The following is a brief history of the North American rail system, mainly through major changes to

Class I railroad Railroad classes are the system by which Rail freight transport, freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportatio ...

s, the largest class by operating revenue. ;1930 *The

Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad was a railroad in the Southern United States. The first World War had forced government operation upon the company; and in 1919, when it became once more a free agent, it chose Isaac B. Tigrett to chart its ...

acquires control of the

New Orleans Great Northern Railroad The New Orleans Great Northern Railroad (NOGN) was chartered in Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mis ...

. *January 1: The

Illinois Terminal Company The Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (reporting mark ITC), known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 189 ...

leases the Alton and Eastern Railroad (not Class I), a short piece of the former Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad. *January 10: The

Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway The Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway (DM&N, DMN) was a rail transport, railroad company in the United States, U.S. state of Minnesota. It was one of the earliest iron ore hauling railroads of the area, said to have built the largest iron ore d ...

leases the

Duluth and Iron Range Railroad The Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Railway Equipment and Publication CompanyThe Official Railway Equipment Register June 1917, p. 582 was founded in 1874. In 1884, it ran the first main line train between Two Harbors and Soudan, Minnesota, a tot ...

. *January 31:

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

subsidiary

Central Vermont Railway The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...

is reorganized without change of name after a receivership beginning December 12, 1927. *February 1: The

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

leases subsidiaries Cincinnati Northern Railroad, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, Evansville, Indianapolis and Terre Haute Railway, and

Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in th ...

.Moody's (1976), p. 274 *April 1: The

Delaware and Hudson Railroad The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP, which would it ...

begins operating the former property of the

Delaware and Hudson Company The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP, which would it ...

.Moody's (1990), p. 277 *April 14:

Louisiana and Arkansas Railway The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans. Branch lines served Vidalia, Loui ...

subsidiary Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company of Texas is renamed Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas Railway.ICC (1931) *April 30: The

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...

acquires the property of subsidiary

Hocking Valley Railway The Hocking Valley Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Ohio, with a main line from Toledo, OH, Toledo to Athens, OH, Athens and Pomeroy, OH, Pomeroy via Columbus, OH, Columbus. It also had several branches to the coal mines of the Hockin ...

. *July 1: The

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

leases subsidiary

West Jersey and Seashore Railroad The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a railway company in the U.S. state of New Jersey with a connection to Philadelphia. It was formed through the merger of several smaller roads in May 1896. At the end of 1925 it operated of road ...

. *July 7: The

Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway The Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway of Texas came into existence on October 7, 1902, originally chartered to build a railroad from Johnson County to the Beaumont area near the Gulf coast. It took its name from the Trinity and Brazos rivers. ...

, in receivership since June 16, 1914, and under joint control by the

Colorado and Southern Railway The Colorado and Southern Railway was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was ...

(

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwest, Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of ...

system) and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway since 1906, leaves receivership and is renamed

Burlington-Rock Island Railroad The Burlington-Rock Island Railroad was a joint railroad in Texas, United States. It came into existence on July 7, 1930, through the reorganization of its predecessor, the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway Company (T&BV), nicknamed the "Boll W ...

. ;1931 *July 19:

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

subsidiary

Alton Railroad The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 an ...

begins operating the former

Chicago and Alton Railroad The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 an ...

, which had entered receivership on August 30, 1922. ;1932 *January 1: The

begins operating the

Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway The Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh Railway was one of the more than ten thousand Railway company, railroad companies founded in North America. It lasted much longer than most, serving communities from the Charlotte, Rochester, New York, shor ...

and

Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad company that formerly operated in western and north central Pennsylvania and western New York (state), New York. It was created in 1893 by the merger and consolidation of several smaller loggi ...

under lease, shortly after acquiring control.ICC (1949) *February 1: The

acquires the property of the

Ulster and Delaware Railroad The Ulster and Delaware Railroad (U&D) was a railroad located in the state of New York. It was often advertised as "The Only All-Rail Route to the Catskill Mountains." At its greatest extent, the U&D extended from Kingston Point on the Hudson R ...

, in receivership since August 16, 1931. *April 14: The

Southern Pacific Company The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

gains control of the

St. Louis Southwestern Railway The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company , known by its nickname of "The Cotton Belt Route" or simply "Cotton Belt", was a Class I railroad that operated between St. Louis, Missouri, and various points in the U.S. states of Arkansas, Tennessee ...

and subsidiary St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas. ;1933 *February 1:

subsidiary

San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway is a short-line American railroad founded in 1932 as the successor to the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A), which was founded in 1906 by entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. Dubbed "The Impossible Railr ...

acquires the property of the

San Diego and Arizona Railway The San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line U.S. railroad founded by entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. It linked San Diego, ...

, half-owned by the SP. *July 1: New

lessor New Orleans Great Northern Railway acquires the property of GM&N subsidiary New Orleans Great Northern Railroad. *July 15:

Reading Company The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976. Commonly called the Reading Railro ...

subsidiary

Atlantic City Railroad The Atlantic City Railroad was a Philadelphia and Reading Railway subsidiary that became part of Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. At the end of 1925, it operated of road on of track; that year it reported 43 million ton-miles of ...

is renamed

Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in South Jersey in the 20th century. It was created in 1933 as a joint consolidation venture between two competing railroads in the region: the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Rea ...

and leases the

from the

, which acquires a 2/3 share of the new company. *December: The

acquires the property of lessor Coal and Coke Railway.ICC (1933) ;1934 *The property of the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company is conveyed to lessee

. *February 1: The

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

leases the property of Texas subsidiary Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway located within Texas.ICC (1934) (The remainder, in Arkansas, was already operated under lease by the KCS.) *June 30: The

Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway The Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway (B.B.B.C. or B.B.B. & C.), also called the Harrisburg Road or Harrisburg Railroad, was the first operating railroad in Texas. It completed its first segment of track between Harrisburg, Texas (now a ...

, Houston East and West Texas Railway,

Houston and Texas Central Railroad The Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC) was an 872-mile (1403-km) railway system chartered in Texas in 1848, with construction beginning in 1856. The line eventually stretched from Houston northward to Dallas and Denison, Texas, with branch ...

Louisiana Western Railroad Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the List of U.S ...

, Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company, and

San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway first began operation in the U.S. state of Texas in 1886. It was developed by Uriah Lott and businessmen of San Antonio as a direct route from the city to Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf coast. It was eventu ...

merge into lessee

Texas and New Orleans Railroad The Texas and New Orleans Railroad (TNO) was an American rail company in Texas and Louisiana. It operated of railroad in 1934; by 1961, remained when it merged with parent company Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific. Morgan's Louisian ...

