Atlantic and Western Railway
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | Atlantic and Western Railroad |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Headquarters | Lee County, North Carolina , United States |
Area served | Lee County, North Carolina |
| Parent | Genesee & Wyoming Inc. |
The Atlantic and Western Railway is a Class III short-line railroad that manages approximately 16 miles of track located in Lee County, North Carolina. It operates as a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and was restructured in 1927, evolving from the former Atlantic and Western Railroad.
History
Initially, the A&W ran a 25-mile stretch connecting Sanford to Lillington. By 1961, the majority of this route was discontinued, leaving only a 3-mile segment extending east from Sanford active. In the 1970s, the railway was notable for its fleet of updated 40-foot boxcars designed for food service, which were among the last of their type still in commercial use across the United States. After being acquired by Rail Management Corporation, the company underwent reorganization in 1988.
The year 2001 marked an expansion for A&W, as it extended services between Sanford and Cumnock along a line originally belonging to the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway. This line had subsequently been owned by Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern. Genesee & Wyoming purchased the railway in 2005. Later, in 2011, Norfolk Southern granted A&W additional operational rights to serve clients on the segment between Cumnock and Brickhaven.