Southwestern Pennsylvania Railroad

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The Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad (SWP) is a shortline railroad that operates in southwestern Pennsylvania. The SWP uses rail branches that were acquired from CSX Transportation (originally the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), as well as Conrail (originally the Pennsylvania Railroad). All of the track used by the SWP is in either Fayette or Westmoreland counties. SWP's provides local service to many customers in the area, connecting them to the outside world via interchanges with NS, CSXT , and the W&LE. SWP has been vital in the location of several new industries to Fayette and Westmoreland Counties in recent years.

The Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad’s operational headquarters are located in Scottdale, Pennsylvania. The main line of railroad runs as far north as Greensburg and Radebaugh to an interchange with Norfolk Southern from Everson PA. A branch from this line runs from Hunker PA to Yukon, serving a box plant there. Another branch runs from Everson to Mt Pleasant PA, where the Westrmoreland Rail Freight Terminal, a large bulk transload facility, is served. This location also has a new ethanol plant under construction. A second branch from Everson serves a coal loadout at Bullskin PA. Heading south from Everson, the SWP mainline reaches Owensdale (a connection with the Wheeling and Lake Erie), before enetering the CSXT mainline at Broadford. The SWP operates over CSX from Broadford to south of Connellsville. The SWP interchanges with CSX, at Connellsville. It runs south from here through through Dunbar, Pennsylvania, and Mt Braddock to Uniontown and continues on into Fairchance and Smithfield.

The SWP is operated by Carload Express, Inc., which also operates two other shortline railroads: The Allegheny Valley Railroad (AVR), serving the Pittsburgh area, and the Camp Chase Railroad (CCRA), serving the Columbus, Ohio area. Carload Express has its headquarters in Oakmont, Pa. [1]