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Short Line Railroads (Class 3): List, Revenue, Definition

Last revised: February 24, 2025

Short lines, whose designation by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) is a Class III carrier (which includes terminal and switching lines) make up the bulk of today's freight railroads.

According to the STB and American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) the 2016 definition of a short line is any earning an annual operating revenue less than $36.633 million.

This figure is adjusted yearly, which factors inflation using the base year of 1991 according to the ASLRRA. Class III's may be the smallest but they offer perhaps the greatest level of interest, hearkening back to an era when single car service was commonplace.

Overview

This practice has been largely abandoned under Class I's which favor lucrative long haul, unit consists.

As a group short lines comprise nearly double the annual revenue, mileage, and employees of their larger counterpart, the regional In addition, many are part of a large conglomerate such as Genesee & Wyoming, Watco, or OmniTRAX.

Photos

Lycoming Valley SW9 #239 (built as Pittsburg & Shawmut #239) is seen here at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania in March, 2003. American-Rails.com collection.

Definition

The short line offers a good example of how railroading was performed more than a half-century ago.

While the caboose is gone, crew sizes reduced (conductor and engineer), foot-boards outlawed, and less-than-carload business a thing of the past the focus on customer service has remained steadfast.

These small carriers depend greatly upon their customers and you will find none other providing higher quality service than a short line.

A particular carrier may rely on a few precious annual carloads to make ends meet, unable to afford such a loss. In some cases a single customer will generate most, or all, of its yearly business. Such a situation occurred at the Elk River Railroad in West Virginia.

Octoraro Railway S2 #4 (built as Baltimore & Ohio #490, later renumbered 9034) lays over in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania during August of 1981. This short line operated the former PRR's Octoraro Branch between Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and the state line near Sylmar, Maryland from 1977-1994. American-Rails.com collection.

Operating on the former Baltimore & Ohio's Coal & Coke Branch, as well as the ex-Buffalo Creek & Gauley south of Gassaway it began operations in the mid-1990's to serve a coal mine.

Unfortunately, within a few years the mine closed and business abruptly stopped. Now, more than a decade later, the Elk River survives largely by storing and repairing cars.

By contrast there are large systems operating several hundred miles that nearly achieving Class II status. These include names like RJ Corman; Iowa Northern; Twin Cities & Western; and Livonia, Avon & Lakeville.

There are also those which have historic connections dating back a century or more like the Indiana Harbor Belt (a Chicago belt line), St. Marys Railroad, Utah Railway, and Ann Arbor (Michigan's reborn survivor). The bottom line is you can find Class III's of all shapes and sizes.

Some railfans have become resentful of Genesee & Wyoming, a conglomerate which has spent the last few decades amassing a wealth of once-independent short lines, including one-time rival RailAmerica.

However, it has been extremely successful; so successful in fact that no railroad under its control has either failed or been sold.

The company began humbly as a small short line incorporated in 1891, the Genesee & Wyoming Valley Railway.

The G&WV opened in 1894 from Retsof to a location known as P&L Junction near Caledonia (14 miles). It was reorganized as the Genesee & Wyoming in 1899.

Falls Creek Railroad S2 #2/#62 (built as Long Island Rail Road #452), and other equipment, are tied down in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania on July 11, 1982. In 1980, this short line acquired from Conrail the 4.5 miles between Falls Creek and Mcminns Summit, Pennsylvania that remained of the former PRR branch which once linked Falls Creek with Ridgway. Operations were suspended in 1988. The paralleling Baltimore & Ohio line through this area remains active (ex-Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh). American-Rails.com collection.

The railroad remained unchanged for more than 70 years until new ownership in 1977 formed Genesee & Wyoming Industries, which branched out into the rail car leasing and management business.

In 1986 it picked up its first short line subsidiary when Chessie System sold off much of the old Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh property in western New York and Pennsylvania; renamed under G&W as the Buffalo & Pittsburgh.

Since then the company has expanded prodigiously, acquiring railroads where potential is recognized.

At the present time it operates ten different North American regions (Pacific, Mountain West, Central, Coast, Southern, Midwest, Ohio Valley, Coastal, Northeast, and Canada), boasts a Europe Region, and maintains two operations in Australia ("Genesee & Wyoming Australia" and "Freightliner Australia").

The success of short lines/regionals in the post-1980 era has been unquestioned, preserving many corridors which would have otherwise been abandoned.

This has left analysts and industry experts to conclude that shedding so much infrastructure during the 1970s and 1980s was a severe overreach despite the industry's troubles during that time.

Carbon County Railway SW9 #1201 lays over at the road's small engine terminal in East Carbon, Utah during the 1970s. This system was organized in 1922 by Utah Coal & Coke/Columbia Steel to run from a connection with the Rio Grande's Sunnyside Branch at East Carbon, Utah to coal mines located at Columbia, 4.8 miles away. During World War II it was extended an additional 6 miles to serve the Geneva Mine to transport coal/coke to the new Geneva steel mill in Geneva, Utah. The Columbia mine closed on May 31, 1967 followed later by the Geneva mine in 1982. The track was later removed in 2008. American-Rails.com collection.

Locomotives comprise another interesting aspect of the short line phenomenon. If you have an interest in classic designs they abound on these railroads; anything from little switchers like General Electric 44-tonner's and American Locomotive S-1's to Electro-Motive's line of GP7's and SD9's. All of these date to the 1950's or earlier and can still be found working revenue service.

Interestingly, even the Chicago & North Western continued maintaining a fleet of GP7's into the 1990's, a testament to the model's longevity and durability.

In some cases, a short line, for a variety of reasons, actually prefers a particular design or manufacturer's build.

Take, for example, the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville in New York which rosters an all-Alco road-switcher fleet (C425's, C424's, RS3's, RS36's, etc.) or the SMS Rail Lines roster of rare Baldwin units ( VO-660, VO-1000, DS-4-4-660, DS-4-4-1000, DS-4-4-750, S12, and AS616).

Even today, new Class III's continue springing up like the once-dormant, historic Grafton & Upton, in Massachusetts.

At A Glance

Current Short Lines	603 Railroads
Current Network	47,500 Miles (29% of Industry Total)
Traffic Types	9% Local 33% Originated 48% Terminated 10% Bridged
Industries Served	10,000 Customers
Employees	17,800 Railroaders
Annual Revenue	$4.64 billion

Sources: American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Federal Railroad Administration

Facts And Figures

Railroad Type	Number	Mileage	Employees	Revenue (Billions)
Class 1	7	95,264	163,464	$67.6
Regional (Class 2)	21	10,335	5,507	$1.4
Short Line/Local (Class 3)	582	37,165	12,293	$2.6

Source: Federal Railroad Administration's "Summary Of Class II and Class III Railroad Capital Needs And Funding Source" Report (October, 2014)

Conglomerates

Anacostia Rail Holdings

Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.

Genesee Valley Transportation

Iowa Pacific Holdings (Defunct)

OmniTRAX, Inc.

ParkSierra Railgroup

Patriot Rail Company

Pinsly Railroad Company

Pioneer Railcorp (Defunct)

RailAmerica, Inc. (Defunct)

RailTex, Inc. (Defunct)

Rio Grande Pacific Corporation

Watco Companies, LLC

The short line concept is not new. There have been many famous carriers dating back to the pre-Staggers era such as the bucolic Maryland & Pennsylvania, Colorado's Great Western Railway, fabled Virginian & Truckee, and little Virginia Central.

