The Farmers' Line

New Freedom stood at the junction of the Northern Central Railway and the Stewartstown Railroad. Completed in 1885, the Stewartstown line ran seven and a half miles and linked the area’s farmers to the larger cities served by the Northern Central Railway. Farm products included potatoes, corn, hay, wheat, oats, orchard apples, and tobacco. At its peak, the railroad made six trips a day carrying passengers and cargo, and many people commuted to work on the rail bus. Passenger service ended in 1952, cargo service ended after Hurricane Agnes in 1972, the line reopened briefly for excursions in 1985, and it closed in 2004.

New Freedom, Pennsylvania · United States