The Northeastern Railroad was a Confederate Railroads - Northeastern gauge railroad that served South Carolina in the second half of the 19th century.
History Chartered in 1851, it was completed in 1856 and ran from Charleston, South Carolina, to Florence, South Carolina,Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States, Henry Poor, 1889, page 595 connecting with the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad.
The lines original Charleston station was located on Chapel Street near what is now the Charleston Historic District.
The Northeastern Railroad jointly leased the Central Railroad of South Carolina with Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad.Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States, Henry Poor, 1889, page 595
By the late 1880s, it was one of the larger carriers based in South Carolina, with 24 locomotives and nearly 350 cars.Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States, Henry Poor, 1889, page 595
In 1877, the Ashley River Railroad was built from the line in North Charleston which connected the Northeastern Railroad to the Plant System of railroads (which extended further into the southeast and to Florida).
The Northeastern Railroad became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1898. It became a segment of the Atlantic Coast Line's main line. Under the Atlantic Coast Line's ownership, the original Charleston station was replaced in 1905 by Charleston Union Station (which was located at East Bay and Columbus Streets). Charleston Union Station burned down in 1947 and the Atlantic Coast Line built a new station in 1956, which was then replaced by the current North Charleston station in 2018.
In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line merged with its rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (who also operated line through Charleston). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.Greenspun.com 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.
The line remains in service today as part of CSX's A Line (Charleston Subdivision).
Historic stations MilepostAtlantic Coast Line Railroad Southern Division Timetable (1949)City/LocationStationConnections and notesA 292.7FlorenceFlorenceAmtrak Silver Meteor, Palmettostation rebuilt in 1910junction with:HoweA 300.0JavaA 303.3EffinghamNew HopeA 309.4CowardCowardA 313.7ScrantonScrantonA 316.1Lake CityLake CityA 322.2CadesCadesA 326.1BrockingtonA 331.1KingstreeKingstreeAmtrak Silver Meteor, Palmettostation rebuilt in 1909A 336.5SaltersA 341.1LaneLanejunction with:A 343.7GourdinA 349.6St. StephenSt. StephenA 356.7BonneauBonneauMacBethA 365.0Moncks CornerMoncks CornerA 370.4OakleyA 372.6StrawberryA 376.1Mount HollyA 380.1OtrantoA 383.3HanahanHanahanThe FarmsEight-Mile TurnoutA 388.4North CharlestonAshley Junctionjunction with Ashley River Railroad (SF&W/ACL)CharlestonCharlestonoriginal station located at Chapel Streetreplaced by Charleston Union Stationjunction with South Carolina Railroad (SOU)
See also Charleston Subdivision
References