Work On Rail-Trail In Upper Southampton Starts In July

UPPER SOUTHAMPTON, PA — Construction is set to begin next month on 2.5 miles of new hiking, biking and walking trail in Upper Southampton.

Work on the Newtown Rail Trail starts in July, township officials said this week. The 12-foot-wide trail will run between the train station and Strathmann Home Center and will connect Tamanend Park, in Upper Southampton, to the popular Pennypack Rail Trail in Montgomery County.

On Monday, officials were reminding residents that the trail is not yet open to the public. Soon, construction vehicles and machinery will become active along the trail, posing safety hazards for residents in the area, they said.

"We wanted to take this opportunity to give everyone advance notice of these safety concerns and to remind residents that anyone who uses the trail during the construction period is not only trespassing but is potentially placing themselves at peril," officials said in a news release.

The trail will be located on SEPTA's former Newtown branch, which itself was a rail line dating from the 1800's. It has been out of service since 1983.

The trail project, which will cost about $2.4 million, is a collaborative effort between Bucks County, Montgomery County and Upper Southampton Township, with much of the funding coming from PennDOT programs.