Shortline railroad
- Short Line is also one of the four railroads in the popular board game Monopoly, possibly named after the Shore Fast Line, an interurban streetcar line.
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada. In the United States, railroads are categorized by operating revenue, and most shortline railroads fall into the Class III or Class II categorization defined by the Surface Transportation Board.
Shortlines generally exist for one of three reasons: to link two industries requiring rail freight together (for example, a gypsum mine and a wall board factory, or a coal mine and a power plant); to interchange revenue traffic with other, usually larger, railroads; or to operate a tourist passenger train service. Often, short lines exist for all three of these reasons.
History
In the beginning of the railroad age, nearly all railway lines were shortlines, locally chartered, financed and operated; as the railroad industry matured, local lines were merged or acquired to create longer mainline railroads.
Especially since 1980 in the USA and 1990 in Canada, many shortlines have been established when larger railroad companies sold off or abandoned low-profit portions of their trackage. Shortline operators typically have lower labor, overhead and regulatory costs than Class I railroads and therefore are often able to operate profitable lines that lost money for their original owners.[1]
Classification
Because of their small size and generally low revenues, the great majority of shortline railroads in United States are classified by the Association of American Railroads as Class III. As defined by the Surface Transportation Board, a Class III is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $28 million.[2] In Canada, Transport Canada classifies short line railroads as Class II.
There are three kinds of shortlines in the United States: handling, switch, and ISS (Interline Settlement System).
- Handling shortlines exist only to move cars along their tracks for larger railroads. They are not listed in the route on a railcar's waybill. Handling short lines may have compensation agreements with the larger railroads they serve that do not depend on per car rates.
- Switch shortlines are similar to handling shortlines except that they are listed on a railcar's route, and they collect a fee for each car they move on their tracks.
- ISS shortlines operate the same as Class I and II railroads. They are included in the routes of railcars. Also, they serve as the billing railroads for loads that originate on their lines. For loads not originating on their lines, ISS shortlines still collect a portion of the freight rate.
List of short lines by State
Current short line railroads in operation in the United States are:
- This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Alabama
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Alabama and Tennessee River Railway | ATN |
| Alabama Southern Railroad | ABS |
| Alabama Warrior Railway | ABWR |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | BS |
| CG Railway | CGR |
| Chattahoochee and Gulf Railroad | CHAT |
| Conecuh Valley Railroad | COEH |
| Autauga Northern Railroad | AUT |
| Wiregrass Central Railroad | WGCR |
Arizona
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Apache Railway | APA |
| Arizona and California Railroad | ARZC |
| Arizona Central Railroad | AZCR |
| Arizona Eastern Railway | AZER |
| Copper Basin Railway | CBRY |
| San Pedro and Southwestern Railroad | SPSR |
Arkansas
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Arkansas and Missouri Railroad | AM |
| Arkansas Southern Railroad | ARS |
| Fort Smith Railroad | FSR |
California
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Almanor Railroad | AL |
| California Northern Railroad | CFNR |
| Carrizo Gorge Railway | CZRY |
| Central California Traction | CCT |
| McCloud Railway | CZRY |
| Pacific Harbor Line | PHL |
| Pacific Sun Railroad | PSRR |
| Richmond Pacific Railroad | RPRC |
| San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad | SDIY |
| San Francisco Bay Railroad | SFBR |
| Santa Maria Valley Railroad | SMV |
| Sierra Northern Railway | SERA |
| Trona Railway | TRC |
Colorado
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Denver Rock Island Railroad | DRIR |
| San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad | SLRG |
Connecticut
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Branford Steam Railroad | BRFD |
| Central New England Railroad | CNZR |
| Connecticut Southern Railroad | CSOR |
Delaware
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Delaware Coastline Railroad | DLCR |
| Maryland and Delaware Railroad | MDDE |
Florida
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Apalachicola Northern Railroad | AN |
| Bay Line Railroad | BAYL |
| Seminole Gulf Railway | SGLR |
| South Central Florida Express | SCFE |
Georgia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Chattahoochee Industrial | |
| Georgia Central Railway | GC |
| Georgia Northeastern Railway | |
| Georgia Southwestern Railway | |
| Sandersville Railroad | SAN |
| St. Mary's Railroad | SM |
| Valdosta Railway | VR |
Illinois
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bloomer Line | BLOL |