There were also numerous belt lines and terminal roads (many subsidiaries or larger railroads) such as the Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal, Portland Terminal, Belt Railway of Chicago, Peoria & Pekin Union, and Davenport, Rock Island & North Western.

However, only since the industry's deregulation have their numbers more than doubled. So, if you get the chance be sure and see one in action.

While watching a container train on a Class I zipping across the Heartland is always thrilling, nothing can likewise beat a local line switching a local customer.

If you want to see the human side of railroading, no one does it better than these small lines. To learn more about them please click here to visit the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association's (ASLRRA) website.

This member organization is similar in nature to the Association of American Railroads but geared towards smaller, non-Class I carriers.

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad (reporting mark, DMVW): This large, privately-owned system operates more than 500 miles of trackage (including trackage rights) in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana that was formerly owned by the Soo Line. The road's traffic is largely agriculture and it has been in operation since 1990.

Dakota Northern Railroad (reporting mark, DN): This short line carrier began operation only in 2006 that originally operated 72 miles of trackage in northeastern North Dakota that is formerly Great Northern and part of which is leased by BNSF. Since then, about 18 miles have been abandoned. The road is privately-owned by the KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service.

Northern Plains Railroad (reporting mark, NPR): This privately-owned, short line railroad is mostly concentrated in North Dakota, leasing nearly 400 miles of track from carriers such as Canadian Pacific and Mohall Central Railroad. The history of its properties traces back to the Soo, GN, and NP. Its traffic consists primarily of agricultural products and it handles about 17,000 carloads annually.

Red River Valley & Western Railroad (reporting mark, RRVW): See Minnesota.

Yellowstone Valley Railroad (reporting mark, YSVR): Another Watco shortline, this railroad operates more than 170 miles of former Great Northern trackage in northeastern Montana, stretching into North Dakota. It began service in late 2005 and handles traffic related to the natural gas industry including natural gas, crude oil, and frac sand.

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Albany & Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, AERC): This railroad began operations in 1998 when it took over a former SP branch acquired from BNSF, which was about 50 miles in length between Mill City and Lebanon with extensions to Albany and Sweet Home. It also operates a short, disconnected segment south of Corvallis. The short line interchanges with both UP and BNSF.

Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, CORP): The CO&P is owned by Genesee & Wyoming, operating nearly 400 miles of trackage over the former SP's Siskiyou Line with an entire system running between Weed, California and Eugene, Oregon. Southern Pacific sold off the property in late 1994 to RailTex, later RailAmerica, which was acquired by G&W in 2012. Today, traffic stands at about 17,000 carloads annually.

City of Prineville Railway (reporting mark, COP): Dating back to the early 20th century, this short line operates about 18 miles of railroad between Prineville and Redmond.

The railroad was chartered in 1916 as a means of providing the town rail service after it had been bypassed by the Oregon Trunk Railroad (later SP&S) and Des Chutes Railway. The system primarily subsisted on forest traffic over the years, which it continues to handle today along with other types of freight, including transload service.

Clackamas Valley Railway (reporting mark, CVLY): A Progressive Rail property, this short line provides switching services to industries just off the Union Pacific main line at Clackamas, Oregon.

Coos Bay Rail Link (reporting mark, CBR): This relatively new short line was formed in 2011 to acquire the SP's former Coos Bay Branch between Vaughn and Coquille (134 miles), in danger of abandonment by CO&P. It is owned by the Port of Coos Bay and traffic currently consists of forest products, fertilizer, chromite ore and dairy feed.

Goose Lake Railway (reporting mark, GOOS): See California.

Idaho, Northern and Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, INPR): See Idaho.

Klamath Northern Railway (reporting mark, KNOR): This small short line dates back to 1940 and operates just under 11 miles of railroad between Gilchrist Junction and Gilchrist, Oregon (the property was originally a private logging line). The road's traffic is based in forest products.

Oregon Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, OERR): A division of Jaguar Transport Holdings, this short line operates from a connection with Union Pacific at Ontario to Vale, 24 miles. Traffic consists of diatomaceous earth, propane, urea, and railcar storage.

Oregon Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, OPR): The privately-owned, Oregon Pacific Railroad dates back to 1991 to take over the historic Portland Traction Company property located in East Portland.

It also operates a former SP branch in 1993 known as the Molalla Branch Division running between Canby and Liberal. It operates a fleet of switchers and along with freight operations hosts some excursions for the general public as well.

Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad (reporting mark, PCC): The PR&CC is a Watco property that operates 202 miles of disconnected lines in southeastern Washington, western Idaho, and northeastern Oregon. All of the lines were acquired from Union Pacific. Its traffic consists of wheat, lentils, and barley while moving about 4,000 carloads annually.

Peninsula Terminal Company (reporting mark, PT): This terminal railroad dates back to 1924 serving North Portland on just 2 miles of track. It interchanges with both BNSF and UP while offering transload and cross-docking service while also providing general freight service.

Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad (reporting mark, POTB): This short line operates the former SP branch to Tillamook Bay between Hillsboro and Tillamook, a distance of 94 miles.

It began service in 1990 handling primarily forest products and became well-known for painting one of its GP9s in the black and white colors of Holstein cattle. The railroad was severely damaged following heavy flooding in late 2007 and has been out of service ever since.

A few sections are still operated; the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad hosts excursion trains from Garibaldi to Wheeler and the Portland & Western serves customers between Banks and Hillsboro. The short line still has hopes of restoring the property and commencing freight service one day.

Portland & Western Railroad (reporting mark, PNWR): This large, Class II regional began service in 1995 when Genesee & Wyoming took over more than 500 miles of former SP property between Astoria, Portland, Eugene, and various other points within the state's northwestern region.

It also acquired part of the former Oregon Electric Railway, a successful interurban that later became part of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle and then Burlington Northern.

The road's traffic is primarily based in forest products but also includes aggregates, brick/cement, chemicals, construction material, food products, animal feed, ores and minerals, and steel/scrap. It handles more than 60,000 carloads annually. The P&W also operates a subsidiary known as the Willamette & Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, WPRR).

Rogue Valley Terminal Railroad Corporation (reporting mark, RVT): This 14-mile short line owned by CCT Rail System Corporation since 2012 and operates near White City, Oregon to Medford. It dates back to 1954 utilizing a former SP branch and has changed hands and names a few times over the years.

Wallowa Union Railroad (reporting mark, WURR): This short line is owned by the local counties of Union and Wallowa and operates 63 miles of a former Union Pacific branch. The railroad also operates excursion trains known as the Eagle Cap Excursion Train for the public in the spring, summer, and early fall.

Willamette Valley Railway (reporting mark, WVR): This small short line operates about 30 miles of former Southern Pacific trackage between Geer and East Salem, Oregon. It has been in operation since 1993 and primarily handles forest products.

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Providence & Worcester Railroad (reporting mark, PW): See Connecticut.

Seaview Railroad (reporting mark, SVTX): This short line is a division of the Seaview Transportation Company. It connects with the Northeast Corridor in West Davisville and serves numerous businesses at the Quonset Business Park in Davisville with the line splitting to reach the waterfront at North Davisville and Quonset Airport.

South Carolina

Aiken Railway (reporting mark, AIKR): This short line began service in 2012, leasing 19 miles of Norfolk Southern trackage between Warrenville and Oakwood, and from Aiken to North Aiken.

Carolina Piedmont Railroad (reporting mark, CPDR): This railroad is another of Genesee & Wyoming's large family of short lines. It operates between East Greenville and Laurens, about 34 miles of former ACL property, where it interchanges traffic with CSX. Its traffic consists of plastics, gas turbines, wind turbines, chemicals, food products, and forest products.