, a subsidiary of the

. *October 1: The

acquires the properties of lessor Chesapeake and Ohio Railway of Indiana. ;1935 *January 8: The property of the bankrupt Maryland and Delaware Seacoast Railway (not Class I), successor to part of the Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Railway, is split among

subsidiaries

Baltimore and Eastern Railroad Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

and

Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad The Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia Railroad (DMVR) is a defunct American railroad that operated passenger service from Broad Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Franklin City, Virginia in the late 19th Century and most of the 20th ...

.Moody's (1976), p. 261 *April 16: The Missouri and Arkansas Railway begins operating the former

Missouri and North Arkansas Railway Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

,ICC (1935) in receivership since May 5, 1927. *June 21: The property of the

Arizona and New Mexico Railway Arizona is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and s ...

is conveyed to lessee

El Paso and Southwestern Railroad The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad began in 1888 as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad, a short line serving copper mines in southern Arizona. Over the next few decades, it grew into a 1200-mile system that stretched from Tucumcari, New ...

, itself leased to the

.ICC (1937) ;1936 *January 1: The

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

leases subsidiaries

Oregon Short Line Railroad The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific int ...

Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a rail and steamboat transport company that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Id ...

Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was a rail company in California, Nevada, and Utah in the United States, that completed and operated a railway line between its namesake cities (Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California), via Las ...

, and

St. Joseph and Grand Island Railway The St. Joseph and Grand Island Railroad (SJ&GI) had its start as the St Joseph and Denver City Railroad which, after several changes of destination, was completed as the St Joseph and Western (SJ&W) between St Joseph, Missouri and Hastings, Neb ...

. *July 16: The Springfield, Havana and Peoria Railroad, successor to part of the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad, merges into lessee

Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway The Illinois and Midland Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. state of Illinois, serving Peoria, Illinois, Peoria, Springfield, Illinois, Springfield and Taylorville, Illinois, Taylorville. Until 1996, when Genesee & Wyoming Inc. bought it, the co ...

. ;1937 *January 22: The Alton and Eastern Railroad (not Class I), a short piece of the former Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad, is merged into lessee

(along with other subsidiaries), and simultaneously the parent is renamed

Illinois Terminal Railroad The Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (reporting mark ITC), known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 18 ...

.Paul Stringham, Illinois Terminal, the Electric Years, , pp. 98, 251 *March 1: The

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

buys the

Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway, chartered under the laws of Texas on June 1, 1885, was part of a plan conceived by Buckley Burton Paddock and other Fort Worth civic leaders to create a transcontinental route linking New York, Fort Worth, ...

from the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway and leases it to subsidiary

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) was chartered in Texas in 1873 to build a railroad from Galveston, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1886, it had built from Galveston to a junction in Temple, Texas, which was founded by the co ...

. *July 1: The

merges with lessor Spirit Lake Transfer Railway to form the

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DM&IR) , informally known as the Missabe Road, was a railroad operating in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin that used to haul iron ore and later taconite to the Great Lakes ports of Duluth, Minnesota, D ...

, which continues to lease the

.Moody's (1990), p. 286 ;1938 *March: The property of the

is conveyed to lessee

. *June 30:

lessor Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway absorbs seven other lessors, including the formerly Class I Cincinnati Northern Railroad and Evansville, Indianapolis and Terre Haute Railway.Moody's (1976), p. 274 NYC lessor

Toledo and Ohio Central Railway The Toledo and Ohio Central Railway (T&OC) was a railway company in the U.S. state of Ohio from 1885 to 1952. In 1928 it was leased by the New York Central System, which purchased the line in 1938. Precursors *Atlantic & Lake Erie Railroad *A ...

absorbs lessor Kanawha and Michigan Railway. *November: The

Copper River and Northwestern Railway The Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CR&NW) consisted of two rail lines, the Copper River line and the Northwestern line. Michael James Heney had secured the right-of-way up the Copper River in 1904. He started building the railway from ...

is abandoned. ;1939 *The Savannah and Atlanta Railway (not yet Class I), in receivership since March 4, 1921 and trusteeship since January 1, 1937, is reorganized under the same name. *The

acquires a portion of the property of subsidiary Quincy, Omaha and Kansas City Railroad (no longer Class I), and the rest is abandoned.ICC (1939) *The

gains control of the

. *July 1: The Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas Railway merges into parent

. *September 1: The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway leases Texas subsidiary Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway. *October 11: In receivership since June 1, 1931, the

Fort Smith and Western Railway The Fort Smith and Western Railway was a rail transport, railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The railroad's main line extended from Coal Creek, Oklahoma (about 7 miles east of Bokoshe, Oklahoma) to Guthrie, Oklahoma, ...

abandons all operations. A portion is acquired by

subsidiary Fort Smith and Van Buren Railway (not Class I). *December 29: The Northern Alabama Railway merges into parent Southern Railway. ;1940 *August 1: The

Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio was a Class I railroad in the central United States whose primary routes extended from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Chicago, Illin ...

acquires and begins operating the property of the former Southern Railway subsidiary

Mobile and Ohio Railroad Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

, in receivership since June 3, 1932. *September 13: The

merges into the

.Moody's (1972), p. 295 *December 31: The

Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Illinois, Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, and Evansville, Indiana, Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and staye ...

begins operating the former Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway, in trusteeship since September 16, 1933.ICC (1939) *December 31: The Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad (no longer Class I) absorbs lessor Wichita Falls and Southern Railway. ;1941 * Great Northern Railway subsidiary Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Palouse Railway (former

Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad The Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company (S.&I.E.R.R.Co.) was an Interurban, electrified interurban railway operating in Spokane, Washington and vicinity, extending into northern and central Idaho. The system originated in several predecess ...

