Main Line
Former Atlantic Coast Line Main Line near Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Overview
Other name(s)A Line
StatusStill operating under successor company
OwnerAtlantic Coast Line Railroad (1900-1967)
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1967-1986)
CSX Transportation (1986-present)
Termini
Technical
Line length890.1 mi (1,432.5 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationNo
SignallingCentralized traffic control
Route map

The ACL Main Line (red) in relation to the SAL Main Line (blue)

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Port Tampa just southwest of Tampa, Florida, a distance of nearly 900 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Rocky Mount, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando. With the exception of a short 61-mile segment in Greater Orlando (which is now state-owned), the entire line is still owned by the Atlantic Coast Line's successor, CSX Transportation, and is still in service as their A Line.

History

By the time the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) was officially created, track that would make up its main line had already been built by the company's predecessors.[1] The main line was built in the late 1800s by the following companies:

Arch bridge over the James River at the north end of the main line near Richmond (as seen in 1985)

The process to combine these individual railroads into a unified system began around 1898.[1] By 1900, the system north of Charleston was officially merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company. In 1902, the Atlantic Coast Line acquired the Plant System, which expanded the network into Georgia and Florida and nearly doubled the size of the network.[2]

Due to increasing traffic and the Florida land boom of the 1920s, the ACL began work to double track 661 miles of the main line from Richmond to Jacksonville in 1922. The double track was complete in 1925, two years ahead of schedule. Automatic block signals were installed at the same time.[2] In later years, much of the main line would be restored to single track with centralized traffic control and passing sidings.[3]

The line carried many of the Atlantic Coast Line's passenger and freight trains though the years. Many of the company's passenger trains on the main line were from the northeast to Florida, which included:[1][4]

  • Champion (New York - Tampa/St. Petersburg, and New York - Miami)
  • Everglades (New York – Jacksonville)
  • Florida Special (New York – Miami/St. Petersburg)
  • Gulf Coast Special (New York – Tampa/Ft. Myers/St. Petersburg)
  • Havana Special (New York – Key West, via the Florida East Coast Railway prior to the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.)
  • Miamian (Washington – Miami)
  • Vacationer (New York – Miami)

In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line merged with their long-time rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL). The SAL also had a main line running from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida that was roughly parallel to the ACL's main line.[2] The two main lines crossed each other in Centralia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Plant City. After the merger was complete, the company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL), who largely retained both main lines in the combined network.[5] To differentiate the two main lines, the Seaboard Coast Line designated the ACL's main line as the A Line and the SAL's main line as the S Line. The letter A was added as a prefix to the mileposts on the A Line (A was also added to the beginning of the pre-existing letter prefixes on the ACL's branch lines).

CSX train passing through Hilliard, Florida on the former ACL main line

In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.[2]

Current operations

The full line from Richmond to Port Tampa is still in service. In 2011, CSX sold a 61-mile segment from Deland, Florida to Poinciana, Florida in the Greater Orlando area to the Florida Department of Transportation, who now operates the SunRail commuter rail service on that segment.[6] Other than that, CSX still owns and operates the rest of the line. Many CSX freight trains and Amtrak trains runs the line daily. From north to south, the A Line is designated by CSX as the North End Subdivision, South End Subdivision, Charleston Subdivision, Savannah Subdivision, Nahunta Subdivision, Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision, Sanford Subdivision, Carters Subdivision, Lakeland Subdivision, and the Tampa Terminal Subdivision.[7]