| Central Illinois Railroad | CIRY |
| Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railroad | COER |
| Decatur Junction Railway | DT |
| Eastern Illinois Railroad | EIRC |
| Foster Townsend Rail Logistics | FTRL |
| Illinois Railway | IR |
| Keokuk Junction Railway | KJRY |
| Peoria and Western Railway | PWRY |
| Tazewell and Peoria Railroad | TZPR |
| Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad | TPW |
Indiana
Iowa
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Appanoose County Community Railroad | APNC |
| Burlington Junction Railway | BJRY |
| Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway | CIC |
| Iowa Northern Railway | IANR |
Kansas
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Kaw River Railroad | KAW |
| Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad | KO |
| Kansas City Terminal Railway | KCT |
| South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad | SKOL |
Louisiana
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Southern Railroad | BRS |
| Louisiana Southern Railroad | LAS |
| New Orleans & Gulf Coast | NOGC |
Maine
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Eastern Maine Railway (1995) | EMRY |
| Maine Eastern Railroad | MERR |
| Maine Northern Railway | MNRY |
| St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad | SLR |
Maryland
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bay Coast Railroad | BCR |
| Maryland and Delaware Railroad | MDDE |
| Maryland Midland Railway | MMID |
Massachusetts
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Grafton and Upton Railroad | GU |
| Massachusetts Central Railroad | MCER |
Michigan
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Adrian and Blissfield Railroad | ADBF |
| Charlotte Southern Railroad | CHS |
| Detroit Connecting Railroad | DCON |
| Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad | ELS |
| Grand Elk Railroad | GDLK |
| Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad | LSI |
| Lapeer Industrial Railroad | LIRR |
| Tecumseh Branch Connecting Railroad | TCBY |
Minnesota
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Progressive Rail, Inc. | PGR |
Missouri
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Kansas City Terminal Railway | KCT |
| Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | TRRA |
Mississippi
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Meridian Southern Railway | MDS |
| Mississippi Southern Railroad | MSR |
| Mississippian Railway Cooperative | MSRW |
| Vicksburg Southern Railroad | VSOR |
Nebraska
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Brandon Corporation | BRAN |
| Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad | FEVR |
| Kyle Railroad | KYLE |
| Nebkota Railway | NRI |
| Nebraska Central | NCRC |
| Nebraska Northeastern Railway | NENE |
| Nebraska Northwestern Railroad | NNW |
| Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado RailNet | NKC |
| Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway | OLB |
| Sidney and Lowe Railroad | SLGG |
New Jersey
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Belvidere and Delaware River Railway | BDRV |
| Morristown & Erie Railway | ME |
| New York and Greenwood Lake Railway (1996) | NYGL |
| SMS Rail Lines | SLRS |
| Southern Railroad of New Jersey | SRNJ |
| Winchester and Western Railroad | WW |
New Mexico
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Arizona Eastern Railway | AZER |
| Santa Fe Southern Railway | SFS |
| Southwestern Railroad | SW |
| Texas-New Mexico Railroad | TNMR |
New York
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bath and Hammondsport Railroad | BH |
| Batten Kill Railroad | BKRR |
| Depew, Lancaster and Western Railroad | DLWR |
| Falls Road Railroad | FRR |
| Finger Lakes Railway | FGLK |
| Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad | LAL |
| Ontario Central Railroad | ONCT |
| Ontario Midland Railroad | OMID |
| Buffalo Southern Railroad | BSRR |
| Arcade and Attica Railroad | ARA |
| New York and Atlantic Railway | NYA |
| Rochester and Southern Railroad | RSR |
| Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad | WNYP |
North Carolina
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway | ACWR |
| Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad | AR |
| Alexander Railroad | ARC |
| Atlantic and Western Railway | ATW |
| Carolina Central Railway | |
| Caldwell County Railroad | CWCY |
| Great Smoky Mountains Railroad | GSMR |
| Winston-Salem Southbound Railway | WSS |
| Yadkin Valley Railroad | YVRR |
North Dakota
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Red River Valley and Western Railroad | RRVW |
Oklahoma
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Arkansas Southern Railroad | ARS |
| Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad | BNG |
| Farmrail | FMRC |
| Hollis and Eastern Railroad | HE |
| Kiamichi Railroad | KRR |
| Northwestern Oklahoma Railroad | NOKR |
| Sand Springs Railway | SS |
| Stillwater Central Railroad | SLWC |
| Texas, Oklahoma and Eastern Railroad | TOE |
Wichita Tillman and Jackson
WTJR
Ohio
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Ashland Railway | ASRY |
| Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad | CVSR |