) de-electrifies, but is no longer Class I. *February 20: The

Chicago Great Western Railway The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesot ...

begins operating the former Chicago Great Western Railroad. *June 30: The

Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolob ...

merges into lessee

.Moody's (1992), p. 403 *October 1: The

Spokane International Railroad The Spokane International Railroad was a short line railroad between Spokane, Washington, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) at Kingsgate, British Columbia. The line became an important one for the CP with its connections to the Union Paci ...

begins operating the former property of

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

subsidiary Spokane International Railway,Moody's (1976), p. 407 in trusteeship since August 28, 1933. *October 22: The

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

purchases the property of subsidiary Minnesota and International Railway (no longer Class I) at foreclosure. *December 22: The property of the Chicago and Erie Railroad is conveyed to parent

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

as part of the latter's reorganization that takes it out of

control. The Erie had been in trusteeship since May 7, 1938. ;1942 *January 1:

subsidiary

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

begins operating the former Wabash Railway, in receivership since December 1, 1931. *January 21: The

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

acquires the property of the former Norfolk Southern Railroad, in receivership since July 28, 1932. *June 30: The

Grand Canyon Railway The Grand Canyon Railway is a heritage railroad which carries passengers between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The railroad, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was completed on September ...

(no longer Class I) merges into lessee

. ;1943 *January 1:

subsidiary Ann Arbor Railroad exits a receivership that began on December 4, 1931 without reorganization. *July 1: The Great Northern Railway acquires the property of subsidiary Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Palouse Railway (no longer Class I).ICC (1943) *December 1: The

Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&StL) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad that built and operated lines radiating south and west from Minneapolis, Minnesota for 90 years from 1870 to 1960. The railway never reached ...

begins operating the former

Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&StL) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad that built and operated lines radiating south and west from Minneapolis, Minnesota for 90 years from 1870 to 1960. The railway never reached ...

, in receivership since July 26, 1923. *December 31: The Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway merges into lessee

. ;1944 *February 1: The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad begins operating the former Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railway, in trusteeship since April 4, 1933. *September 1: The

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM; ) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the phonetic sp ...

begins operating the former Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, in trusteeship since January 1, 1938. *December 23: The

acquires the property of lessor Toledo and Cincinnati Railroad, which acquired it from the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway in 1917. ;1945 *

Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S; ) was a railroad in the northwest United States. Incorporated in 1905, it was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank ...

subsidiary

Oregon Electric Railway The Oregon Electric Railway (OE) was an interurban streetcar, interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland, Oregon, Portland to Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. History Service from Portland to Salem, Oregon, Salem began in ...

de-electrifies. *May 25: The

buys the

from the

. *December 1: The

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

reorganizes without change of name, exiting a bankruptcy it entered on June 29, 1935.Moody's (1982), p. 1260 in receivership since March 18, 1925. *December 14: The

is reorganized under the same name, leaving Illinois Power and Light Corporation control. *December 26: The

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the Central United States. Its primary routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and thus, ...

acquires the property of subsidiary

Gulf and Ship Island Railroad The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SI) was constructed in the state of Mississippi, USA, at the turn of the 20th century to open a vast expanse of southern yellow pine forests for commercial harvest. In spite of economic uncertainty, entrepren ...

.Moody's (1972), p. 278 *December 28: The Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad merges into lessee

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad, was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey, and by ferry with New York City, a distance of . The railroad was ...

. *December 31: The Perkiomen Railroad merges into lessee

. ;1946 *January 1: The

Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad The Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad was organized in 1926 to replace the bankrupt Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway. The AB&C was controlled by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which owned a majority of the stock. In 1944 it reporte ...

merges into the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...

, its parent since 1927. *May 1: The

Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville R ...

, better known as the Monon Railroad, in trusteeship since January 1, 1934, reorganizes under the same name, and is freed from its former joint control 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 ...

and Southern Railway. *July 1: The

acquires the property of subsidiary

Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV) was incorporated in 1882 and was part of the Illinois Central Railroad system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi. The line was later expand ...

. *August 1: The

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...

acquires the former Seaboard Air Line Railway, in receivership since December 23, 1930. *August 5:

Central Railroad of New Jersey Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

subsidiary Central Railroad of Pennsylvania, renamed from Easton and Western Railroad in early 1944, begins operating the Pennsylvania lines of the CNJ. *September 7: The Missouri and Arkansas Railway ceases operations due to a

strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...

. Portions are taken over by the Helena and Northwestern Railway (in 1949) and

Arkansas and Ozarks Railway Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma to the ...

(in 1950), and the remainder is abandoned. Both successor shortlines soon go out of business, though the Cotton Plant-Fargo Railway continues to operate a piece of the old H&NW into the 1970s. *November 7: The property of lessor

Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad Connecticut ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford, and ...

is conveyed to lessee

Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a United States, U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the e ...

from Wells River south to

White River Junction White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Hartford, Vermont, Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the ...

, and to the Newport and Richford Railroad (leased to the

) from Wells River north to that company's line at Newport (and beyond to the Canada–US border). *December 31: The

and

subsidiary

Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE; ), also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio, in the ...

buy joint control of the

Montour Railroad The Montour Railroad was a short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service in southwestern Pennsylvania. At its height in the 1930s, the railroad served 27 mines transporting nearly seven million tons of coal annually in Al ...

from the Consolidated Coal Company. ;1947 *April 1: The

Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Class I railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central Pennsylvania and western New York (state), New York. The line w ...

, in receivership since August 1, 1905, ceases operations. *April 11: The

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south fr ...

exits a trusteeship that it entered on November 1, 1935, free of its former joint control by the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

and

Western Pacific Railroad The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California. WP's Feather River Route dire ...

parent Western Pacific Railroad Corporation. Simultaneously, the

Denver and Salt Lake Railway The Denver and Salt Lake Railway (D&SL) was a U.S. railroad company located in Colorado. It was incorporated in 1902 as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway with the goal of connecting Denver, Colorado with Salt Lake City, Utah ...

, which had been controlled by the

Reconstruction Finance Corporation The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government that served as a lender of last resort to US banks and businesses. Established in ...

,ICC (1946) is merged into the D&RGW., pp. 139, 149, 163 *May: The

sells its minority share of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway to the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, giving that company a majority of W&LE stock.Moody's (1986), p. 89 The three companies have been affiliated since the

Van Sweringen brothers Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (April 24, 1879 – November 22, 1936) and Mantis James Van Sweringen (July 8, 1881 – December 12, 1935) were American brothers who became railroad barons in order to develop Shaker Heights, Ohio. They are better k ...

purchased a minority of stock in the 1920s. *May 31: The

is merged into the

, its parent since 1945.Moody's (1986), p. 662 *June 6: The

Pere Marquette Railway The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes (North America), Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadi ...

merges into the

,Moody's (1986), p. 647 with which it has been affiliated since the

purchased a minority of stock in the 1920s. *September 18: The

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to 1968. Founded by the merger of ...

reorganizes, ending a trusteeship that began on October 23, 1935. *December 31: The

Oahu Railway and Land Company The Oahu Railway and Land Company, or OR&L, was a narrow gauge common carrier railway that served much of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and was the largest narrow gauge class one common carrier in the U.S, until its dissolution in 1947. Origin T ...

abandons its line outside

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. ;1948 *The

Bingham and Garfield Railway The Copperton Low Line was an electric railroad in Salt Lake County, Utah. It was managed by the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation and connected the Bingham Canyon Mine with its smelter at Garfield. In 1948 the electric rail line replaced the ...

is closed and replaced by a

private railroad A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector. Japan In Japan, , commonly simply ''private railway'', refers to a public transit railway o ...

. *January 1: The

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At ...

begins operating the properties of the former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway and lessor Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway, in trusteeship since June 8 and November 1, 1933, respectively.ICC (1947) *July 1: The

Central of Georgia Railway The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...

, no longer under

control, is reorganized under the same name,ICC (1948) ending a receivership that began on December 20, 1932. *August 4: The Texas and Northern Railway is incorporated to take over the existing

of the

Lone Star Steel Company Lone Star Steel Company was a company that operated a plant that produced steel in Lone Star, Texas. It specialized in making tubular steel with outer diameters ranging from 16 inches to 1.415 inches. In 2007, it was acquired by U.S. Steel for $2 ...

. It immediately becomes Class I. *December 28: The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway acquires control of the

Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad The Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad was a short line railroad which operated in the state of Alabama. The company grew from an acquisition of an existing logging railroad in 1897, and merged with the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway ( ...

(not yet Class I).Moody's (1980), p. 788 *December 31: The Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway merges into lessee

.ICC (1948) *December 31: The

merges into lessee

(

system). The

Pecos and Northern Texas Railway Pecos may refer to: Places * Pecos River, rises near Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States * Pecos, Texas, a city in Reeves County, Texas, United States * Pecos County, Texas, named for the Pecos River ** Pecos Spring, a spring * Pecos, New Mexico ...

, also part of the AT&SF system, merges into the

Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway The Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway (P&SF) was an American rail transport company that was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF), operating primarily in the Texas Panhandle. History Chartered November 2, 1886 as The S ...

, which leases its line west of Sweetwater; the GC&SF continues to lease the line, now owned by the P&SF, east of Sweetwater. ;1949 *February 20: The

Midland Terminal Railway The Midland Terminal Railway was a short line terminal railroad running from the Colorado Midland Railway near Divide to Cripple Creek, Colorado. The railroad made its last run in February 1949. Background From 1887 to 1918, Colorado Midland R ...

(not Class I), successor to remnants of the

Colorado Midland Railroad The Colorado Midland Railway ,Railway Equipment and Publication CompanyThe Official Railway Equipment Register June 1917, p. 786 incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran fr ...

and Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad, ceases operations.ICC (1949) *July 1: The Southern Railway's lease of the

Atlantic and Danville Railway The Atlantic and Danville Railway was a Class I railroad which operated in Virginia and North Carolina. The company was founded in 1882 and opened its mainline between Portsmouth, Virginia and Danville, Virginia in 1890. The Southern Railway le ...

expires,Moody's (1984), p. 96 and the A&D immediately becomes Class I. *November 1:

subsidiary Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad acquires the properties of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway and subsidiary

Mineral Range Railroad The Mineral Range Railroad (reporting mark MRA) is a shortline railroad in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It began operations in 2002 over a three mile long industrial track from Ishpeming, Michigan, Ishpeming to Tilden Township, Michigan, Nati ...

(no longer Class I), both controlled by the CP.Moody's (1988), p. 237 These companies entered trusteeship on January 1 and June 1, 1937, respectively. *December 1: The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad leases subsidiary Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. ;1950 *June 1: The

Fort Worth and Denver City Railway The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a class I American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound influence on the early settlement and economic developmen ...

(

system) and

both lease the jointly-owned

, operating it as the Joint Texas Division. *November 1: The Rutland Railway begins operating the former Rutland Railroad,ICC (1950) in receivership since May 5, 1938 and trusteeship since June 21, 1944. The company had been jointly owned by the

and

. ;1951 *The

acquires control of the Savannah and Atlanta Railway (not yet Class I). *July 1: Southern Railway subsidiary

Carolina and Northwestern Railway The Carolina & Northwestern Railway (Ca&NW) was a railroad that served South Carolina and North Carolina from 1897 until January 1, 1974. The original line was operated by the Ca&NW as a separate railroad controlled by the Southern Railway (U.S.), ...

leases the properties of other subsidiaries: Blue Ridge Railway, Danville and Western Railway, High Point, Randleman, Asheboro and Southern Railroad, and Yadkin Railroad, none of which connect to each other or the C&NW. *August 7:

subsidiary

is renamed Fort Worth and Denver Railway. ;1952 *June 13: The Wichita Valley Railway (no longer Class I), subsidiary of the

(

system), is merged into C&S Texas subsidiary

Fort Worth and Denver Railway The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a Class I railroad, class I Rail transport in the United States, American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound infl ...

. *June 30: The

merges into lessee

. *December 31: Operation of the

lines operated by subsidiary Central Railroad of Pennsylvania is returned to the CNJ. ;1953 *May 25: The

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also referred to as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna, and formerly the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad, is an American Railroad classes#Class II, Class II Rail freight transport, freight r ...

is reorganized under the same name, exiting a trusteeship that began on June 1, 1937 and control by the

. Subsidiary Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad (not Class I) had been abandoned on March 25, 1939, cutting the NYS&W back from

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. ...

to Stroudsburg. *December 31: The

merges a number of lessors, including former Class I

Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854. Beginnings After grappl ...

, into the newly incorporated Penndel Company. ;1954 *The Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad (no longer Class I) ceases operations. The

acquires a portion of the line and operates it until 1969. *March 1: The

leases Texas subsidiary St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas. *March 1:

lessor Wisconsin Central Railroad begins operating the former Wisconsin Central Railway, which entered receivership on December 3, 1932 and trusteeship on October 1, 1944. The WC was classified as a separate Class I railroad starting in 1946, and continues as such. *July 1: The

acquires the properties of the

, operated under lease since 1932. ;1955 *September 30: The

merges several lessors into itself:

Arizona Eastern Railroad The Arizona Eastern Railway is a Class III railroad that operates of railroad between Clifton, Arizona, and Miami, Arizona, in the United States. This includes trackage rights over the Union Pacific Railroad between Lordsburg, New Mexico, and ...

