The Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority was created in 1984 to operate on of track that was abandoned by the

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

. The line was originally constructed by the

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a railway company that operated in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. It began as the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, chartered in Nashville on December 11, 1845, ...

and this portion of the railway ran from Huntsville to

Attalla, Alabama Attalla is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,048. History The town occupies the site of an Indian village which was of considerable importance during the Creek War. It was in Attalla ...

(near Gadsden). A ferry ran the train down the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

between Incline (near Hobbs Island) and Gunters Landing (at

Guntersville Guntersville (previously known as Gunter's Ferry and later Gunter's Landing) is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Alabama, Marshall County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the ...

). The NC&StL later became part of the

. The HMCR now operates the line between downtown Huntsville and the community of Norton. The tracks between Norton and Incline have been abandoned and in sections, have been removed completely. The

Alabama and Tennessee River Railway The Alabama and Tennessee River Railway is a shortline railway operating (via lease) over trackage formerly operated by CSX Transportation. The line's western terminus is a junction with the CSX (former Louisville and Nashville Railroad) main li ...

operates the line south of Guntersville. The ferry service has been abandoned. In early 2015, the railroad began utilizing General Electric locomotives, and retired the EMD switchers historically in use. In early 2017, HMCR rostered one U23B, one B23-7, and three B39-8E locomotives. Primary traffic consists of various plastics and other chemicals, a marked shift from brick, lumber, sand, and aggregates primarily handled in the past. Publicly available audited financials indicate the operation is in good financial condition. The HMCR Authority exists as a public entity as an Alabama Railroad Authority, with authorizing subdivisions held by the City of Huntsville, and the County of Madison. Each subdivision appoints directors from time to time, as required. The HMCR Authority receives no appropriations or public funding, and exists on its own revenue generation. The Alabama Industrial Railroad operated the HMCR from 1984 until February 1985. The HMCR Authority has operated the railroad since 1998. The HMCR is a class 3 short line, under the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency. Mark Lumb, current board chairman. The HMCR interchanges with the

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...

Sources

*Edward A. Lewis, ''American Shortline Railway Guide 5th ed.,'' (Kalmbach Books, 1996). *Mike Walker, ''SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Southern States'' (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 2001) Ownership and detail of rail line. *North America Railroad Map Software v 2.13, (Railway Station Productions, 2004

External links

HMCR Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huntsville Madison County Railroad Authority Alabama railroads Transportation in Huntsville, Alabama Spin-offs of CSX Transportation Railway companies established in 1984