East Cooper & Berkeley Railroad (reporting mark, ECBR): This short line, which began service in 1978, operates about 17 miles of track and runs between State Junction and Charity Church with a connection to CSX. The property is owned by the South Carolina Public Railways Commission and handles primarily steel and chemicals.

Greenville & Western Railway (reporting mark, GRLW): This short line is owned by the Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation and operates right around 13 miles between Belton and Pelzer.

The trackage is former Piedmont & Northern, a highly successful interurban, and began service during October of 2006 when it was acquired from CSX. The railroad handles about 2,000 carloads annually with traffic including ethanol, scrap metal, limestone, fertilizer, feed products, plastics, and paper.

Hampton & Branchville Railroad (reporting mark, HB): This historic short line operates about 40 miles of track and dates back to 1891 serving the region's timber industry. Today the railroad primarily handles coal (moved to the South Carolina Electric & Gas Company power plant at Canadys) and paper traffic, interchanging with CSX.

Lancaster & Chester Railway (reporting mark, LC): This historic system dates back to 1873 as a three-foot, narrow-gauge (converted to standard-gauge in 1902), although it acquired its current name in 1896. Its slogan is

The Springmaid Line and it connected its namesake towns. In 2001 it acquired nearly 31 miles from NS between Catawba and Kershaw providing it a current system of about 60 miles.

Pee Dee River Railway (reporting mark, PDRR): The Pee Dee River is a division of the Aberdeen & Rockfish, established in October of 1987 to operate 15 miles between McColl and Bennettsville over ex-CSX trackage. Its customers include Domtar Paper Mill, two Flakeboard Mills, Mohawk Carpet, Hanson Aggregates, and Southern States.

Pickens Railway (reporting mark, PICK): Another historic South Carolina short line the Pickens Railway dates back to December 24, 1890 when it was chartered by the state, which had stepped in to see the line completed between Pickens and Easley, 9.9 miles.

During the 1990s it added 28.5 miles to its network when it acquired trackage between Anderson, Belton, and Honea Path from NS. This is currently its remaining system as the original main line was abandoned in 2013.

Its traffic consists of kaolin, limestone, synthetic rubber, rubber processing oil, plastics, silica, scrap metal, paper, scrap paper, bird feed ingredients, farm supplies, and electrical equipment.

Port Terminal Railroad of South Carolina (reporting mark, PTR): Based in the port city of Charleston this terminal railroad operates 10 miles of track serving both the port and nearby industries. It connects directly with CSX and Norfolk Southern.

Port Utilities Commission of Charleston (reporting mark, PUCC): This terminal railroad directly serves the Port of Charleston, operating 10 miles of track that connects with both NS and CSX.

RJ Corman - Carolina Lines (reporting mark, RJCS): Previously known as the Carolina Southern, this short line began service in 1995 taking over from the Waccamaw Coast Line a former CSX branch between Florence, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina as well as the branch to Myrtle Beach.

The route's history traces back to the Atlantic Coast Line. It has not seen freight service since 2012 while awaiting repairs to bridges along the route. R.J. Corman began operations in March, 2016, renaming it as the company's Carolina Lines.

South Carolina Central Railroad (reporting mark, SCRF): This short line is another subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming. Its history dates back to 1987 when RailTex took over a pair of disconnected lines from CSX between Cheraw and Society Hill as well as between Bishopville and Florence (former SCL and ACL branches). It handles more than 30,000 carloads annually that includes chemicals, plastics, trash, and other commodities.

South Dakota

D&I Railroad (reporting mark, DAIR): Also known as the Dakota & Iowa Railroad this system is owned by L.G. Everist, Inc. The short line operates between Sioux City, Iowa and Dell Rapids, South Dakota with a branch to Beresford, South Dakota via Hawarden, Iowa.

The property was all former Milwaukee Road trackage acquired by both states in 1981 to preserve rail service. The D&I operates a total of 138 miles and handles aggregate, distillers grain, ethanol, agriculture, cement, fertilizer, and other general freight.

Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad (reporting mark, DMVW): See Montana.

Dakota Southern Railway (reporting mark, DSRC): This short line began service in 1985 when it acquired 190 miles of the former Milwaukee Road between between Marquette, Iowa and Rapid City, South Dakota. It primarily handled agriculture and grain products. The road was acquired by Watco in 2021, and renamed Ringneck & Western Railroad. (Defunct)

Ellis & Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, EE): This short line operates between Brandon, South Dakota, through Sioux Falls to Ellis. It is former Chicago & North Western trackage acquired in 1989 by the Sweetman Construction Company, which still owns the railroad. Its traffic consists of aggregates and construction materials.

Sisseton-Milbank Railroad (reporting mark, SMRR): This company is owned by the Twin Cities & Western (since 2012) operating between Milbank and Sisseton on property that was once part of the Milwaukee Road. Its traffic consists of wheat, corn, soybeans and plastic.

Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, RCPE): See Minnesota.

Ringneck & Western Railroad (reporting mark, RWRR): Launched in 2021 after Watco acquired the Dakota Southern Railway, the Ringneck & Western plans to reopen the entire 285-mile line between Mitchell and Rapid City.

Sunflour Railroad (reporting mark, SNR): This short line, which operates only on occasion today, owns 19 miles of a former Soo Line branch between Rosholt and Claire City. The former provides interchange with Canadian Pacific.

Twin Cities & Western Railroad (reporting mark, TCWR): See Minnesota.

Tennessee

Caney Fork & Western Railroad (reporting mark, CFWR): The CF&W has been in service since 1983 when it acquired a section of the former Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis's (later Louisville & Nashville) Sparta Branch from Tullahoma to McMinnville totaling 61 miles. It is owned by Ironhorse Resources and traffic consists of lumber, steel, fertilizer, grain, propane, and carbon black.

Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway (reporting mark, CCKY): The C&C is part of Genesee & Wyoming's vast collection of short lines and operates between Lyerly, Georgia and Chattanooga via the former Central of Georgia's Chattanooga Division. The line is about 49 miles in length and its traffic includes chemicals, metals and plastics.

East Camden & Highland Railroad (reporting mark, EACH): See Arkansas.

East Chattanooga Belt Railway (reporting mark, ECTB): This terminal/switching railroad serves the local area of Chattanooga owns about 4 miles of track. The railroad is operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and usually carries less than 100 carloads annually which includes paper, metals, and chemicals.

East Tennessee Railway (reporting mark, ETRY): This short line is another division of Genesee & Wyoming. Its trackage dates back to the fabled East Tennessee & Western North Carolina ("The Tweetsie") with the only remaining section running 5 miles east of Johnson City.

The railroad began in 1983 when the property was acquired by the Green Bay Packaging Company and changed to the ET&WNC name as the East Tennessee Railway. It was acquired by G&W in 2005 and traffic consists of chemicals, food/feed products, forest products, and steel/scrap.

Franklin Industrial Minerals Railroad (reporting mark, FIMX): This small carrier operates nearly 16 miles of track between Crab Orchard and Harriman Junction at Rockwood where it interchanges with NS. The property was acquired from the Class I in 2001 and its sole freight is chemical-grade limestone.

Heritage Railroad (reporting mark, HRC): This small short line is operated by Energy Solutions, LLC and operates about a 11.5 miles near Oak Ridge formerly owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. It has been in operation since 1997 and traffic includes radioactive waste and heavy equipment.

