is one of several
Short Line railroad companies owned by the
Watco Companies . It operates 85 miles of track between
Columbus, Mississippi and
Birmingham, Alabama , with
Trackage Rights over
Kansas City Southern /
CSX between Brookwood, Alabama and
Birmingham, Alabama . The line interchanges with the
Kansas City Southern at Columbus, MS. It also
Interchanges with the
Norfolk Southern at
Tuscaloosa, Alabama and with CSX at Birmingham, Alabama.
The tracks were leased to
Watco Companies by the Kansas City Southern effective November 6, 2005, resulting in the formation of three railroads; the
Arkansas Southern Railroad ,
Louisiana Southern Railroad , and the Alabama Southern Railroad. The Alabama Southern consists of the Kansas City Southern's Tuscaloosa Branch, which includes the Tuscaloosa Subdivision east of
Columbus, Mississippi to
Tuscaloosa, Alabama , the Warrior Branch between Tuscaloosa and
Fox, Alabama , and the Brookwood Branch from Brookwood Junction to
Brookwood, Alabama .
The entire line from Columbus, MS to Brookwood, AL was formerly operated by the
Kansas City Southern with the
Columbus And Greenville Railway , having trackage rights over the line.
The line was originally constructed by the
Mobile And Ohio Railroad which was purchased through a foreclosure sale by the
Gulf, Mobile And Ohio Railroad (GM&O) on
August 1 1940 . The GM&O merged with the
Illinois Central on
August 10 1972 resulting in the
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad .
On
March 31 1986 , the
MidSouth Rail Corp. , purchased 373 miles of track, which included this line, from the Illinois Central Gulf. On
January 1 1994 the Kansas City Southern bought out Midsouth Rail.
- Press Release Announcing Alabama Southern Railroad July 20, 2005 {Link without Title}
- The Historical Guide to North American Railroads - 2nd ed., (Kalmbach Books, 2000) for info on the Class I mergers.
- Trains.com Information on MidSouth Rail
- SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Southern States by Mike Walker (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 2001) Ownership and detail of rail line.
- Official Page
- [http://www.watcocompanies.com/Railroads/ABS%20(Alabama)/ABS_map.htm Route Map]
