Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway

Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Railroad
Predecessor	East and West Railroad of Alabama
Founded	1903
Defunct	1909
Fate	Merged into Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia , United States
Area served	Georgia, Alabama
Parent	Seaboard Air Line Railroad

The Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway (A&BAL) was a rail line linking Atlanta, Georgia with Birmingham, Alabama, which was eventually incorporated into the Seaboard Air Line Railroad network.

History

The creation of the A&BAL followed the acquisition of the insolvent East and West Railroad of Alabama (E&W) by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) on April 23, 1902. The E&W operated a route extending from Cartersville, Georgia to Pell City, Alabama, passing through towns such as Rockmart, Georgia, Cedartown, Georgia, and Piedmont, Alabama.

SAL reorganized E&W into the newly formed A&BAL subsidiary, expanding the railway by adding 37 miles from Coal City (which was renamed Wattsville in 1917) to Birmingham, as well as constructing a 43-mile segment connecting Howells (located in Northwest Atlanta) to Rockmart. Among the significant engineering works were the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle in Paulding County, Georgia—a structure standing 126 feet tall and completed in 1901—and three tunnels spanning a combined length of 2,964 feet: Divide (also known as Bushy Mountain), Hardwick, and Roper. These tunnels facilitated passage through Alabama’s rugged terrain and represented SAL’s initial implementation of tunnel construction on its lines. Today, the Hardwick and Roper tunnels are utilized by the Alabama and Tennessee River Railway, which operates under the OmniTRAX umbrella.

By 1904, A&BAL had extended service to Birmingham, establishing interchanges with prominent railroads including the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, St. Louis–San Francisco Railway, and Illinois Central Railroad. The Howells location became the headquarters for Seaboard’s Georgia Division, featuring facilities for locomotive servicing and switching operations. After its opening in late 1904, the sections between Rockmart and Cartersville as well as Coal City to Pell City functioned as branch lines. Freight operations commenced on December 5, 1904, with passenger services beginning on July 2, 1905.

In 1909, SAL fully integrated A&BAL into its system, designating the Atlanta to Birmingham corridor as the Birmingham Subdivision and the Rockmart to Cartersville route as the Cartersville Subdivision. Subsequent infrastructure enhancements included lining tunnels with concrete and improving alignment by straightening curves through deep granite cuts, which eliminated over six miles of older track to boost operational efficiency.

Prominent passenger trains that operated along this corridor included SAL’s Silver Comet, The Cherry Blossoms, and The Capitol.

Following a merger in 1967 between Seaboard Air Line and its competitor Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, the newly formed entity was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Later in 1980, SCL’s parent company merged with Chessie System to create CSX Corporation, consolidating operations under CSX Transportation by 1986.

CSX discontinued service on certain stretches of the original Birmingham Subdivision in 1988, specifically between Cedartown-Wellington and Rockmart-Smyrna (near Atlanta).

Cartersville Subdivision

The section running from Rockmart, Georgia to Cedartown, Georgia, which includes what was once SAL’s Cartersville Subdivision, remains operational. This segment is owned and managed by CSX and is identified as the Cartersville Subdivision along the route from Cartersville through Rockmart to Cedartown.

West of Cedartown

The former railway corridor extending from Cedartown to Maxwellborn has been repurposed into a rail trail, forming part of Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail and Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail. Additionally, the track from Wellington to Birmingham was leased by CSX in 2004 to the Alabama and Tennessee River Railway, a short line operated by OmniTRAX.

Historic stations

SG 667.6 SG 673.4 Wellington, Alabama Wellington connection with Alabama Mineral Railroad (Louisville and Nashville Railroad) SG 680.5 Ohatchee, Alabama Ohatchee

Birmingham Subdivision

State	Milepost	City/Location	Station	Connections and notes
GA		Atlanta	Terminal Station
	SG 574.8		Howell Yard	interchange with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Atlanta Subdivision
	SG 575.6		W&A Junction	connection point with Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
	SG 580.1		Edna
	SG 586.3		Floyd
	SG 592.0	Powder Springs	Powder Springs
	SG 602.3	Dallas	Dallas
	SG 608.4		Hanlin
	SG 612.9		Divide
	SG 618.5	Rockmart	Rockmart	interchange with Cartersville Subdivision
	SG 623.7		Fish
	SG 631.3	Cedartown	Cedartown	junction with Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad (CoG/Southern Railway (U.S.))
	SG 632.7		E&W Siding
	SG 640.8		Esom
AL	SG 644.4		Palestine
	SG 655.2	Piedmont	Piedmont
	SG 662.7		maxwellborn	(junction with Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad (ETV&G/Southern Railway (U.S.)))
	Anderson

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