Knoxville & Holston River Railroad (reporting mark, KXHR): The Knoxville & Holtson is a Gulf & Ohio short line operating about 20 miles and began service in 1998. It operates between Knoxville and Marbledale but is best known amongst the public as hosting the Three Rivers Rambler train rides.

Kentucky West Tennessee Railway (reporting mark, KWT): The KWT Railway operates a 69-mile system of unconnected lines, mostly in northwestern Tennessee, which also reaches Murray, Kentucky. The road has been a G&W property since 2005 and hauls brick, clay, and food/feed products.

Mississippi Central Railroad (reporting mark, MSCI): This railroad is another owned by Pioneer Rail Corporation, operating three disconnected lines; an 11-mile segment near Iuka, Mississippi; 51 miles between Oxford, Mississippi and Grand Junction, Tennessee; and finally 46 miles between Corinth, Mississippi and Red Bay, Alabama.

The trackage is ex-Illinois Central and was acquired in 1993. Traffic currently consists of wood products, fertilizer, and feed ingredients.

Mississippi Tennessee Railroad (reporting mark, MTNR): This short line is a division of Ironhorse Resources and operates 1.5 miles in Middleton to serve the Davis Industrial Park. It is currently inactive.

Nashville & Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, NERR): The Nashville & Eastern operates 110 miles of the historic Tennessee Central Railway between Nashville and Monterey. It began service in 1986 and today hosts the Music City Star commuter rail service between Nashville and Lebanon, which began operations in 2006. RJ Corman took over operations of this property in 2019.

Nashville & Western Railroad (reporting mark, NWR): This short line is under common ownership with the Nashville & Eastern running between Nashville and Ashland City. It began service in 2000 and operates about 18 miles of track. RJ Corman took over operations of this property in 2019.

RJ Corman Railroad - Memphis Line (reporting mark, RJCM): This branch began operations in August, 1987 and runs from a connection with CSX, just south of Bowling Green to Cumberland City, Tennessee with a spur to Lewisburg. Overall the line is about 100 miles in length.

RJ Corman Railroad - Tennessee Terminal (reporting mark, RJCK): This short line operates 47 miles between Memphis and Olive Branch, Mississippi. It has been in service since 2006 and moves agricultural products while also handling transload services.

Sequatchie Valley Railroad (reporting mark, SQVR): This railroad just penetrates Alabama's northern region and is mostly located in Tennessee running from Kimball, Tennessee to Bridgeport, Alabama.

Its origins can be traced back to a carrier by the same but was for many years leased by the NC&StL. It handles about 1,500 carloads annually with freight including plastics and lumber.

South Central Tennessee Railroad (reporting mark, SCTR): This short line, a division of West Tennessee Rail Group, operates the former Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway's Hohenwald Branch running between Dickson and Hohenwald (52.3 miles). It interchanges with CSX at Dickson.

Tennken Railroad (reporting mark, TENK): The Tennken began service in 1983 when local governments in Kentucky rescued the former Illinois Central Gulf main line between Dyersburg, Tennessee and Hickman, Kentucky that was slated for abandonment in 1981.

The trackage is about 51 miles in length and the road's traffic includes coiled steel, steel pipe, petroleum coke, electro binder, plastics, synthetic resin, carbon black, fertilizer, and grain with carloads totaling more than 4,000 annually.

Tennessee Southern Railroad (reporting mark TSRR): This short line is owned by Patriot Rail and operates primarily in Tennessee from Natco and Pulaski as well as southeasterly to Florence, Alabama.

It operates about 118 miles in all handling several thousand carloads annually with freight including scrap iron, coal, coke, wood pulp, pulp-board, sand, chemicals, steel, aluminum, and fertilizer raw materials.

Union City Terminal Railroad (reporting mark, UCTY): This short line launched in May, 2017 over 8 miles of former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio trackage between Union City and Rives, where it connects with the Canadian National. It is privately owned by Brent Lee.

Walking Horse & Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, WHOE): This small short line operates about 8 miles of former NC&StL/L&N property between Shelbyville and Wartrace. It has been in service since 1985 while the trackage is owned by the Bedford Railroad Authority.

West Tennessee Railroad (reporting mark, WTNN): This short line has been in service since 1984 utilizing the former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee.

In 2001 it expanded operations by leasing from NS the former GM&O to Corinth, Mississippi as well as the ex-Illinois Central to Fulton, Kentucky. Today, the road handles a variety of freight including agriculture, petroleum products, packaging material, paper, lumber, propane, and other products.

Texas

Alamo Gulf Coast Railroad (reporting mark, AGCR): This short line is owned by Martin Marietta Materials and operate a line that is just 3.5 miles in length near the town of Beckman, mostly hauling aggregates and timber products. It began operations in 1996 over former SP property.

Alliance Terminal Railroad (reporting mark, ATR): This railroad is owned by OmniTRAX operating a 7-mile terminal system near Haslet for the Alliance Intermodal Facility. It interchanges traffic with BNSF.

Angelina & Neches River Railroad (reporting mark, ANR): This historic short line traces its roots back to 1900 where it started out in the timber industry. It currently operates 12 miles of main line trackage and 28 miles total radiating away from Lukin; these include the West Lufkin Branch, Clawson Branch, and its main line heading east.

Its traffic currently includes newsprint, ground-wood paper, lumber, chemicals, scrap metal, sugar, corn syrup, grocery products, clay, aggregates and industrial products.

Austin Western Railroad (reporting mark, AWRR): The Austin Western is a Watco short line running 155 miles from Llano to Giddings with a 6.4 mile branch extending from Fairland to Marble Falls.

Its traffic includes aggregates, crushed limestone, calcium bicarbonate, lumber beer, chemicals, plastics and paper while handling nearly 49,000 carloads annually.

Big Spring Rail (reporting mark, BSR): This short line was launched in August, 2012 provides switching services for local customers in Big Spring, Texas. They also offer rail to bulk container loading, warehouse storage, outside storage, drayage, and oversized flat rack loading to and from rail to truck. It operates a total of 3.3 miles of trackage, owned by the city of Big Spring. Interchange is provided via Union Pacific.

Blacklands Railroad (reporting mark, BLR): This privately-owned short line first began service in 1995 and currently operates 73 miles of former Cotton Belt property between Greenville and Mt. Pleasant. It handles a wide range of freight including salt, food products, metals, bricks, paper, chemicals, pipe, building materials, plastics, feed products, fertilizer, and machinery/equipment. The company also offers transload services.

Border Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, BOP): The Border Pacific began service in 1984 over 32 miles of former Missouri Pacific trackage between Mission and Rio Grande City. Its traffic currently includes silica sand, ballast, crushed stone, asphalt, scrap paper, and feed grains.

Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railroad (reporting mark, BRG): The B&RGI operates about 42 miles of railroad serving the Port of Brownsville. It currently has interchanges with three Class Is; UP, BNSF, and KCS de Mexico.

It began operations in 1984 by acquiring former Texas & Pacific (MP) property handling a variety of products such as steel, agricultural products, food products, and general commodities.

CMC Railroad (reporting mark, CMC): Launched in 1997, this short line is located in Dayton, Texas and serves the 1,050 acre Gulf Inland Logistics Park.

Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad (reporting mark, CCPN): This terminal road serves the Port of Corpus Christi and has been a G&W property since 1997. It operates 30 total miles of trackage interchanging with KCS, UP, and BNSF. Its traffic includes aggregates, brick and cement, chemicals, ethanol, food and feed products, machinery, minerals and stone, and petroleum products.

Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad (reporting mark, DGNO): The DG&N, a G&W property since 2012, began service in 1992 by acquiring former Katy property from Union Pacific north of Dallas.