Historic stations

State Milepost[8] City/Location Station[9][10] Image Connections and notes
VA Richmond Broad Street Station opened in 1917 replacing Byrd Street Station
located on Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
ARN 3.6 AY Interlocking junction with Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
ARN 0.0
A 0.0		 Bridge over James River
A 1.0 Meadow
A 5.5 FA Junction
A 10.7 Centralia
A 12.8 Chester junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
A 19.4 Dunlop
A 22.0 Petersburg Petersburg Union Station replaced original station in 1910 and replaced by the current station in 1955 (which is located on a bypass track around Petersburg built in the 1930s)
junction with Southside Railroad (N&W)
A 27.1 Collier Yard
A 31.4 Reams
A 36.0 Carson
A 43.2 Stony Creek Stony Creek
A 53.2 Jarratt Jarratt junction with Virginian Railway
A 62.8 Emporia Emporia originally Hicksford
junction with Atlantic and Danville Railway
A 68.1 Trego
NC A 74.4 Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill
A 80.1 Garysburg Garysburg
A 82.6 Weldon Weldon junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Portsmouth Subdivision
A 89.9 Halifax Halifax
A 91.7 Pender junction with Kinston Branch
A 92.6 Ruggles
A 100.9 Enfield Enfield
A 107.0 Whitakers Whitakers
A 111.2 Battleboro
A 114.7 Schrader
A 119.6 Rocky Mount Rocky Mount Amtrak Carolinian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, and Silver Star
station rebuilt in 1911, 1916, and in the 1960s
junction with Nashville Branch
A 121.2 South Rocky Mount junction with Norfolk—Rocky Mount Line
A 125.6 Sharpsburg Sharpsburg
A 128.6 Joyner
A 129.4 Elm City Elm City
A 135.7 Wilson Wilson Amtrak Carolinian, Palmetto
rebuilt in 1924
junction with Norfolk Southern Railway (SOU)
A 138.9 Contentnea junction with Wilmington Line
A 144.2 Lucama Lucama
A 151.2 Kenly Kenly named for ACL president John R. Kenly
A 156.3 Micro Micro
A 161.2 Selma Selma Union Depot Amtrak Carolinian, Palmetto
replaced original station in 1924
junction with the North Carolina Railroad (SOU)
A 164.8 Smithfield Smithfield junction with Midland Branch
A 171.5 Four Oaks Four Oaks
A 180.0 Benson Benson
A 186.0 Dunn Dunn
A 194.6 Godwin Godwin
A 198.5 Wade Wade
A 204.1 Beard
A 209.7 Fayetteville Fayetteville Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto
current station built in 1911
junction with:
A 216.1 Hope Mills Hope Mills junction with Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad
A 222.9 Parkton Parkton junction with Parkton—Sumter Line
A 227.7 Rex
A 230.2 Rennert Rennert
A 236.5 Buie
A 241.3 Pembroke Pembroke junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Wilmington Subdivision
A 246.3 Elrod junction with Myrtle Beach Branch
A 252.8 Rowland Rowland
SC A 257.1 Hamer
A 262.2 Dillon Dillon junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Andrews Subdivision
A 269.1 Latta Latta
A 273.4 Sellers Sellers
A 280.1 Pee Dee junction with Wilmington—Pee Dee Line
A 283.1 Winona
A 286.3 Mars Bluff
A 292.7 Florence Florence Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto
station rebuilt in 1910
junction with:
A 300.0 Java
A 303.3 Effingham
A 309.4 Coward Coward
A 313.7 Scranton Scranton
A 316.1 Lake City Lake City
A 322.2 Cades
A 331.1 Kingstree Kingstree Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto
station rebuilt in 1909
A 336.5 Salters Salters
A 341.1 Lane Lane also listed as Lanes on employee timetables
junction with Sumter–Lanes Line
A 344.9 Santee Bluff
A 349.6 St. Stephen St. Stephen
A 356.7 Bonneau Bonneau
A 365.0 Moncks Corner Moncks Corner
A 376.1 Mount Holly
A 383.3 Hanahan Hanahan
A 387.7 North Charleston Charleston Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto
replaced Charleston Union Station in 1957
rebuilt as the Charleston Intermodal Center in 2018
A 388.4 Ashley Junction junction with South Carolina Railroad (SOU)
ACN 394.6 Charleston Charleston Union Station located on a spur at East Bay Street & Columbus Street
station building burned down in 1947 and platform closed in 1957[11]
A 389.3 Bennett
A 398.7 Johns Island junction with Croghans Branch
A 406.7 Ravenel Ravenel junction with Yonges Island Branch
A 415.8 Parkers Ferry
A 419.2 Jacksonboro
A 428.7 Green Pond Green Pond junction with Walterboro Branch
A 432.3 White Hall
A 443.0 Yemassee Yemassee Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto
parts of the station rebuilt in 1955
junction with Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (ACL)
A 449.6 Gilmania
A 459.3 Ridgeland Ridgeland
A 473.9 Hardeeville Hardeeville
A 478.5 Sand Island
GA A 490.4 Savannah Central Junction junction with:
A 490.9 Savannah Union Station accessed via a spur track
A 504.4 Burroughs junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
A 508.6 Richmond Hill Richmond Hill originally Ways
A 514.4 Fleming
A 522.8 McIntosh junction with Savannah, Hinesville and Western Railway
A 528.8 Walthourville Walthourville
A 537.6 Ludowici Ludowici originally Johnston Station
junction with Georgia Coast and Piedmont Railroad