(formerly Class I), Dawson Railway, El Paso and Rock Island Railway,

, and

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...

.Moody's (1992), pp. 257-258 ;1956 *The

Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad The Wellsville, Addison & Galeton Railroad was formed in 1954 to operate a section of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) trackage which had been isolated from the rest of the system by a 1942 flood. This trackage was acquired by the B&O as part of ...

(not Class I) takes over operations from the

of much of the former

, isolated from the rest of the B&O by a 1942 flood. The WA&G will be abandoned on March 13, 1979. *January 11: The

is renamed

Monon Railroad The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville R ...

. *February 1:

subsidiary

Sacramento Northern Railway The Sacramento Northern Railway (reporting mark SN) was a electric interurban railway that connected Chico, California, Chico in northern California with Oakland, California, Oakland via the state capital, Sacramento, California, Sacramento. In ...

, in trusteeship since December 22, 1953, is reorganized without change of name.Moody's (1972), p. 98 *March 1: As part of the

's plan to end a bankruptcy dating from 1933, it absorbs 23 subsidiaries, including some Class I railroads:

New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway The New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway was a constituent element of the Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River ...

( Gulf Coast Lines),

Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway was an railroad that ran from Beaumont, Texas to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Hull, Texas, Hull, Kenefick, Texas, Kenefick, and Huffman, Te ...

St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway Chartered on June 6, 1903, the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway (also known as the ''Brownie'') was a 200-mile (321 km) U.S. railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas, to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston, Texas. It served numerous t ...

, San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad, and International-Great Northern Railroad. *April 2: The

merges lessor

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route (Panhandle Route in later days), was a railroad that was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, whic ...

into lessor

Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad (PB&W) was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, District of Columbia, the District of Columbia from 1902 until 1976. A key component of the Pennsylvania R ...

. *May 31: The

merges lessor Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad into lessor

Connecting Railway The Connecting Railway was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, incorporated to build a connection between the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad and the PRR in the city of Philadelphia. Construction and assembly Connecting Railway The PRR ...

. *June 11: The

merges a number of subsidiaries, including the

Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canada, Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonto ...

and

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway running from Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a Pacific coast port. East of Winnipeg the line continued as the National ...

, that it had formerly operated.Moody's (1976), p. 1203 *June 15: The

is reorganized under the same name, becoming a joint subsidiary of the

Litchfield and Madison Railway The Litchfield and Madison Railway was a Class I railroad in Illinois in the United States. Its nickname was the St. Louis Gateway Route. The railroad operated of track from its creation in 1900 until it was absorbed by the Chicago and North We ...

, New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate), St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, and

. The

and

are later added, bringing the total to 11. *December 31: The ICC raises the minimum operating revenue from $1 million to $3 million effective January 1, 1956, dropping thirteen railroads to Class II: **

(

Norfolk and Western Railway The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...

subsidiary) **

Cambria and Indiana Railroad The Cambria and Indiana Railroad (C&I) is a railway company that is located in the southeastern part of Indiana County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Incorporated in 1904 and built in 1910 with the intention of carrying lumber, coal was d ...

Canadian National Lines in New England The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short-line railway operating between Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Montreal, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Ca ...

** Canadian Pacific Lines in Vermont **

Columbus and Greenville Railway There have been two uses of Columbus and Greenville Railway, both for the same rail line. Original Columbus and Greenville The first Columbus and Greenville Railway was formed by the sale of the Southern Railway operated Southern Railway in M ...

Detroit and Mackinac Railway The Detroit and Mackinac Railway , informally known as the "Turtle Line", was a railroad in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The railroad had its main offices and shops in Tawas City, Michigan, Tawas Cit ...

Midland Valley Railroad The Midland Valley Railroad (MV) was a railroad company incorporated on June 4, 1903 for the purpose of building a line from Hope, Arkansas, through Muskogee and Tulsa, Oklahoma to Wichita, Kansas. It was backed by C. Jared Ingersoll, a Philadelp ...

Mississippi Central Railroad Mississippi Central Railroad (reporting mark MSCI) is a short line railroad that operates three disconnected tracks: 51 miles from Oxford, Mississippi to Grand Junction, Tennessee; 11 miles in Iuka Mississippi, and 46 miles from Corinth, Mi ...

Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northeast, Arkansas to the east, New Mexico to the west, and Colo ...

Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad The Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad , also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Short-line railroad, short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Since 2004, it ...

** Texas and Northern Railway **

Utah Railway The Utah Railway is a class III railroad operating in Utah and Colorado, and owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. History The Utah Railway Company was incorporated on January 24, 1912, with the name of Utah Coal Railway, shortened to Utah Railway ...

**The March 1 merger of

subsidiaries eliminates five more. On the other hand, the

(a Southern Railway subsidiary),

Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an long American shortline railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and ...

Piedmont and Northern Railway The Piedmont & Northern Railway was a heavy electric interurban company operating over two disconnected divisions in North and South Carolina. Tracks spanned total between the two segments, with the northern division running from Charlotte, to ...

, and Savannah and Atlanta Railway (a

subsidiary) become Class I, making a total of 113 Class I railroads at the end of 1956, down from 126 in 1955. ;1957 *The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway acquires control of the

. The ICC will reverse its approval on November 14, 1958, and in 1963 the Southern Railway will buy the Frisco's share. *January 1: The

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

leases subsidiary Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway. *March 29:

subsidiary

New York, Ontario and Western Railway The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad founded in 1868. The last train ran from Norwich, New York, to Middletown, Orange County, New York, Middletown, New York, in 1957, after whi ...

, which entered trusteeship on May 21, 1937,ICC (1949) ceases operations. Very little is bought by other railroads, most notably Fulton- Oswego by the

(which had operated there via

trackage rights Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies. Operating Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may c ...

). This is the last Class I to completely abandon operations while still Class I, with none of its core lines acquired by other companies. *August 30: The

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a Rail transport company, railway company that operated in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It began as the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, ...

merges into parent

. ;1958 *January 1:

lessor Penndel Company absorbs other lessors including former Class I Cumberland Valley and Martinsburg Railroad and

New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad was a railroad that owned and operated a line that ran down the spine of the Delmarva Peninsula from Delmar, Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia and then by car float, ferry to Norfolk, Virginia. It ...

