Class I Railroad map of North America.
Click to enlarge.
(Kmusser, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons)
RAILROADS A-Z
CLASS I AND FORMER CLASS I RAILROADS
Class I railroads are the largest rail carriers in the United States. In 1900, there were 132 Class I railroads, but as the result of mergers and bankruptcies, the industry has consolidated and in August of 2021, just seven Class I freight railroads remained. Now there are only six.
Note: This list also includes other important or noteworthy roads and transit systems.
A
Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad
Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad
Alabama and Vicksburg Railway
Arizona Eastern Railroad
Arizona and New Mexico Railway
Arkansas and Missouri Railroad
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
See also: Fred Harvey Company
Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway
Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad
Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railway
Atlanta and West Point Railroad
Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad
B
Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad
Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway
Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
Bluebonnet
Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway
Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway
Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
Burlington Refrigerator Express
Burlington-Rock Island Railroad
Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway
C
Canadian National Lines in New England
Canadian Pacific Lines in Maine
Canadian Pacific Lines in Vermont
Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway
Carolina and Northwestern Railway
Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of Pennsylvania
Charleston and Western Carolina Railway
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
Chicago and North Western Transportation Company
Chicago Great Western Railroad
Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway
Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad
Chicago, Indiana and Southern Railroad
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway
Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (The Milwaukee Road)
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRIP)
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (RILX)
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway
Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway
Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Western Railroad
Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway
Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway
Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati Railway
Cleveland, Akron and Columbus Railway
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway
Columbus and Greenville Railroad
Columbus and Greenville Railway
Conrail Shared Assets Operations
Copper River and Northwestern Railway
Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad
Cumberland Valley and Martinsburg Railroad
D
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad
Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad
Duluth and Iron Range Railroad
Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway
E
El Paso and Southwestern Railroad
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway
Evansville, Indianapolis and Terre Haute Railway
Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad
F
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste
Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad
Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad
Fort Smith and Western Railroad
Fort Smith and Western Railway
Fort Worth and Denver City Railway
Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway
G
Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway
Green Bay and Western Railroad
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SI)
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (GSI)
H
Houston East and West Texas Railway
Houston and Texas Central Railroad
I
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad
Indianapolis Southern Railroad
International-Great Northern Railroad
International and Great Northern Railroad
International and Great Northern Railway
International Railway of Maine[
K
Kanawha and Michigan Railway
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway of Texas
Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM)
Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway
L
Lake Erie and Western Railroad
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway
Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad
Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
Lehigh and New England Railroad
Litchfield and Madison Railway
see also Long Island Rail Road History
Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad
Louisiana and Arkansas Railway
Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas Railway
Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company
Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company of Texas
Louisiana Western Railroad
Louisville, Henderson and St. Louis Railway
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
M
Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Railway
Mexican National Railroad (NdeM)
Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line)
See also: Soo Line Locomotives
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
Minnesota and International Railway
Missouri and Arkansas Railway
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Katy)
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad of Texas
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas
Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad
Missouri and North Arkansas Railway
Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway
Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company
MUNI San Francisco Municipal Railway
N
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).
National Railways of Mexico (NdeM)
New Jersey and New York Railroad
New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit)
New Mexico Rail Runner Express
New Orleans Great Northern Railroad
New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago Railroad
New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad
New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad
New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road)
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway (1942-1982)
Northern Alabama Railway
O
Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company
P
Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway
Pecos and Northern Texas Railway
Penn Central Transportation Company
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Perkiomen Railroad
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad
Philadelphia and Reading Railway
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad
Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad
Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway
Q
Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway
Quincy, Omaha and Kansas City Railroad
R
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
S
St. Joseph and Grand Island Railway
St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco)
St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway
St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt)
St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas
San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway
San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad
San Diego and Arizona Railway
San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway
San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad
Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway
Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch
Savannah and Northwestern Railway
See also: Soo Line Locomotives
Southern Indiana Railway
Southern Kansas Railway of Texas
Southern Pacific Transportation Company
See also History of the Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railway
See also Santa Fe Pacific Corporation
Southern Railway in Mississippi
Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad
Spokane International Railroad
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway
Sunset Railroad
Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad
T
Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Toledo and Ohio Central Railway
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM)
Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway
U
Ulster and Delaware Railroad
V
Vandalia Railroad
Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway
Virginia and Southwestern Railway
W
Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway
Washington Southern Railway
West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (1916-1988)
Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway
Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad
Wichita Valley Railway
Wisconsin Central Railroad
Wisconsin Central Railway
Wisconsin Great Northern Railway
Y
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad
