diff --git a/src/main/java/htsjdk/tribble/readers/LineReaderUtil.java b/src/main/java/htsjdk/tribble/readers/LineReaderUtil.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 83a0545e5..000000000
--- a/src/main/java/htsjdk/tribble/readers/LineReaderUtil.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-package htsjdk.tribble.readers;
-
-import java.io.InputStream;
-import java.io.StringReader;
-
-/**
- * A collection of factories for generating {@link LineReader}s.
- *
- * @Deprecated use {@link SynchronousLineReader} directly.
- * @author mccowan
- */
-@Deprecated
-public class LineReaderUtil {
-    @Deprecated
-    public enum LineReaderOption {
-        ASYNCHRONOUS,   //Note: the asynchronous option has no effect - this class does not provide asynchronous reading anymore
-        SYNCHRONOUS
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Creates a line reader from the given stream.
-     * @Deprecated use <code>new SynchronousLineReader(stream);</code>
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static LineReader fromBufferedStream(final InputStream stream) {
-        return new SynchronousLineReader(stream);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Creates a line reader from the given string reader.
-     * @Deprecated use <code>new SynchronousLineReader(stringReader);</code>
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static LineReader fromStringReader(final StringReader stringReader) {
-        return new SynchronousLineReader(stringReader);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Creates a line reader from the given string reader.
-     * @Deprecated Asynchronous mode is not going to be supported. Use <code>new SynchronousLineReader(stringReader);</code>
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static LineReader fromStringReader(final StringReader stringReader, final Object ignored) {
-        return new SynchronousLineReader(stringReader);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Convenience factory for composing a LineReader from an InputStream.
-     * @Deprecated Asynchronous mode is not going to be supported. Use <code>new SynchronousLineReader(bufferedStream);</code>
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public static LineReader fromBufferedStream(final InputStream bufferedStream, final Object ignored) {
-        return new SynchronousLineReader(bufferedStream);
-    }
-
-}