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Revision as of 23:03, 16 September 2021
- Short Line is also one of the four railroads in the popular board game Monopoly, named after the Shore Fast Line, an interurban streetcar line.[1][2][3][self-published source]
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 United States and Canada. In the U.S., 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
At 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 U.S. 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.[4]
Classification
Because of their small size and generally low revenues, the great majority of shortline railroads in the U.S. 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.[5] In Canada, Transport Canada classifies short line railroads as Class II.
There are three kinds of shortlines in the U.S.: 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.
Impact of Consolidation
An ever-growing number of shortline operators have been acquired by larger holding companies which own or lease railroad properties in many states, as well as internationally. For example, "Genesee & Wyoming Inc." (AAR Rep. Mark "GEXR") at this writing controls 113 railroads in 42 US States and 4 Canadian provinces. [6] (Undoubtedly there are many others.) A necessary and direct consequence of this is that "shortline railroads" may no longer be "by state."
List of short lines by U.S. state
Current short line railroads in operation in the U.S. are:
 |
Alabama
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Alabama & Tennessee River Railway | ATN |
| Alabama Southern Railroad | ABS |
| Alabama Warrior Railway | ABWR |
| Autauga Northern Railroad | AUT |
| Birmingham Southern Railroad | BS |
| CG Railway | CGR |
| Chattahoochee & Gulf Railroad | CHAT |
| Conecuh Valley Railroad | COEH |
| Wiregrass Central Railroad | WGCR |
Arizona
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Apache Railway | APA |
| Arizona & California Railroad | ARZC |
| Arizona Central Railroad | AZCR |
| Arizona Eastern Railway | AZER |
| Copper Basin Railway | CBRY |
| San Pedro Valley Railroad | SPSR |
Arkansas
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Arkansas & Missouri Railroad | AM |
| Arkansas Southern Railroad | ARS |
| Dardanelle and Russellville Railroad | DR |
| Fort Smith Railroad | FSR |
California
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| California Northern Railroad | CFNR |
| Carrizo Gorge Railway | CZRY |
| Central California Traction | CCT |
| Disneyland Railroad | (DRR) |
| McCloud Railway | MCR |
| Modesto & Empire Traction Company | MET |
| Northwestern Pacific Railroad | NWP |
| Pacific Harbor Line | PHL |
| Pacific Sun Railroad | PSRR |
| Richmond Pacific Railroad | RPRC |
| San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad | SDIY |
| San Francisco Bay Railroad | SFBR |
| San Joaquin Valley Railroad | SJVR |
| Santa Maria Valley Railroad | SMV |
| Sierra Northern Railway | SERA |
| Trona Railway | TRC |
Colorado
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Denver Rock Island Railroad | DRIR |
| Great Western Railroad of Colorado | GWR |
| Rock & Rail | RRRR |
| San Luis & 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 |
|---|---|
| Delmarva Central Railroad | DCR |
| East Penn Railroad | ESPN |
| Maryland & Delaware Railroad | MDDE |
| Wilmington & Western Railroad | WWRC |
Florida
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Apalachicola Northern Railroad | AN |
| Bay Line Railroad | BAYL |
| Seminole Gulf Railway | SGLR |
| South Central Florida Express | SCFE |
| Walt Disney World Railroad | (WDWRR) |
Georgia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad | CIRR |
| Georgia Central Railway | GC |
| Georgia Northeastern Railroad | GNRR |
| Georgia Southwestern Railroad | GSWR |
| Sandersville Railroad | SAN |
| St. Mary's Railroad | SM |
| Valdosta Railway | VR |
Idaho
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Boise Valley Railroad | BVRR |
| St. Maries River Railroad | STMA |
Illinois
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bloomer Line | BLOL |
| Central Illinois Railroad | CIRY |
| Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway | COER |
| Decatur Junction Railway | DT |
| Eastern Illinois Railroad | EIRC |
| Foster Townsend Rail Logistics | FTRL |
| Illinois Railway | IR |
| Keokuk Junction Railway | KJRY |
| Peoria & Western Railway | PWRY |
| Tazewell & Peoria Railroad | TZPR |
| Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad | TPW |
Indiana
Iowa
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Burlington Junction Railway | BJRY |
| Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway | CIC |
