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Georgia Interurban and Streetcar History

Published: April 7, 2025

By: Adam Burns

Atlanta Northern Interurban Railway: The Atlanta Northern Interurban Railway served a roughly sixteen-mile system in the Atlanta area. Part of its system is still used by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority today.

Columbus Railroad Company: The Columbus Railroad Company served its namesake city operating a few miles of track within the city and was the first being chartered in 1866.

It switched to electric operation in 1894 when it built one of the first hydroelectric power plants in the State of Georgia. The railroad disappeared into merger in 1922 when it purchased the Columbus Power Company becoming the Columbus Electric & Power Company.

Gainesville Street Railway:  The Gainesville Street Railway was short-lived interurban serving its namesake city. It lasted only until 1890 and much of its track was taken up in the 1940s for the war effort.

Savannah Electric Company: The Savannah Electric Company was the primary interurban serving the city and operated on an unusual five-foot gauge system. The system was abandoned in 1946.

Valdosta Street Railway: The Valdosta Street Railway began operations in 1898 operating a system that served Toombs, Patterson, Ashley, Lee, Troup, Hill, Central, Crane and Gordon Streets of Valdosta. It was abandoned in 1925.

Augusta-Aiken Railway: This was one of Georgia's true interurban system. It began operations on September 8, 1902 as the Augusta & Columbia Railway, serving its namesake cities.

A subsidiary of the Georgia-Carolina Power Company it was renamed as the August-Aiken Railway in 1911. While the 26-mile system operated on its own right-of-way it was never very profitable (despite serving an amusement park known at Lake Olmstead) and operations were abandoned by 1929.

Georgia Railway & Power Company: This company was actually controlled another line, the Atlanta Northern, which served Atlanta and Marietta (a distance of 16 miles) opening on July 17, 1905.

It also operated its own line between Atlanta, Decatur, and Stone Mountain to the east, which stretched an additional 16 miles and began operations in November, 1913. Both systems were abandoned by 1947.