| Ohio Central Railroad | OHCR |
| Ohio Valley Railroad | OVR, OVRX |
| Toledo Lake Erie & Western | TLEW |
Oregon
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Albany & Eastern Railroad | AERC |
| City of Prineville Railway | COPR |
| Coos Bay Rail Link | CBR |
| Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad | INPR |
| Klamath Northern Railway | KNOR |
| Modoc Northern Railroad | MHRR |
| Mount Hood Railroad | MH |
| Oregon Pacific Railroad | OPR |
| Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad | PCC |
| Peninsula Terminal Railroad | PT |
| Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad | POTB |
| Portland Terminal Railroad | PTO |
| Wallowa Union Railroad Authority | WURR |
| WCTU Railway | WCTR |
| Willamette Valley Railway | WVR |
| Wyoming & Colorado Railway | WYCO |
Pennsylvania
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Allegheny Valley Railroad | AVR |
| Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad | DL |
| East Penn Railroad | ESPN |
| Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad | PN |
| Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad | POHC |
| Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad | MIDH |
| New Hope and Ivyland Railroad | NHIR |
| Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad | RBMN |
| Shamokin Valley Railroad | SVRR |
South Carolina
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Carolina Southern Railroad | CALA |
| Greenville and Western Railway | GRLW |
| Hampton and Branchville Railroad | HB |
| Lancaster and Chester Railroad | LC |
| Pee Dee River Railway | PDRR |
| Pickens Railway | PICK |
| South Carolina Central Railroad | SCRF |
South Dakota
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Dakota Southern Railway | DSRC |
| Ellis and Eastern | EE |
Tennessee
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| East Tennessee Railway | ETRY |
| Nashville and Eastern Railroad | NERR |
Texas
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Alamo Gulf Coast Railroad | AGCR |
| Alliance Terminal Railroad | ATR |
| Angelina and Neches River Railroad | ANR |
| Austin Western Railroad | AWRR |
| Blacklands Railroad | BLR |
| Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad | DGNO |
| Fort Worth and Western Railroad | FWWR |
| Galveston Railroad | GVSR |
| Georgetown Railroad | GRR |
| Gulf, Colorado and San Saba Railroad | GCSR |
| Moscow, Camden and San Augustine Railroad | MCSA |
| Pecos Valley Southern Railway | PVS |
| Point Comfort and Northern Railway | PCN |
| Sabine River and Northern Railroad | SRN |
| Texas and Northern Railway | TN |
| Timber Rock Railroad | TIBR |
Utah
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Utah Railway | UTAH |
Vermont
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Green Mountain Railroad | GMRC |
| New England Central Railroad | NECR |
Virginia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bay Coast Railroad | BCR |
| Buckingham Branch Railroad | BB |
| Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad | CA |
| Commonwealth Railway | CWRY |
| North Carolina and Virginia Railroad | NCVA |
| Shenandoah Valley Railroad | SV |
| Virginia Southern Railroad | VSRR |
| Winchester and Western Railroad | WW |
Washington
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Ballard Terminal Railroad | BT |
| Cascade and Columbia River Railroad | CSCD |
| Columbia and Cowlitz Railway | CLC |
| Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad | PSAP |
| Tacoma Rail | TMRW |
West Virginia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Big Eagle Railroad | BER |
Wisconsin
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Southern Railroad | WSOR |
Interstate
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bay Line Railroad (AL and FL) | BAYL |
| Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad | CFE |
| Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad (IL and IN) | CSS |
| Cimarron Valley Railroad (CO,KS, and OK) | CVR |
| Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad (IL and IN) | KBSR |
| Rail Link, Inc, (operates 26 short line railroads) | RLIX |
| New York New Jersey Rail, LLC (NJ and NY) | NYNJ |
| New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NJ, NY, and PA) | NYSW |
| St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (ME, NH, and VT) | SLA |
| Utah Railway (CO and UT) | UTAH |
| Watco Companies (owners of 17 short lines) | WATX, WAMX |
| Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway (OK and TX) | WTJR |
| Housatonic Railroad (HRRC) | HRRC |
Statistics
It was reported in 2009 that short-line railroads employ 20,000 people in the US, and own 30 percent of nation's railroad tracks. About a quarter of all US rail freight travels at least a small part of its journey over a short-line railroad.[3]
See also
- Class I railroad
- Class II railroad
- List of United States railroads
- List of Canadian railroads
- List of Mexican railroads
- Switching and terminal railroad
References
- ↑ The Little Engineers That Could by Sandra D. Atchison (Business Week), 1992-7-27
- ↑ Link text,.
- ↑ Shortline Railroads Keep American Towns Humming By Ben Dobbin (Associated Press), 2009-08-26
External links
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