Augusta Subdivision

The Augusta Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. The line runs from CSX's A Line at Yemassee, South Carolina to Augusta, Georgia, for a total of 87.7 miles (141.1 km). At its north end it connects with Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX's McCormick Subdivision.^[1][2]

v t e Augusta Subdivision
Legend
to Port Royal (abandoned) CSX A Line (Charleston Subdivision) AMH 443.3 Yemassee AMH 461.9 Hampton Hampton and Branchville Railroad AMH 462.6 Mauldins Mill AMH 471.9 Fairfax CSX S Line (Columbia Subdivision) fmr. Norfolk Southern C Line AMH 477.3 Allendale AMH 485.6 Beldoc Sandoz Spur fmr. ACL Florence—Robbins Line AMH 501.2 AK 431.2 Robbins AK 445.2 Jackson Augusta Terminal AK 459.5 Augusta Norfolk Southern Augusta District CSX Georgia Subdivision CSX McCormick Subdivision
Note: Not to scale

History

Track of the Augusta Subdivision was built in 1873 by the Port Royal Railroad. That same year, the company declared bankruptcy and the line was sold to the new Port Royal and Augusta Railway in 1878.^[3]

The Port Royal and Augusta Railway was operated as part of the Central of Georgia Railroad line until the South Carolina General Assembly forced the railroad to give up the lines. The Port Royal and Augusta Railroad became part of the Charleston and Western Carolina Railway in 1896.^[4]

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) took over the Charleston and Western Carolina Railway in 1897 but operated it as a subsidiary until 1959 when it was fully absorbed by the Atlantic Coast Line.^[4]

The Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) in 1967 after merging with their rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL). Under the Seaboard Coast Line's ownership, the line was designated as the Augusta Subdivision from Augusta to Robbins (which continued north to Florence, South Carolina along what was previously the ACL's Florence—Robbins Line). Track from Robbins to Yemassee was known as the Robbins Subdivision at the time.^[5] After track from Robbins north to Cope was severed in the 1980s, the Robbins Subdivision designation was retired and the Augusta Subdivision was used for the full line from Augusta to Yemassee as it is today.^[6] What remains of the former Augusta Subdivision north of Cope is now part of the Orangeburg Subdivision.^[2]

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 who operates the Augusta Subdivision today.^[2]

See also

• List of CSX Transportation lines
• Port Royal and Augusta Railway

References

1. "AU-Augusta Sub - The RadioReference Wiki". wiki.radioreference.com. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
2. T. L. Wolfe (1 January 2008). "Southern Region Florence Subdivision Timetable No.5" (PDF). Retrieved 9 February 2017.
3. Beaufort Railroad Company, The Newest Railroad in South Carolina Archived 2010-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Charleston and Western Carolina Railway". Yesteryear Depot Collection.
5. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Florence Division Timetable (1971)
6. "Dunbarton to Cope, SC". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 31 August 2023.