. *January 2: The

merges into the

.Moody's (1989), p. 30 *October 6: The

buys control of the

. ;1959 *May 29: The

Alabama and Vicksburg Railway The Alabama and Vicksburg Railway (A&V), also known as the Alabama and Vicksburg, is a List of Mississippi railroads#Defunct railroads, historic Mississippi railroad chartered in 1889 in Mississippi and in operation, from Meridian, Mississippi, M ...

and Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway merge into lessee

. *December 1: The

Virginian Railway The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads. History ...

merges into the

. *December 31: The

Charleston and Western Carolina Railway The Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (C&WC) was formed in 1896 to operate the lines of the former Port Royal and Augusta Railway (PR&A) and the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway (PR&WC). The PR&A and PR&WC had originally been part o ...

merges into parent

. ;1960 *February 10: The

buys the entire stock of the

Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway , formerly nicknamed the "Tip-Up", is a shortline railroad that operates of trackage between Mapleton, Illinois, Mapleton and Peoria, Illinois, Peoria in Illinois, and Logansport, Indiana. TP&W also intercha ...

, and sells half to the

on February 23.Moody's (1976), p. 111 *July: The

Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short-line railway operating between Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Montreal, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Ca ...

, leased to the

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...

and later the

since 1853, but reported to the ICC as a separate Class I railroad (as "Canadian National Lines in New England" beginning in 1930), is merged into the Canadian National Railway along with three other lessors (

Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad (C&SL) was a historic Rail transport, railway in Lower Canada, the first Canadian public railway and Oldest railroads in North America, one of the first railways built in British North America. Origin The ...

, United States and Canada Railroad, and Vermont and Province Line Railroad). *July 1: The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad of Texas merges into parent Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. *October 17: The

and

merge to form the

Erie-Lackawanna Railroad The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...

.Moody's (1972), p. 837 *November 1: The

acquires the property of the

. ;1961 *January 1:

subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad,

, and Wisconsin Central Railroad merge to form the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway , one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Saul ...

. *April 9:

subsidiary

Pacific Electric Railway The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...

ceases electric passenger service, leaving only diesel freight service. *September 25: Operations cease on the Rutland Railway due to a

, and abandonment is approved in 1963. The state of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

will buy much of its property, and the

Vermont Railway The Vermont Railway is a shortline railroad in Vermont and eastern New York (state), New York, operating much of the former Rutland Railway. It is the main part of the Vermont Rail System, which also owns the Green Mountain Railroad, the Rutland' ...

(not Class I) will begin operating the main line in January 1964. *November 1:

subsidiary

Lehigh and New England Railway The Lehigh and New England Railroad was a Class I railroad located in Northeastern United States that acted as a bridge line. It was the second notable U.S. railroad to file for abandonment in its entirety after the New York, Ontario and Weste ...

acquires a portion of the Lehigh and New England Railroad, the rest of which is abandoned. *November 1: The

merges into parent

. ;1962 *October 31:

subsidiary

Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway The Atlantic and Danville Railway was a Class I railroad which operated in Virginia and North Carolina. The company was founded in 1882 and opened its mainline between Portsmouth, Virginia and Danville, Virginia in 1890. The Southern Railway le ...

acquires the property of the

(no longer Class I). ;1963 *February 4: The

takes control of the

. *March 4: The California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway merges into lessee

. *June: The Southern Railway buys a majority interest in the

from the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. *July 1: Southern Railway subsidiary Georgia and Florida Railway (controlled indirectly through the

, Live Oak, Perry and Gulf Railroad, and South Georgia Railway) begins operating the former Georgia and Florida Railroad, in receivership since October 20, 1929. *August 31:

subsidiary

sells the Ann Arbor Railroad to the

Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad operated from 1905 to 1983 between its namesake cities of Detroit, Michigan, and Ironton, Ohio, via Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. At the end of 1970, it operated 478 miles of road on 762 miles of track; that year ...

, also controlled by the Pennsylvania, in preparation for the lease of the Wabash to the

.Moody's (1982), p. 852 ;1964 *January 1: The St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway is merged into parent St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. *April: The

(

system) and

each buy one-half shares in the property of the jointly-leased

, continuing to operate it as the Joint Texas Division. *May 1: The

merges into the

Boston and Maine Corporation The Boston and Maine Railroad was a United States, U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the e ...

, which becomes the new operating company. *September: The Muskogee Company sells its railroad subsidiaries, including the

Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway The Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (“KO&G”) had at its height 310.5 miles of track from Denison, Texas through Oklahoma to Baxter Springs, Kansas. Its various predecessor companies built the line between 1904 and 1913. The railroad was c ...

, and

, only the former still Class I, to

subsidiary

Texas and Pacific Railway The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California. However its lines never went we ...

.Moody's (1976), p. 656 The T&P resells the OCAA to the

. *October 16: The

absorbs the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate) and continues its lease of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, leases the

and

Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway was a railroad in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia, areas. Originally built as the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, a Pittsburgh extension of George J. Gould's Wabash Railroa ...

, and gains control of the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad.Christopher T. Baer
PRR Chronology
(Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society), accessed April 2009 ;1965 *April 22: The

leases subsidiary

(no longer Class I).ICC (1966) *August 1: The

, and P&SF lessor Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway of Texas are merged into parent

. *August 13: The

merges into parent

. *December 31: The ICC raises the minimum operating revenue from $3 million to $5 million effective January 1, 1965, dropping 21 railroads to Class II: **

Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway The Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway , also known as the Bay Line, was a Class I railroad which operated in Alabama and Florida. The company was founded in 1906 and opened its mainline between Dothan, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida, in 1908. ...

Atlanta and West Point Railroad The Atlanta and West Point Rail Road was a railroad in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, forming the east portion of the Atlanta, GA, Atlanta-Selma, AL, Selma West Point Route. The company was chartered in 1847 as the Atlanta and L ...

(

subsidiary) **

( Southern Railway subsidiary) **

Colorado and Wyoming Railway Founded in 1899, the Colorado and Wyoming Railway is a subsidiary of the Evraz North America. It hauls coal, ore and steel products on about five miles of track inside ERVAZ - Pueblo, CO Steel Mills facility (formerly Colorado Fuel and Iron's ...