| Iowa Northern Railway | IANR |
Kansas
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad | KO |
| Kansas City Terminal Railway | KCT |
| Kaw River Railroad | KAW |
| Kyle Railroad | KYLE |
| 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 & Atlantic Railroad | SLR |
Maryland
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Delmarva Central Railroad | DCR |
| Maryland & Delaware Railroad | MDDE |
| Maryland Midland Railway | MMID |
Massachusetts
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| East Brookfield & Spencer Railroad | EBSR |
| Grafton & Upton Railroad | GU |
| Massachusetts Central Railroad | MCER |
Michigan
Minnesota
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Progressive Rail | PGR |
| Twin Cities & Western Railroad | TCW |
| Red River Valley & Western Railroad | RRVW |
Mississippi
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Meridian Southern Railway | MDS |
| Mississippian Railway Cooperative | MSRW |
| Mississippi Delta Railroad | MDR |
| Mississippi Export Railroad | MSE |
| Mississippi Southern Railroad | MSR |
| Vicksburg Southern Railroad | VSOR |
Missouri
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Columbia Terminal Railroad | CT |
| Kansas City Terminal Railway | KCT |
| Terminal Railroad Association of St Louis | TRRA |
Nebraska
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Brandon Corporation | BRAN |
| Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad | FEVR |
| Kyle Railroad | KYLE |
| Nebkota Railway | NRI |
| Nebraska Central | NCRC |
| Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado RailNet | NKC |
| Nebraska Northeastern Railway | NENE |
| Nebraska Northwestern Railroad | NNW |
| Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway | OLB |
| Sidney and Lowe Railroad | SLGG |
New Jersey
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Belvidere and Delaware River Railway | BDRV |
| Black River & Western Railroad | BRW |
| Dover and Delaware River Railroad | DD |
| Dover & Rockaway River Railroad | DRRV |
| Morristown & Erie Railway | ME |
| SMS Rail Lines | SLRS |
| Southern Railroad of New Jersey | SRNJ |
| Winchester & 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 |
|---|---|
| Arcade & Attica Railroad | ARA |
| B&H Rail Corporation | BH |
| Batten Kill Railroad | BKRR |
| Buffalo Southern Railroad | BSRR |
| Depew, Lancaster and Western Railroad | DLWR |
| Falls Road Railroad | FRR |
| Finger Lakes Railway | FGLK |
| Ithaca Central Railroad | ITHR |
| Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad | LAL |
| New York & Atlantic Railway | NYA |
| Ontario Central Railroad | ONCT |
| Ontario Midland Railroad | OMID |
| Rochester & Southern Railroad | RSR |
| Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad | WNYP |
North Carolina
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad | AR |
| Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway | ACWR |
| Alexander Railroad | ARC |
| Atlantic & Western Railway | ATW |
| Caldwell County Railroad | CWCY |
| Carolina Central Railway | |
| Carolina Coastal Railway | CLNA |
| Great Smoky Mountains Railroad | GSMR |
| Winston-Salem Southbound Railway | WSS |
| Yadkin Valley Railroad | YVRR |
North Dakota
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Red River Valley & Western Railroad | RRVW |
Ohio
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Ashland Railway | ASRY |
| Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad | CVSR |
| Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railroad | ND&W |
| Ohio Central Railroad | OHCR |
| Ohio Terminal Railway | OHIO |
| Ohio Valley Railroad | OVR, OVRX |
| Toledo Lake Erie & Western | TLEW |
| Cincinnati East Terminal Railway | CET |
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 Railway | WTJR |
Oregon
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Albany & Eastern Railroad | AERC |
| City of Prineville Railway | COPR |
| Coos Bay Rail Line | CBR |
| Goose Lake Railway | GOOS |
| Klamath Northern Railway | KNOR |
| Mount Hood Railroad | MH |
| Oregon Pacific Railroad | OPR |
| Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad | PCC |
| Peninsula Terminal Railroad | PT |
| Portland Terminal Railroad | PTRC |
| Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad | POTB |
| Rogue Valley Terminal Railroad | RVT |
| Wallowa Union Railroad Authority | WURR |
| Willamette Valley Railway | WVR |
| Wyoming & Colorado Railway (Oregon Eastern Division) | OERR |
Pennsylvania
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Allegheny Valley Railroad | AVR |
| Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad | BLE |
