Alexander Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Statesville , United States |
Area served | Alexander County and Iredell County, North Carolina |
| Products | Freight transportation (grain, pulpboard, plastics, lumber products, scrap paper) |
The Alexander Railroad Company operates as a Class III shortline railroad within North Carolina. It oversees a track stretching northwestward from Statesville to Taylorsville.
History
Operations for the Alexander Railroad commenced in 1946 when a group of local investors purchased the branch line running between Statesville and Taylorsville, which the Southern Railway had intended to discontinue. Bearing the name of Alexander County, North Carolina, the railroad serves both Alexander and Iredell County, North Carolina Counties.
The line was initially chartered and constructed in 1887 under the name Statesville & Western as part of the Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio, linking Charlotte, North Carolina with Statesville. Subsequently, the AT&O was absorbed by the Richmond and Danville Railroad, which later merged into Southern Railway.
Operations
The Alexander Railroad supports approximately 20 customers and transports around 2,500 carloads annually, equating to roughly 200,000 tons. Its primary freight includes grain, pulpboard, plastics, lumber products, and scrap paper. Daily interchange occurs with Norfolk Southern Railway at Statesville.
Roster
As of April 2019, the Alexander Railroad fleet consists of five diesel-electric locomotives: one GE 44-ton switcher (#3) along with four EMD SW1500 units (#9 and #10 painted black; #11 and #12 featuring black and green livery). Maintenance for four locomotives is conducted at Taylorsville, while one remains stationed in Statesville for yard operations.