Maryland & Delaware Railroad - Operations

The Maryland & Delaware is a regional operation based on the Delmarva Peninsula. Based in Federalsburg, MD - the MDDE serves the area's vast poultry industry, as well as many other manufacturing industries which call Delmarva home. Tyson Foods, Purdue, and Solo Cup are just a handful of industries switched by this growing rail carrier.

The company was incorporated in 1977 to operate segments of the former Penn Central (x-PRR) that were to be rationalized under a newly formed Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail). The respective states of Delaware & Maryland own all track that the MDDE operates on - except the 27-mile Snow Hill branch, which is owned by online shippers. In total the MDDE operates approximately 120 miles of railroad over the following routes:

Line	Origin	Destination	Miles
Centreville	Townsend, DE	Carville, MD	30
Chestertown	Massey, MD	Worton, MD	25
Preston	Hurlock, MD	Preston, MD	6
Seaford	Seaford, DE	Cambridge, MD	27
Snow Hill	Frankford, DE	Snow Hill, MD	27

Between 1994 and 1999, the Maryland & Delaware operated a pair of short branchlines in Delaware: Lewes to Georgetown, and Milton to Ellendale. Both of those lines have since reverted back to operation by the Delaware Coast Line Railroad (DCL), and continue to be owned by the State of Delaware with minimal traffic.

The busiest of the MDDE operations appears to be the Snow Hill operation, with a variety of customers who receive chicken feed, stone, and building materials. Traffic here often requires 2 units, both kept at the enginehouse in Selbyville, DE.