News & Reviews News Wire OmniTRAX to take over operations of South Branch Valley Railroad in West Virginia

OmniTRAX to take over operations of South Branch Valley Railroad in West Virginia

By Bill Stephens | August 15, 2023

The state-owned line hosts the Potomac Eagle excursion train

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PotomacEagle
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad operates excursions over the South Branch Valley Railroad in West Virginia. Short line holding company OmniTRAX will take over operation of the short line next month. Here an excursion departs from the Wappocomo station north of Romney, W.Va., and follows the South Branch of the Potomac River and through the 6-mile “Trough,” a spectacular narrow mountain valley. Jonathan Eau Claire

WASHINGTON – OmniTRAX will take over operations of the South Branch Valley Railroad, a 52.4-mile state-owned short line in West Virginia, on or after Sept. 13, the shortline holding company said in a regulatory filing this week.

The former Baltimore & Ohio line is currently owned and operated by the West Virginia State Rail Authority.

Logo of short line company OmniTrax“Freight service operates five days a week, Monday through Friday, with special and unit train operations on weekends as needed. The SBVR provides service to the Grant County Industrial Park, Petersburg; Moorefield Industrial Park; and Hampshire County Industrial Park, Romney,” according to the rail authority’s website. “The SBVR’s largest customer is Pilgrim’s Pride in Moorefield. Pilgrim’s feed mill receives corn and other commodities used in the manufacture of its poultry feed. Three customers are located in Petersburg. Greer Lime ships outbound loads of lime to power stations and steel mills. Allegheny Wood Products ships finished lumber. Adell Polymers receives load of plastic pellets. Total carloadings average between 3,800 and 4,000 per year.”

The route, which runs from the junction with CSX at Green Spring, W.Va., to Petersburg, W.Va., also hosts the Potomac Eagle excursion train, based in Romney, W.Va.

4 thoughts on “OmniTRAX to take over operations of South Branch Valley Railroad in West Virginia

  1. It’s a good thing the state of West Virginia owns the line. Omnitrax would probably abandon most of the route for the salvage.

  2. A highlight of the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad excursion is passage along the South Branch Potomac River through “The Trough”, an area noted for bald eagle sightings.

    Dr. Güntürk Üstün

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