Today, its mileage totals 337 on three disconnected lines; a short segment west of downtown Dallas, another between Grapevine and Sherman, and finally between Garland and Trenton. It handles more than 60,000 carloads annually.

Fort Worth & Western Railroad (reporting mark, FWWR): The Fort Worth & Western began service in 1988 when it acquired former Frisco trackage from Burlington Northern totaling 6.5 miles. It has since grown considerably and currently operates 276 route miles of track between the Fort Worth area and Santa Anna. It currently handles roughly 36,000 carloads annually.

Galveston Railroad (reporting mark, GVSR): This terminal/switching carrier serves the Port of Galveston operating a total of 38 miles. In 2005 G&W began operating the property which dates back to 1900 as the Galveston Wharves Railway. Its traffic consists of chemicals, food/feed products, and heavy machinery.

Gardendale Railroad (reporting mark, GRD): This short line is a division of Ironhorse Resources and provides switching/terminal service for companies serving the Eagle Ford Shale. It interchanges with Union Pacific at Gardendale.

Georgetown Railroad (reporting mark, GRR): The original Georgetown Railroad dates back to 1878, running 10 miles between Georgetown and Round Rock. It was later acquired by the International-Great Northern Railroad which went on to become part of Missouri Pacific.

In 1959, eight miles of the MP's old Georgetown Branch was sold to new short line the Georgetown Railroad Company. Today the operation owns about 30 miles of track serving communities such as Kerr, Granger, Belton, and Smith. Its traffic includes aggregates, ammonium nitrate, lumber, and grain.

Hondo Railway (reporting mark, HRR): This small short line operates about 5 miles of track near San Antonio and has been in service since 2006. Its traffic base currently consists of ethanol, food products (sweetener), agricultural products, petroleum, and frac sand. The railroad also offers transload services.

Kiamichi Railroad (reporting mark, KRR): This large short line operates 261 miles of track (some of which is trackage rights) running from Hope, Arkansas to west of Durant, Oklahoma along the Red River. There is also a north-south section running from Paris, Texas to Antlers, Oklahoma.

The route's history traces back to the Frisco, when it was sold in 1987 by Burlington Northern. RailAmerica acquired the property in 2002 from States Rail before being purchased by G&W in 2012. Today, traffic consists of coal, lumber, aggregates, minerals, glass, paper, chemicals, cement, pulpwood, feed and food products.

Lubbock & Western Railway (reporting mark, LBWR): Formerly owned by Iowa Pacific and known as the West Texas & Lubbock, this Watco short line operates two disconnected segments; from near Dimmitt to Plainview, Texas and another from Lubbock to Whiteface as well as between Lubbock and Seagraves. The L&W's traffic includes fertilizer, aggregates, grain, cotton, chemicals, peanuts, and plastics.

Moscow, Camden & San Augustine Railroad (reporting mark, MCSA): The MC&SA dates back to 1898 to serve lumber interests owned by the W. T. Carter & Brother Lumber Company. it was a common carrier offering both freight and passenger service, eventually opening between Moscow to Camden.

Today, it continues to operate this trackage, owned by Georgia Pacific and still handles primarily forest products including outbound plywood, lumber, and other freight.

Orange Port Terminal Railway (reporting mark, OPT): Owned by Lone Star Locomotive Leasing, this terminal railroad operates 1.8 miles of track formerly owned by SP and began service on November 10, 1995.Panhandle Northern Railway (reporting mark, PNR):

This OmniTRAX property operates 31 miles of the former Santa Fe between Panhandle and Borger. Its traffic currently consists of carbon black, liquid petroleum gas, chemicals, petroleum products, scrap metal, fertilizer and grain.

Panhandle Northern Railroad (reporting mark, PNR): This OmniTRAX property operates 31 miles of the former Santa Fe between Borger and Panhandle, Texas. It began operations in 1993 and handles carbon black, liquid petroleum gas, chemicals, petroleum products, scrap metal, and fertilizer.

Pecos Valley Southern Railway (reporting mark, PVS): This little railroad has been in continuous operation since 1910 and today owns about 23 miles of track between Saragosa and Pecos, where it has an interchange with UP.

Its primary sources of traffic are aggregates and ore although its future includes the movement of traffic related to the region's booming Permian Shale Oil basin. Today, it is owned by Watco.

Point Comfort & Northern Railway (reporting mark, PCN): The Point Comfort & Northern began operations in 1948 serving the Port of Point Comfort and running 14 miles to the north where it connects with Union Pacific at Lolita. It was acquired by RailAmerica in 2005 and G&W in 2012. Its traffic consists of alumina, aluminum fluoride, fluorspar and fertilizers.

Port Terminal Railroad Association (reporting mark, PTRA): This historical terminal road can trace its history back to 1924 to serve the Port of Houston. Today, it is owned by the railroads serving the port as well as the Port of Houston Authority.

Rio Valley Switching Company (reporting mark, RVSC): Another railroad owned by Ironhorse Resources, Inc. the short line serves Harlingen (where it has an interchange with UP), Mission, Edinburg, and Santa Rosa. Overall, the Rio Valley operates about 66 miles of track.

Its traffic includes oil field services, paper, agricultural products, lumber, bulk plastics, steel, scrap metals, cottonseed, corn sweetener, lime, cement, canned goods, frozen food, and aggregates.

RJ Corman - Texas Lines (reporting mark, RJCD): This operation includes 13.08 miles of an historic short line, the Texas South-Eastern Railroad, between Diboll and just south of Granville. Its heritage can be traced back to 1900 in the handling of timber and lumber.

Most of its original network has long since been abandoned with Corman serving five customers in Diboll. Interchange is provided through Union Pacific at Diboll.

Rusk, Palestine & Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, RPP): This short line is an Iowa Pacific property (since 2012) that operates over the historic Texas State Railroad (reporting mark, TSR) between between Palestine and Rusk, 30 miles. The road initiated freight service on the line during June of 2014 for the first time since the 1960s.

Sabine River & Northern Railroad (reporting mark, SRN): The SR&N is owned by Temple-Inland Incorporated and operates about 40 miles of track on two lines serving Bessmay, Echo, Buna, and Evadale. The trackage was built directly by the railroad in the mid-1960s to serve a linerboard mill. Today, its traffic still consists of forest products such as paper and lumber.

San Antonio Central Railroad (reporting mark, SAC): This Watco property primarily provides switches local industries in southwest San Antonio, maintaining a total of 8.5 miles of track.

South Plains Lamesa Railroad (reporting mark, SLAL): This small short line operates around the Lubbock area providing mostly switching and terminal services. It has been in operation since 1993 and also offers railcar storage and transload services.

Southern Switching Company (reporting mark, SSC): This terminal railroad is another Ironhorse Resources property operating just over 8 miles of track and serving the Abilene area, where it has a connection with UP. Its traffic currently consists of grain, animal feed, fertilizers, petroleum products, scrap, corn sweetener, and lumber.

Temple & Central Texas Railway (reporting mark, TC): This Patriot Rail short line operates over 10 miles of largely yard trackage to serve the Central Pointe Rail Park located in Temple, Texas.

Texas Central Business Lines (reporting mark, TCB): This 13-mile terminal serves the industries of the Midlothian area and connects with both UP and BNSF. Its traffic consists of aggregates, metals, automotive products, steel/scrap, and forest products.

Texas Coastal Bend Railroad (reporting mark, TCBR): This Watco property began operations on August 2, 2022 and serves 63 miles of mostly terminal trackage to serve the Port of Corpus Christi. The railroad handles grain and grain products, cement, coal, chemicals, steel, and plastics.