A 543.7 Doctortown
A 548.2 Jesup Jesup Amtrak Silver Meteor
junction with:
A 553.0 Leake
A 558.3 Broadhurst
A 563.5 O'Neal
A 567.7 Hortense Hortense Junction with Brunswick and Birmingham Railroad (AB&A/ACL)
A 573.2 Raybon
A 576.9 Nahunta Nahunta junction with Waycross–Brunswick Line
A 582.0 Shea
A 588.5 Winokur
A 592.0 Newell
A 602.5 Folkston Folkston junction with Waycross—Folkston Line
FL A 608.5 Boulogne Boulogne
A 614.5 Hilliard Hilliard
A 620.1 Dyal Dyal
A 624.5 Callahan Callahan junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Gross Subdivision
A 635.2 Dinsmore
A 640.0 Jacksonville Grand Crossing junction with Wilcox Line
A 640.3 Moncrief Yard
A 643.7 Jacksonville Union Terminal junction with:
A 649.9 McGirts
A 654.0 Yukon Yukon originally Black Point
A 658.6 Orange Park Orange Park
A 665.1 Doctor's Inlet Doctor's Inlet
A 668.5 Russell originally Fleming
A 672.6 Green Cove Springs Green Cove Springs
A 676.1 Walkill
A 682.2 West Tocoi
A 690.8 Bostwick Bostwick
A 696.7 Pecan
A 698.0 Palatka Palatka Union Station Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star
junction with:
A 700.4 Lundy
A 708.1 Satsuma Satsuma
A 712.2 Pomona Park Pomona Park originally Pomona
A 716.7 Huntington Huntington
A 719.3 Crescent City Crescent City
A 722.2 Longs
A 726.6 Seville Seville
A 732.0 Pierson Pierson
A 737.9 Barberville Barberville
A 743.1 DeLeon Springs DeLeon Springs originally Spring Garden
A 746.3 Glenwood Glenwood
A 750.0 West DeLand DeLand Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star
originally DeLand Junction
junction with DeLand and St. Johns River Railroad (ACL)
A 754.8 Orange City Orange City junction with Florida East Coast Railway Orange City Branch
A 760.8 DeBary Benson Junction junction with Florida East Coast Railway Enterprise Branch
A 764.5 Sanford Rands Currently the location of the Rand Yard
A 766.3 Sanford Amtrak Auto Train
junction with:
A 771.3 Lake Mary Lake Mary
A 778.4 Longwood Longwood
A 781.3 Altamonte Springs Altamonte Springs Originally Snowville
A 783.0 Maitland Maitland
A 785.6 Winter Park Winter Park Amtrak Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Sunset Limited
rebuilt in 1912 and 1962
A 791.1 Orlando Church Street Station closed in 1926, reopened as SunRail station in 2014
junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Orlando Subdivision
A 790.4 Orlando Amtrak Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Sunset Limited
replaced Church Street Station in 1926
A 793.1 Pine Castle Pine Castle
A 798.4 Taft Taft originally Big Cypress
A 808.0 Kissimmee Kissimmee Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star
junction with:
A 812.0 Campbell Campbell
A 819.1 Loughman Loughman originally Lake Locke
A 824.8 Davenport Davenport
A 829.4 Haines City Haines City junction with Haines City Branch
A 835.6 Lake Alfred Lake Alfred originally Bartow Junction
junction with Bartow Branch
A 839.7 Auburndale Auburndale junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Miami Subdivision
A 844.7 Carters
A 851.8 Lakeland Lakeland Amtrak Silver Star
rebuilt in 1910 and 1998
junction with:
A 855.4 Winston junction with Bone Valley Branch
A 858.4 Youmans
A 861.1 Plant City Plant City Union Depot replaced original station in 1909
junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
A 867.8 Dover Dover originally known as Cork[12]
A 870.9 Seffner Seffner
A 873.5 Mango Mango
A 878.8 Tampa Uceta junction with Sarasota Line
A 879.6 Thonotosassa Junction junction with Vitis—Tampa Line
A 881.7 Tampa Union Station Amtrak Silver Star
replaced original station in 1912
junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad
A 890.1 Port Tampa

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schafer, Mike (2003). Classic American Railroads, Volume III. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing. pp. 9–17. ISBN 978-0-7603-1649-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Turner, Gregg (2003). A Short History of Florida Railroads. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2421-4.
  3. ↑ "ACL Signals - The A-Line". Rails in Virginia. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Condensed Tables, Table 1, 2". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 82 (8). January 1950.
  5. ↑ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Jacksonville Division and Tampa Division Timetable (1977)
  6. ↑ "SunRail gets go-ahead". Gulf Coast Business Review. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  7. ↑ CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable
  8. ↑ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Condensed Profile (1953)
  9. ↑ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Northern Division Timetable (1949)
  10. ↑ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Southern Division Timetable (1949)
  11. ↑ "Charleston, SC (CHS)". The Great American Stations. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY REPORT". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
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