** Georgia and Florida Railway ( Southern Railway subsidiary) **

Green Bay and Western Railroad The Green Bay and Western Railroad served central Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central Ltd., Wisconsin Central in 1993. For much of its history the railroad was also known as the Green Bay Route. At t ...

(

subsidiary) **

Lehigh and Hudson River Railway The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR) was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast–southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie Br ...

** Missouri-Illinois Railroad (

subsidiary) **

Monongahela Railway The Monongahela Railway was a coal-hauling Class II railroad in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the United States. It was jointly controlled originally by the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central subsidiary Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railr ...

New York Connecting Railroad The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough (New York City), borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pa ...

Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway (QA&P) was a freight railroad that operated between the Red River and Floydada, Texas, from 1902 until it was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981. History On May 3, 1902, the line was inc ...

(

subsidiary) ** Savannah and Atlanta Railway ( Southern Railway subsidiary) **

(

subsidiary) ** Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway (

subsidiary) **

Tennessee Central Railway The Tennessee Central Railway was founded in 1884 as the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad by Alexander S. Crawford. It was an attempt to open up a rail route from the coal and minerals of East Tennessee to the markets of the midstate, a service ...

Texas Mexican Railway The Texas Mexican Railway was a short line railroad in the U.S. state of Texas operating between Corpus Christi and the Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge in Laredo, Texas. It is often referred to as the Tex Mex, or Tex Mex Railway. ...

Western Railway of Alabama The Western Railway of Alabama (WRA) also seen as "WofA" was created as the Western Railroad of Alabama by the owners of the Montgomery & West Point Railroad (M&WP) in 1860. It was built to further the M&WP's development West from Montgomery, Al ...

(

subsidiary) **Together with the mid-1965 demise of the

, this reduces the number of Class I railroads from 98 at the end of 1964 to 76 as of December 31, 1965. ;1966 *January 20: The

sells the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

to the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority. *

subsidiary

New Jersey and New York Railroad The New Jersey and New York Railroad (NJ&NY) was a railroad company that operated north from Rutherford, New Jersey, to Haverstraw, New York beginning in the mid-to-late 19th century.Please see the 1891 maps of West Haverstraw and Haverstra ...

is reorganized under the same name, having been in trusteeship since July 1, 1938. ;1967 *The

Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway is a shortline railroad in the U.S. state of Montana. Founded in 1891, it was the main conduit for ore transport between Butte, Montana, Butte and Anaconda, Montana, Anaconda. The railroad operated as the ...

(no longer Class I) de-electrifies. *March 29: The

and subsidiary

take control of the

Western Maryland Railway The Western Maryland Railway was a small American Class I railroad (1852–1983) that operated in 3 Southern United States, Southern US States, Maryland (Western Maryland, Western Region), West Virginia (Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, Easte ...

.Moody's (1986), p. 663 *April 1: The

(no longer Class I) is merged into parent

, a subsidiary of the

. *April 29: The

purchases the property of the

(no longer Class I). *May 12: The

gains control of the

. *July 1: The

and

merge to form the

Seaboard Coast Line Railroad The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Eventually, the railroad was merged with its affiliate lin ...

.Moody's (1988), p. 251 *December 1: The

merges into lessee

. *December 29: The property of

lessor

is conveyed to a new common law business trust, Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railroad, which remains a lessor. *December 30: The

acquires the property of subsidiary

(no longer Class I). ;1968 *February 1: The

and

merge to form the Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company.Moody's (1976), p. 224 *April 1: The

merges into the new

Erie Lackawanna Railway The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...

, which becomes an operating company, owned by

subsidiary Dereco, Inc. *May 8: The Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company is renamed

Penn Central Company The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals, the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the N ...

. *July 1: The

is merged into the

.Moody's (1984), p. 28 *July 1: The

Delaware and Hudson Railway The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP, which would it ...

, owned by

subsidiary Dereco, Inc., begins operating the former

. *August 31: The

(no longer Class I) ceases operations. The entire main line is acquired by the

(

Hopkinsville Hopkinsville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 31,180. History Early years The area of present-day Hopkinsville was initially claimed in 1796 ...

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

(Nashville- Crossville), and Southern Railway subsidiary Harriman and Northeastern Railroad (Crossville- Harriman). These companies and successors have since abandoned major portions, leaving the Nashville and Western Railroad and

Nashville and Eastern Railroad The Nashville and Eastern Railroad is a shortline railroad which administers of track between Nashville and Monterey, Tennessee, of which are currently operational. The company is based in Lebanon, Tennessee. The Nashville and Eastern was form ...

as the primary operators. ;1969 *January 1: The

, bankrupt since July 7, 1961, conveys its property to the

. *January: The Southern Railway merges its subsidiary

New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad The New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad was a Class I railroad in Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States. The railroad operated of road from its completion in 1883 until it was absorbed by the Alabama Great Southern Railroad subsidia ...

into the

Alabama Great Southern Railroad The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia (U.S.), Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), running southwest from Chatt ...

. *June:

subsidiary

sells its

Evansville Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is Indiana's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the most populous city in S ...

line (former Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad) to the

. *July 1: The

merges into the

. *October 1: The

is renamed

Penn Central Transportation Company The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Railroad classes, class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals, the Pennsylvania Railroad, ...

. *November 26: The

is merged into the newly incorporated

Southern Pacific Transportation Company The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

, which becomes an operating railroad. *December 1: The

leases the

(no longer Class I). ;1970 *March 2: The Great Northern Railway,

(jointly owned by the GN and NP), and Pacific Coast Railroad (not Class I, owned by the GN) merge into Burlington Northern Inc., which becomes an operating railroad. Other GN and NP subsidiaries, including the

, and

, are not yet consolidated,Moody's (1992), p. 12 though the SP&S is immediately leased. *April 1: The

(no longer Class I) is merged into parent

, a subsidiary of the

. ;1971 *January 1: The

is merged into the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. *May 1: The

National Railroad Passenger Corporation The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provi ...

(later

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

), listed as Class I until about 1980, takes over most

intercity passenger train Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...

s in the U.S. Notable exceptions are the Southern Railway and

, which joined Amtrak in 1979 and 1983 respectively, and the

Georgia Railroad Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of peo ...

, and

, which later discontinued all service. *June 1: The Southern Railway merges subsidiaries

, Georgia and Florida Railway (no longer Class I), Savannah and Atlanta Railway (no longer Class I), and Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad (not Class I) to form the new

Central of Georgia Railroad The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...