Texas, Gonzales & Northern Railway (reporting mark, TXGN): The TG&N operates between Harwood and Gonzales on a system that is just over 12 miles in length operating on former SP trackage. It began operations in 1992.

Texas & Northern Railway (reporting mark, TN): The T&N is owned by Transtar operating close to 8 miles of railroad near Lone Star. It currently interchanges with KCS west of Hughes Springs. The road began operations in 1948 to serve steel mills and continues to carry steel products today.

Texas North Western Railway (reporting mark, TXNW): This short line dates back to 1982 when it took over trackage originally owned by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (Rock Island) between Etter and Morse Junction, Texas as well as Stinnett, Texas and Hardesty, Oklahoma. Its traffic currently consists of agriculture, chemicals, petroleum products, and coal.

Texas & New Mexico Railway (reporting mark, TXN): Formerly known as the Texas-New Mexico Railroad (reporting mark, TMNR) and owned by Iowa Pacific Holdings, this Watco property operates a 104-mile system serving the oil fields between Monahans, Texas and Lovington, New Mexico.

The trackage was formerly owned by the Texas & Pacific/MP and acquired by Iowa Pacific in 2002. Its traffic includes oilfield chemicals and minerals, construction aggregates, industrial waste, and scrap.

Texas Northeastern Railroad (reporting mark, TNER): This railroad is owned by Genesee & Wyoming and operates two unconnected sections of track east of Sherman and west of Texarkana consisting of just over 100 miles.

It began operations in 1990 when it acquired former Texas & Pacific property from Union Pacific. Today, its traffic consists of coal, military equipment, wheat, and polyethylene while handling more than 10,000 carloads annually.

Texas Pacifico Transportation (reporting mark, TXPF): This railroad, a division of Ferromex, began service in March, 2001. It operates 384 miles of state-owned track in West Texas running between Presidio, at the Mexican border, to Coleman. It interchanges with the Fort Worth & Western (which operates into Fort Worth via trackage rights over BNSF) and Ferromex.

The short line has three subdivisions; Alpine (Presidio - Fort Stockton), Big Lake (Fort Stockton - Tom Green), and San Angelo (Tom Green - Santa Anna/Coleman).

Texas Rock Crusher Railway (reporting mark, TXR): This short line is a division of the TNW Corporation and serves the Brownwood area over 5.65 miles of former Santa Fe industrial trackage. It began operations in 1998 and also serves the nearby Vulcan limestone quarry. Its motive power consists of two CF7's and an SW10.

Timber Rock Railroad (reporting mark, TIBR): The Timber Rock is a Watco subsidiary and has been in service since 1998. It operates 160 miles of trackage between Silsbee and Tenaha with a branch to Deridder, Louisiana. Its traffic largely includes aggregates and forest products handling more than 26,000 carloads annually.

Texas South-Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, TSE): This operation first began service in 1900, a division of the Southern Pine Lumber Company, hauling logs and related forest products. It eventually grew into a 78-mile system reaching such locations as Diboll, Everett, Blix, Lufkin, Vair, and Neches.

It was eventually cutback over the years and today only operates terminal/switching services at Diboll. It has been a division of R.J. Corman since September of 2014.

Western Rail Road (reporting mark, WRRC): This short line is privately owned and operated by Cemex to connect its quarry and cement plant in Dittlinger, Texas with the nearby Union Pacific main line. It operates about 2 miles of track.

Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway (reporting mark, WTJR): The WT&J is currently owned by the Rio Grande Pacific Corporation, running on disconnected trackage in Texas and Oklahoma once owned by the Rock Island and Union Pacific. It has been in service since 1991.

Utah

Deseret Power Railway (reporting mark, DPRW): Constructed in 1984, this privately-owned, electrically operated railroad (formerly known as the Deseret Western Railway) hauls coal from a mine at Rangely, Colorado to a power plant at Bonanza, Utah owned by Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative. It is isolated from the national rail network.

Salt Lake Garfield & Western Railway (reporting mark, SLGW): This historic short line, also known as the "Saltair Route," has been based in the Salt Lake City area since its founding in 1891, originally designed as an interurban, electrified operation to carry resort guests visiting the Great Salt Lake. It later transitioned into a diesel-powered freight carrier (abandoning the electrics), in which it remains today connecting with both UP and BNSF.

Salt Lake City Southern Railroad (reporting mark, SL): This 25-mile short line began operations in 1993 between Salt Lake City and Murray, Utah. It is former Union Pacific/Oregon Short Line trackage and a division of the Utah Railway, a Genesee & Wyoming property.

Savage, Bingham & Garfield Railroad (reporting mark, SBG): This railroad is owned by Savage and began operations on October 1, 2007 over former Rio Grande trackage near Salt Lake City. The short line's parent company is Savage Industries. The traffic is primarily coal related but the railroad does handle other varieties of freight as well.

Utah Central Railway (reporting mark, UCRY): This short line is a Patriot Rail property and operates about 34 miles of track west of Ogden reaching Relico, Stratford, and an industrial park north of Ogden.

Its traffic consists of agricultural products, asphalt, bio-fuels (ethanol & bio-diesel), chemicals, crude oil, feed grains, food ingredients, lumber, metal and steel products, lumber/wood products, LPG, petroleum products, plastic resin, sugar, and sweetners.

Utah Railway (reporting mark, UTAH): The historic Utah Railway was incorporated as the Utah Coal Railway Company on January 24, 1912 and changed its name during May of that year. It was built primarily to handle coal where it connected with the Rio Grande at Helper.

The railroad has been a G&W property since 2002 and operates, via trackage rights, over much of the former D&RGW from western Colorado to Salt Lake City/Ogden. Aside from coal the company handles aggregates, brick/cement, building materials, chemicals, and petroleum products

Vermont

New England Central Railroad (reporting mark, NECR): See Connecticut.

New Hampshire Central Railroad (reporting mark, NHCR): This privately owned short line operates two unconnected sections of track in western New Hampshire from Littleton to Groveton and also from North Stratford to Colebrook. Along with general freight service the company offers car storage, car repair, transload, and locomotive repair services.

Pan Am Railways (reporting mark, PAR): See Connecticut.

St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (reporting mark, SLR): This short line is another G&W property, operating a large corridor 157 miles in length between Portland and Norton, Vermont at the Canadian border. The road handles a wide range of freight including aggregates, brick/cement, chemicals, food/feed products, forest products, intermodal, steel, and scrap.

Vermont Railway (reporting mark, VTR): The Vermont Railway began service in 1964 to sustain rail service over remaining portions of the bankrupt and liquidated Rutland Railway between Burlington and Bennington as well as between Whitehall and Bellows Falls.

Today, the system also serves Newport and Palmer, Massachusetts, part of which is via trackage rights. Finally, it operates a short segment between Montpelier and Graniteville. The railroad handles a wide variety of freight and also offers passenger excursions. Today, it operates more than 350 miles of trackage and handles more than 25,000 carloads annually.

Virginia

Buckingham Branch Railroad (reporting mark, BB): This short line began service in 1989 over former C&O trackage between Bremo Bluff and Dillwyn, acquired from CSX that year.

Today, the railroad has grown substantially and now operates two additional segments, between Clifton Forge and Richmond via Staunton/Charlottesville as well as between Burkeville and Clarksville. Its trackage totals 275 miles over these three divisions. It handles a variety of freight and also offers transload services.

Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad (reporting mark, CA): See North Carolina.

