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United States Railway Association Collection

2 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

(1974 – 1981)

Edward H. Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury, University, Salisbury, Maryland

Identifier 2006.181
Creator(s) United States Railway Association
Acquisition

Donated by J .Edwin Hobbs in 2004
Language(s) English
Use Records are open for research. Copyright, including literary rights, belongs to the author(s) or their legal heirs. Permission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Nabb Research Center which extends beyond "fair use."
Preferred Citation "Item, collection title and identifier, box # and folder # (if applicable), Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland."
Attribution Finding aid written by Julie Messick, April 2011.
Related Materials

Kent Griffith Collection (1868 – 1998)
Separated Materials See Nabb Center Staff
Abstract

This collection contains various reports and plans from the United States Railway Association (USRA). These plans include the Preliminary and Final System Plans and maps to go along with these plans. Also included are evaluations of various plans put forth by USRA. There are also copies of various laws regarding USRA and railroads.

Administrative History

The United States Railway Association was established by the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 in January 2, 1974. This act was signed by President Nixon and was known as the 3R act. Edward G. Jordan, an insurance executive from California, was named president on March 18 by Nixon. Arthur D. Lewis of Eastern Airlines was appointed chairman April 30, and the rest of the board was named May 30 and sworn in July 11, 1975. The functions of USRA included planning and financing the reorganization of bankrupt railroads in the Midwest and Northeast. These railroads became the Consolidated Railroad Corporation (CONRAIL). USRA also represented the Federal Government in litigation that arose from the reorganization and administered loans to other carriers operating in or connecting with the Northeast region. USRA controlled the flow of government investments and loans to CONRAIL and also monitored the carrier’s performance. Under the 3R Act, the USRA was to create a Final System Plan to decide which lines should be included in the new Consolidated Rail Corporation. Unlike most railroad consolidations, only the designated lines were to be taken over; the others were to remain with the old companies along with non-rail related properties. The plan was unveiled July 26, 1975, consisting of lines from Penn Central and six other companies - the Ann Arbor Railroad (bankrupt 1973), Erie Lackawanna Railway (1972), Lehigh Valley Railroad (1970), Reading Company (1971), Central Railroad of New Jersey (1967) and Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (1972). Controlled railroads and jointly owned railroads such as Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines were also included (see list of railroads transferred to Conrail for a full list). It was approved by Congress on November 9, and on February 5, 1976 President Ford signed the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, which included this Final System Plan, into law. USRA was abolished April 1, 1987, by an act of October 21, 1986.

Arrangement Statement See Nabb Center Staff

Subject Terms

  • Topical Terms
    • Railways
    • Transportation
  • Corporate Names
    • United States Railway

Inventory List

The inventory list for this item is hidden due to its length. Click the button below to view it.

Box 1                                                   

1 | 1          USRA Preliminary System Plan Volume 1                                                                2/26/1975

1 | 2          USRA Preliminary System Plan Volume 2                                                                2/26/1975

1 | 3          USRA Preliminary System Plan Supplement to Appendixes D-2, D-3 and K               May 1975

1 | 4           USRA Preliminary System Plan Summary                                                               2/26/1975

1 | 5           Review of USRA Preliminary System Plan                                                              4/26/1975

1 | 6           USRA Final System Plan Volume 1                                                                        7/26/1975

1 | 7           USRA Final System Plan Volume 2                                                                        7/26/1975

1 | 8           Interstate Commerce Commission: Evaluation of USRA’s Final System Plan             8/25/1975

1 | 9           Evaluation of USRA’s Preliminary System Plan- Rail Services Planning Office           4/28/1975

1 | 10         A United States Rail Trust fund: A Prescription for Modern Rail Transportation

1 | 11         Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973                                                                1/2/1974

1 | 12         Implementation of the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973                                 3/18/1974

1 | 13         Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976                                       2/5/1976

1 | 14         USRA Annual Report with a Supplemental Report                                      6/30/1974-10/1974

1 | 15         Options for CONRAIL, 4/1/1981

1 | 16         The Public Response to the Secretary of Transportation’s Rail Services Report- Volume 2- Mid- Atlantic States, Oct. 1974

1 | 17          Evaluation Report of the Secretary of Transportation’s Preliminary Classification and Designation of Rail Lines, 12/1/1976

1 | 18          Federal Funding of CONRAIL: Rail Service Objectives and Economic realities, Dec. 1980

1 | 19          Strategic Considerations for Delaware Rail Policy Development                               6/8/1979

1 | 20          Evaluation of the Secretary of Transportation’s Rail Services Report                         5/2/1974

1 | 21          Binder containing misc. railroad info- PA RR Co., DE-MD RR, Eastern Shore RR, CONRAIL

Box 2

2 | 1            Rail Service in the Midwest and Northeast Region- Volume 1                                    2/1/1974

2 | 2            Rail Service in the Midwest and Northeast Region- Volume 2 Part 1                          2/1/1974

2 | 3            Rail Service in the Midwest and Northeast Region- Volume 2 Part 2                          2/1/1974

2 | 4            CONRAIL System Diagram Map                                                      

Artifacts

See Nabb Center Staff

Attachments

None