. *July 1:

subsidiary Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway (no longer Class I) sells its passenger operations to the

Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority Staten may refer to: ;People *Randy Staten (1944-2010), American politician and football player * Roy N. Staten (1913–1999), American politician ;Places *Staten Island, a borough of New York City, New York, United States *Staten, West Virginia ...

.Moody's (1992), p. 539 *July 3: The

is renamed Canadian Pacific Ltd.Moody's (1992), p. 203 *July 31: The

is merged into the

. *July 1:

subsidiary Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway (no longer Class I) is renamed

Staten Island Railroad The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a railroad line in the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and opera ...

. *December 6: The

Auto-Train Corporation Auto-Train Corporation , stylized ''auto-train'', was a privately owned passenger railroad that operated from 1971 to 1981. Its trains included autorack cars, enabling passengers to bring their own vehicles on their journey. The company used it ...

begins operating

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line, as opposed to a freight train that carries goods. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) push-pull train, ...

s on

and

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad co ...

trackage. It will be listed as Class I until about 1980. *December 20: The

transfers its ownership of the

Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway The Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway is a subsidiary railroad of Canadian National Railway (CN) operating in northern Minnesota, United States. A CN system-wide rebranding beginning in 1995 has seen the DWP logo and name largely replaced b ...

, and

Grand Trunk Western Railroad The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...

to new subsidiary

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

Grand Trunk Corporation The Grand Trunk Corporation is the subsidiary holding company for the Canadian National Railway's properties in the United States, and Canada. It is named for CN subsidiary railroad Grand Trunk Western Railroad. The Association of American Railr ...

. ;1972 *April 1: After the

abandons all of its Pennsylvania operations, including the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania and

, the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad in the Northeastern United States built predominantly to haul anthracite, anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Northeastern Pennsylvania to major consumer markets in Philadelphia, New York City, and ...

temporarily takes over. *June 1: The

Chicago and North Western Transportation Company The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

acquires the property of the Chicago and North Western Railway and lessor Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway. *August 10: The

and

merge to form the

Illinois Central Gulf Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the Central United States. Its primary routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and thus, ...

, which simultaneously absorbs the

(formerly Class I).Moody's (1992), p. 32 ;1973 *February 3: The

Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W; ) is a Class II railroad operating of tracks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York (state), New York via trackage rights. The company was founded in 1844 to build ...

(not Class I), formerly leased by the

and

, begins operating its own line. It will soon acquire more ex-Conrail lines and become a major

regional railroad In the United States, a Class II railroad, sometimes referred to as a regional railroad, is a railroad company that is not Class I, but still has a substantial amount of traffic or trackage (and is thus not a short line). The Association of Ame ...

.Lewis, p. 257 *June 15: New

Chessie System, Inc. acquires control of the

, including subsidiaries

and

. ;1974 *January 1: The Southern Railway buys the

and merges it with subsidiary

, keeping the Norfolk Southern name.Moody's (1984), pp. 97, 142 ;1975 *October 30: A new independent

begins operating trackage formerly owned by a company of the same name, merged into the

in 1972. ;1976 *April 1: The government-owned

Consolidated Rail Corporation Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It Conrail Shared Assets O ...

begins operations, replacing a number of bankrupt Northeastern railroads and their subsidiaries. This includes many existing and former Class I railroads: **

(subsidiary of

), bankrupt since June 26, 1972 **

, bankrupt since June 21, 1970 *** Ann Arbor Railroad (subsidiary), bankrupt since October 15, 1973; property acquired by the state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Conrail operates it until October 1, 1977. ***

(subsidiary, no longer Class I) *** Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 ***

(lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 ***

(subsidiary), bankrupt since July 24, 1970 ***

(lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 ***

(lessor) ***

Northern Central Railway The Northern Central Railway (NCRY) was a Class I Railroad in the United States connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Sunbury, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania R ...

(lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 *** Penndel Company (lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 *** Peoria and Eastern Railway (lessor) ***

(lessor), bankrupt since July 14, 1973 **

(joint subsidiary of Central of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, and Penn Central; no longer Class I), bankrupt since April 19, 1972 **

, bankrupt since November 23, 1971 ***

(subsidiary), bankrupt since March 22, 1967 **** Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (lessor) ****

(subsidiary, no longer Class I) ***

Port Reading Railroad The Port Reading Railroad was a railway company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1890 and completed its main line in 1892. It was controlled throughout its corporate life by the Reading Company. The Port Reading Railroad's line was c ...

(lessor) **

(joint subsidiary of Penn Central and Reading) ***

(lessor) **Penn Central subsidiaries

and

stay out of Conrail, and the

is assigned

throughout the Northeast to compete with Conrail. The

buys the ex-

line between Effner and

Logansport, Indiana Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,366 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana at the junction of the Wabash River, Wabash an ...

, and the

Michigan Northern Railway The Michigan Northern Railway was a railroad that provided service to the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from 1976 to 1986. At the beginning of service on April 1, 1976, the MIGN operated the former Grand Rapids and Indiana Rail ...

takes over the ex-

north of

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. *October 15: The

and

are merged into parent

.Moody's (1992), p. 122 *December 31: The ICC raises the minimum operating revenue from $5 million to $10 million effective January 1, 1976, dropping nine railroads to Class II: ** Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad (

subsidiary) **

(

subsidiary) **

Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad , is a Class iii railroad, Class III railroad U.S. railroad offering service from Marquette, Michigan, to nearby locations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It began operations in 1896. The LS&I continues to ...

( Burlington Northern Inc. subsidiary) **

(

subsidiary) **

(

subsidiary) **The

, on the other hand, is raised to Class I; with the creation of

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...

and October 15 merger of two

subsidiaries, the number of Class I railroads is reduced from 74 on December 31, 1975 to 58 at the end of 1976.ICC (1975, 1976)

References

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later Trucking industry in the United States, truc ...

, Annual Report on the Statistics of Railways in the United States, 1910- *Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition,

Kalmbach Publishing Kalmbach Media (formerly Kalmbach Publishing Co.) was an American publisher of books and magazines, many of them railroad-related, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. History The company's first publication was ''The Model Railroader'', which be ...

, 1996 *

Moody's Transportation Manual Moody's Ratings, previously and still legally known as Moody's Investors Service and often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its histori ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of Class I railroads (1930-76) Timeline 1930

Class I railroads Railroad classes are the system by which freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With a ...