Commonwealth Railway (reporting mark, CWRY): The Commonwealth Railway began operations in 1989 when it acquired about 16 miles of the former Norfolk, Franklin & Danville between Suffolk and Portsmouth from NS that year.

It has been a subsidiary of G&W since 1996 with traffic consisting of intermodal containers and chemicals. The short line connects with both Class I's.

Delmarva Central Railroad (reporting mark, DCR): See Delaware.

Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad (reporting mark, NPB): This historic terminal line has been in operation since 1898 to serve the Port of Norfolk. It currently operates 63 miles of track, including trackage rights, and is jointly owned by NS and CSX.

North Carolina & Virginia Railroad (reporting mark, NCVA): See North Carolina.

Shenandoah Valley Railroad (reporting mark, SVRR): The Shenandoah Valley Railroad, currently operated by the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley began in 1993 on original Baltimore & Ohio trackage between Pleasant Valley (near Harrisonburg) and Staunton, purchased from Norfolk Southern.

The history of the property traces back to the same name as a subsidiary of the B&O created in 1867 and its attempt to establish a southern connection deep into Virginia. The system primarily handles agriculture but also offers transload services.

Virginia Southern Railroad (reporting mark, VSRR): The Virginia Southern Railroad is owned by the Buckingham Branch, operating between Oxford, North Carolina and Burkeville, Virginia. It first began service in 1988 through the NS Thoroughbred Program over former Southern trackage.

Winchester & Western Railroad (reporting mark, WW): See Maryland.

Washington

Ballard Terminal Railroad (reporting mark, BDTL): This terminal railroad began service in 1997 reaching industries along the waterfront of Seattle. When operations commenced it operate 3 miles near Ballard but has since expanded by acquiring two other branches in the region between Snohomish and Woodinville as well as from East Puyallup to McMillan.

Bountiful Grain & Craig Mountain Railroad (reporting mark, BGCM): The interestingly named Bountiful Grain & Craig Mountain is currently owned by Railroad Materials Salvage although it began operations in 1998 under Camas Prairie RailNet. It operates the former Camas Prairie Railroad between Spalding and Cottonwood, about 52 miles, and handles primarily agricultural-related traffic.

Cascade & Columbia River Railroad (reporting mark, CSCD): The C&CR is one of Genesee & Wyoming's vast family of short lines operating close to 100 miles of track between Oroville and Wenatchee over former Great Northern trackage. The short line began service in 1996 as a RailAmerica property until acquired by G&W in 2012. Its traffic consists of limestone and forest products.

Central Washington Railroad (reporting mark, CWA): This short line operates about 80 miles of unconnected track between Yakima and Gibbon. The railroad is currently owned by Iron Horse Development, LLC (which also owns the Columbia Basin) and handles a wide variety of freight including cattle feed, propane, paper products, plastic pellets, cheese, juice concentrate, lumber, apples and other agricultural products.

Columbia & Cowlitz Railway (reporting mark, CLC): This historic railroad dates back to 1925 and was a longtime division of Weyerhaeuser to handle forest products near Longview. Today, the short line is owned by Patriot Rail operating more than 20 miles from Longview to Green Mountain, interchanging with both UP and BNSF.

Its traffic currently consists of aggregates, chemicals, dimensional lumber, industrial products, newsprint, plastic resin, plywood chips, pulpboard, specialty packaging products, landfill trash.

Columbia Basin Railroad (reporting mark, CBRW): Another Iron Horse property that has been in service since 1986 it currently operates about 73 miles of track between Connell (and an interchange with BNSF) and Moses Lake with branches serving Othello, Schrag, and Warden. Much of this trackage is former Milwaukee Road property.

The short line's traffic has been steadily growing over the years and currently consists of agricultural goods, inbound fertilizer, chemicals, and processed potatoes/vegetables.

Columbia Walla Walla Railroad (reporting mark, CWW): A division of Frontier Rail, this short line operates former Union Pacific/Oregon Short Line trackage from Wallula, Washington to Walla Walla with branches extending southward to Weston, Oregon and northward to Dayton, Washington. Interchange is carried out with UP at Wallula.

Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad (reporting mark, EWG): This terminal railroad began operations in 2004 as Western Rail Switching. The Eastern Washington Gateway took over operations in 2009 running from a connection with BNSF at Cheney (with trackage rights to Ritzville) to Coulee City.

There is also a short spur reaching Geiger Field Airway Heights. The traffic is primarily agricultural related although company also performs other rail-related business such as rebuilds.

Great Northwest Railroad (reporting mark, GRNW): This Watco property (since 2004) operates 77 miles of the former Camas Prairie Railroad between Lewiston, Idaho and Riparia, Washington. Its current traffic consists of lumber, bark, paper and tissue, agricultural products, industrial/farm chemicals, scrap iron and frozen vegetables.

Kettle Falls International Railway (reporting mark, KFR): The Kettle Falls International Railway is an OmniTRAX-owned short line, operating 160 miles of track between Chewelah and extreme southern Canada at Columbia Gardens and Grand Forks, British Columbia.

The trackage is all former Great Northern property. Its traffic consists of lumber, plywood, wood products, minerals, metals, fertilizer, industrial chemicals, and abrasives.

Meeker Southern Railroad (reporting mark, MSN): This short line is owned by the Ballard Terminal Railroad operating about 5 miles of track between East Puyallup to McMillin that was formerly owned by Northern Pacific.

Mount Vernon Terminal Railway (reporting mark, MVT): This terminal line operates the former trackage of the Pacific Northwest Traction Company, an interurban serving the town of Mt. Vernon.

Its history dates back to 1909 as the Seattle-Everett Traction Company, opening between those two cities (29 miles) on May 1, 1910. Its name was changed to the Pacific Northwest Traction Company in 1912 and completed an additional line from Mt. Vernon and Bellingham a year later.

The plans to connect the two segments, unfortunately, never happened. Despite developing a significant carload freight business the operation was slowly cutback over the years; most of the northern segment was abandoned in 1931 while the southern section survived until 1947. Today, just 2.5 miles near Mt. Vernon remains in service.

Olympia & Belmore Railroad (reporting mark, OYLO): This short line, a Genesee & Wyoming property, began operations on March 16, 2016 acquiring 12 miles of what was previously operated by Tacoma Rail.

The trackage is leased from BNSF Railway and runs southwesterly from Olympia to Belmore serving the Port of Olympia and an industrial park. Freight traffic includes food products, plastics, and construction materials as well as bulk items for the port.

Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (reporting mark, POVA): This short line is owned by the Port of Pend Oreille (since 1984, and prior to that time, Kyle Railways) and operates the Milwaukee Road's former Metaline Falls Branch between Metaline Falls and Newport, Washington.

It also currently leases from BNSF trackage between Newport, Washington and Dover, Idaho while interchanging with the Class I at nearby Sand Point, Idaho.

Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad (reporting mark, PVJR): This short line operates a former Northern Pacific branch from Chelatchie to Vancouver where it interchanges with Union Pacific/BNSF. It provides freight service over the same corridor which hosts excursions as the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.

Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad (reporting mark, PSAP): The PS&P is owned by G&W operating 108 miles of track connecting Bremerton and Silverdale with Centralia and Hoquiam. The railroad began operations in 1997 taking over the property from BNSF that was originally Northern Pacific trackage.

Then-owned by the ParkSierra Railgroup it was sold to RailAmerica in 2002 before RA was acquired by G&W in 2012. Its traffic ranges from agricultural products to automobiles.

Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway (reporting mark, SSP): Previously known as the Washington & Idaho Railway this privately-owned short line began running in 2006. In August, 2019 a new operator acquired the property, the Spokane, Spangle & Palouse Railway.

The short line serves the area south of Spokane, Washington and stretches as far east as Harvard, Idaho with another short segment extending to Moscow. The property (former Milwaukee Road and Northern Pacific) is owned by the Washington Department of Transportation, which leases the corridor. Its traffic consists of agriculture products, largely grain/wheat.

Tacoma Rail (reporting marks, TMBL, TRMW): This short line is owned by the city of Tacoma and currently operates three different divisions. It has been in operation since 1914, then known as the Tacoma Municipal Belt Line, to serve the city's waterfront; this section is now known as the Tidelands Division.

In 1998 the railroad expanded by acquiring former Milwaukee Road trackage south of the city, which totals 132 miles and is known as the Mountain Division. Finally, there was the 2004 addition, known as the Capital Division, running southwest of Tacoma and reaching Port Tacoma. In all, Tacoma Rail operates 204 miles and handles a wide variety of freight.

Tri-City & Olympia Railroad (reporting mark, TCRY): This short line began service in 2000 running from a connection with UP at Richland Junction to Hanford. The TC&O also serves the Port of Olympia. Its traffic consists of food products, metals, containers, and also provides locomotive repair services.

Washington & Idaho Railway (reporting mark, WIR): The Washington Idaho Railway is a privately-owned short line that serves the area south of Spokane, Washington and stretches as far east as Harvard, Idaho with another short segment extending to Moscow.

The property (former Milwaukee Road and Northern Pacific) is owned by the Washington Department of Transportation, which leases the corridor to the Washington & Idaho. Its traffic consists of agriculture products, largely grain/wheat.

Washington Eastern Railroad (reporting mark, WER): This short line began service in 2018 over what was formerly the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad until 2018. It operates 115 miles of the Northern Pacific's former Central Washington Branch between Cheney (where it interchanges with BNSF) and Coulee City.

The line is owned by the state of Washington and its traffic primarily consists of grain with some other infrequent movements.

West Virginia

Appalachian & Ohio Railroad (reporting mark, AO): The A&O is currently owned by P&L Transportation, a CSX subsidiary. It operates on CSX-owned trackage between Grafton and Cowen, a former B&O line, that spans 158 miles.

The road began service in 2005 and primarily handles coal traffic but also moves logs, lumber, and chemicals. The A&O's primary interchanges are with CSX at Grafton as well as short line D&GV/WVC at Tygart Junction.

Beech Mountain Railroad (reporting mark, BEEM): This tiny short line ebbs and flows from dormancy and active status as it serves a local coal mine near Alexander and Palace Valley.

The system dates back to 1890 as a narrow-gauge logging tramway owned by the Alexander Lumber Company and then converted to a standard-gauge operation in 1892 known as the Alexander & Rich Mountain Railroad.

In 1900 the railroad was purchased by the Randolph Coal & Lumber Company and renamed as the Alexander & Rich Mountain Railway. More changes came in 1906 when it was renamed as the Alexander & Eastern Railroad. The system's laid down and abandoned trackage over the years, following demand of the region's lumber and coal industries.

When another name change came in 1953 as the Beech Mountain Railroad it primarily operated about 8 miles running from Alexander to Star Bridge. Today, it continues to operate this trackage sporadically using a single Alco S2 for power.

Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad (reporting mark, BIP): Launched in May, 2020 the BIP leases several former Baltimore & Ohio lines between Marietta, Ohio and Parkersburg, West Virginia through CSX.

These include the 39-mile Marietta Subdivision, 5.29-mile Parkersburg Running Track (Belpre-Parkersburg), and finally the Parkersburg High Yard on Depot Street.

The latter comprised the B&O's former St. Louis main line. Its current traffic consists of Aggregates, Chemicals, Coal, Construction Materials, Fertilizers, Metals, Minerals, Petroleum Products, Plastics, Steel and Scrap.

Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad/West Virginia Central (reporting marks, DGVR And WVCR): The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley operates the state-owned West Virginia Central, which provides freight service on the Western Maryland Railway's former trackage west and south of Elkins.

The railroad also operates excursion trains during much of the year. The property was acquired on September 26, 1997 from CSX, which intended to abandon the route, and the trackage totals 132.13 miles. Its interchange is at Tygart Junction with the Appalachian & Ohio.

Elk River Railroad (reporting mark, ELKR) (Closed, March, 2022): This railroad operated part of the B&O's former Charleston-Grafton line (Coal & Coke Branch); in later years it only stored cars at the old yard in Gassaway and carried out some car repair services.

It began operations in 1989 to operate 62 miles of the line between Gilmer and Hartland (below Dundon) to handle coal business which disappeared in 1999.

Little Kanawha River Railroad (reporting mark, LKRR): This little short line began operations in 1989 when it took over a short 1-mile spur in Parkersburg from CSX, formerly owned by the B&O to serve local industries. It remains in service today utilizing a single SW1200 switcher that was built as Illinois Terminal #779.

RJ Corman - West Virginia Line (reporting mark, RJCV): This RJ Corman operation began service during July of 2005 by reactivating a former C&O coal branch between Thurmond (where it interchanges there with CSX) and Mount Hope, 12 miles.

A year later service was extended 4 miles to Pax and an additional interchange, with NS. The short line serves Georgia Pacific, Austin Powder, Pioneer Fuel, and Tanner Industries.

South Branch Valley Railroad (reporting mark, SBVR): This short line operates the B&O's former Petersburg Branch running 51.9 miles between Petersburg and Green Spring where it connects with CSX.

The railroad began in 1978 when the state purchased the line from Chessie System, sparing it from abandonment. Its traffic is quite diversified ranging from agricultural products and animal feed to lumber and plastics.

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (reporting mark, WE): See Ohio.

Winchester & Western Railroad (reporting mark, WW): See Maryland.

Wisconsin

Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad (reporting mark, ELS): See Michigan.

Fox Valley & Lake Superior (reporting mark, FOXY): A division of Watco that launched on January 29, 2022, this short line utilizes much of the former Wisconsin Central Railway acquired by Canadian National in 2001.

It operates 328.5 miles in Wisconsin, as well as the 142.6 miles of trackage in Michigan's Upper Peninsula which will be maintained by Watco's Grand Elk Railroad. Essentially, this new regional will give Watco most of Wisconsin's secondary rail corridors, which also includes with the Wisconsin & Southern.

Tomahawk Railway (reporting mark, TR): This short line began operations in 2005 over trackage originally owned by the Milwaukee Road. It currently owns about 6 miles running north and south of Tomahawk and handles chemicals, coal, and forest products.

Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (reporting mark, WSOR): This large, profitable Class II regional has been successful in resuscitating many secondary, left-for-dead branch lines in the state of Wisconsin and northern Illinois (Fox Lake although trackage rights give it access to Clearing Yard in Chicago) that once belonged to the Milwaukee Road and Chicago & North Western.

It began service in 1980 and today operates more than 700 miles of track, some of which is owned by the state of Wisconsin. The company, currently owned by Watco since 2012, plans to continue resurrecting lines in the region it sees as a potential profitable ventures. The Wisconsin & Southern handles more than 60,000 carloads annually with freight traffic highly diversified.

Wisconsin Northern Railroad (reporting mark, WN): This road is headquartered in Lakeville and operates as a subsidiary of Progressive Rail. It first began service in 1996 and currently runs between Chippewa Falls and Sand House, Wisconsin over trackage originally owned by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha (later, C&NW).