad and converted all of its tracks to
standard gauge. As the P&LE improved their single-track line, B&O's route followed a similar path between Pittsburgh and Youngstown. B&O's route, however had high grades and curves throughout Pittsburgh. By 1934, the B&O opted to instead purchase
trackage rights between
McKeesport and New Castle. It would prove to be a major rail line through the region, connecting major industrial cities such as Youngstown, Akron, and Pittsburgh. B&O eventually merged with other railroads to form the
Chessie System in 1973, which would own the tracks on the current New Castle Subdivision between New Castle and Greenwich. Chessie System later merged with
Seaboard Coast Line Industries to form
CSX in 1980. By 1993, the P&LE was purchased by CSX, giving the company full control over the New Castle Subdivision and the New Castle Terminal Subdivision.
New Castle Terminal Subdivision The New Castle Terminal Subdivision runs for 14.7 miles northwest from the terminus of the Pittsburgh Subdivision in
West Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to the terminus of the New Castle Subdivision near New Castle. Much of the line coexists with the CSX New Castle yard. It junctions with the
P&W Subdivision near Mahoningtown. ==References==