| Colebrookdale Railroad | CRR |
| Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad | DL |
| East Penn Railroad | ESPN |
| Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad | MIDH |
| New Hope Railroad | NHRR |
| Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad | NBER |
| Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad | PN |
| Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad | POHC |
| Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad | RBMN |
| Shamokin Valley Railroad | SVRR |
| Strasburg Rail Road Company | SRC |
| Tyburn Railroad | TYBR |
South Carolina
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Carolina Piedmont Railroad | CPDR |
| Carolina Southern Railroad | CALA |
| Greenville & 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 & Eastern Railroad | NERR |
Texas
Utah
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Salt Lake City Southern Railroad | SL |
| Salt Lake, Garfield and Western Railway | SLGW |
| Utah Central Railway | UCRY |
| Utah Railway | UTAH |
Vermont
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Vermont Railways | VTR |
| New England Central Railroad | NECR |
Virginia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Buckingham Branch Railroad | BB |
| Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad | CA |
| Commonwealth Railway | CWRY |
| Delmarva Central Railroad | DCR |
| North Carolina & Virginia Railroad | NCVA |
| Shenandoah Valley Railroad | SV |
| Virginia Southern Railroad | VSRR |
| Winchester & Western Railroad | WW |
Washington
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Ballard Terminal Railroad | BDTL |
| Cascade & Columbia River Railroad | CSCD |
| Central Washington Railroad | CWRR |
| Columbia and Cowlitz Railway | CLC |
| Columbia Basin Railroad | CBRR |
| Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad | EWG |
| Lewis and Clark Railway | LINC |
| Pend Oreille Valley Railroad | POVA |
| Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad | PSAP |
| Spokane Spangle & Palouse Railway | SSP |
| Tacoma Rail | TMRW |
| Tri-City Railroad | TCRY |
West Virginia
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Big Eagle Railroad | BER |
Wisconsin
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| East Troy Electric Railroad | ETER |
Interstate
| Railroad | AAR rep. mark |
|---|---|
| Bay Line Railroad (AL and FL) | BAYL |
| Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad | CFE |
| Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (IL and IN) | CSS |
| Cimarron Valley Railroad (CO,KS, and OK) | CVR |
| Deseret Power Railroad (CO and UT) | DPRW |
| Rail Link (operates 26 short line railroads) | RLIX |
| Housatonic Railroad (HRRC) | HRRC |
| Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad (ID and OR) | INPR |
| Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad (IL and IN) | KBSR |
| New York New Jersey Rail (NJ and NY) | NYNJ |
| New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NJ, NY, and PA) | NYSW |
| St Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (ME, NH, and VT) | SLA |
| Utah Railway (CO and UT) | UTAH |
| Watco (owners of 17 short lines) | WATX, WAMX |
| Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway (OK and TX) | WTJR |
Statistics
It was reported in 2009 that short-line railroads employ 20,000 people in the U.S., and own 30 percent of nation's railroad tracks. About a quarter of all U.S. rail freight travels at least a small part of its journey over a short-line railroad.[7]
In other countries
In France, the equivalent of short-lines railroads are the "opérateurs ferroviaires de proximité" (local railways operators).[8]
See also
- Class I railroad
- Class II railroad
- List of U.S. railroads
- List of Canadian railroads
- List of Mexican railroads
- Switching and terminal railroad
References
- ^ Borgnis, Mervin E. "We Had A Shore Fast Line," 1979 (Exposition Press)(ISBN 0682494119).
- ^ Orbanes, Philip E. (2006). 'Monopoly: the world's most famous game & how it got that way'. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. p. 52 and 53. ISBN 0-306-81489-7.
- ^ Anspach, Ralph (2000). The Billion Dollar Monopoly Swindle (Second ed.). Xlibris Corporation. p. 132. ISBN 0-7388-3139-5.
- ^ The Little Engineers That Could by Sandra D. Atchison (Business Week), 1992-7-27
- ^ Link text Archived 2014-05-06 at the Wayback Machine,.
- ^ "Genesee & Wyoming Inc. website".
- ^ Shortline Railroads Keep American Towns Humming By Ben Dobbin (Associated Press), 2009-08-26
- ^ "Ministère de la Transition écologique et solidaire". Ministère de la Transition écologique et solidaire (in French). Retrieved 2017-12-18.