Charleston and Western Carolina Railway

Charleston and Western Carolina Railway

Company type	Subsidiary (1897–1959)
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1896
Fate	Merged into Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Georgia, South Carolina
Parent	Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (from 1897)

The Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (C&WC) was created in 1896 through the unification of the former Port Royal and Augusta Railway (PR&A) and Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway (PR&WC), both previously operated by the Central of Georgia Railroad. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) purchased the C&WC in 1897, managing it as a subsidiary until its complete merger in 1959. A significant portion of the original route remains operational today under ACL’s successor, CSX Transportation.

Origins

The C&WC emerged by combining the Port Royal and Augusta Railway with the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway, establishing a rail network spanning western South Carolina. The PR&A, finished in 1873, stretched from Port Royal to Augusta over , funded by the Georgia Railroad to secure access to an Atlantic seaport. In 1881, the Central of Georgia Railway took over PR&A to safeguard its port interests in Savannah.

To extend its reach into western South Carolina, Central leased the Augusta and Knoxville Railroad ( covering Augusta to Greenwood) in 1883 and financed expansions including Greenwood to Spartanburg (), McCormick to Anderson (), and Laurens to Greenville (). These routes were consolidated in 1886 as the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway. Financial struggles in 1894 forced Central of Georgia to relinquish control over both railroads.

The business strategy behind C&WC centered on merging these lines to improve operational efficiency throughout Georgia and South Carolina. ACL’s acquisition in 1897 enabled it to operate C&WC as a separate subsidiary, capitalizing on its regional influence without fully integrating it until 1959.

C&WC offered passenger transportation between Augusta and Port Royal, with important connections at Yemassee linking to ACL lines heading toward Savannah and Charleston. Passenger services were discontinued between 1954 and 1957.

Following its absorption, C&WC’s routes passed through various successors: Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1967), Seaboard System Railroad (1983), and ultimately CSX Transportation (1986). Currently, much of the original rail infrastructure functions within CSX subdivisions such as Augusta, McCormick, and Spartanburg. The segment from Laurens to Greenville operates as the Carolina Piedmont Railroad.

This consolidation exemplifies a deliberate growth strategy within the regional rail industry, expanding market reach and operational capabilities under leadership that directed ACL’s expansion efforts.

Historic stations

AK 553.8

Main Line

State	Milepost	City/Location	Station	Connections and notes
SC	AMJ 468.1	Port Royal	Port Royal
	AMJ 463.8	Beaufort	Beaufort
	AMJ 462.1		Burton
	AMJ 455.2		Seabrook
	AMJ 453.9		Coosaw	junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Charleston Subdivision
	AMJ 450.0		Sheldon
	A 443.3	Yemassee	Yemassee	junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line
	AMH 449.0		Early Branch
	AMH 453.4		Cummings
	AMH 459.9	Varnville	Varnville
	AMH 461.9	Hampton	Hampton	junction with Hampton and Branchville Railroad
	AMH 462.6		Mauldins Mill
	AMH 468.4	Brunson	Brunson
	AMH 471.9	Fairfax	Fairfax	junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
	AMH 477.3	Allendale	Allendale	junction with Carolina Midland Railway (SOU)
	AMH 485.6		Beldoc
	AMH 489.2		Martin
	AMH 492.7		Millett
	AMH 501.2 AK 431.2		Robbins	junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Florence—Robbins Line
	AK 438.6		Ellenton, South Carolina
	AK 445.2	Jackson, South Carolina	Jackson
	AK 448.4		Kathwood
	AK 454.3		Beech Island, South Carolina
GA	AK 459.5	Augusta, Georgia	Augusta Union Station	junction with: Augusta and Savannah Railroad (Central of Georgia Railroad) Augusta Southern Railroad (Southern Railway (U.S.)) South Carolina Railroad (Southern Railway (U.S.)) Georgia Railroad and Banking Company
	AK 461.5		Broad Street
	AK 468.2		Martinez, Georgia
	AK 472.0		Evans, Georgia
South Carolina	AK 472.6		Griffin
	AK 476.8		Woodlawn
	AK 483.5		Clarks Hill, South Carolina
	AK 488.4		Modoc, South Carolina
	AK 492.3	Parksville, South Carolina	Parksville
	AK 497.7	Plum Branch, South Carolina	Plum Branch
	AK 502.9	McCormick, South Carolina	McCormick	junction with Anderson Branch
	AK 509.5	Troy, South Carolina	Troy
	AK 513.8		Bradley, South Carolina
	AK 523.3		Salak
	AK 524.8		Maxwell
	AK 527.8	Greenwood, South Carolina	Greenwood	junction with: Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway (Seaboard Air Line Railroad)  :Greenville and Columbia Railroad (Southern Railway (U.S.))  :Georgia and Florida Railroad (1926–1963)
	AK 534.3		Coronaca, South Carolina
	AK 542.1	Waterloo, South Carolina
	Irby	- AK 554.7 Laurens, South Carolina Laurens junction with: {{bulleted list  Greenville Branch  :Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad}} - AK 561.6 Ora - AK 566.7 Enoree, South Carolina - AK 570.1 Kilgore - AK 574.4 Woodruff, South Carolina Woodruff - AK 580.2 Switzer - AK582 .8 Moore - AK586 .7 Roebuck - AK592 .7 Spartanburg ,South Carolina Spartanburg station junction with: {{bulleted list:Richmond and Danville Railroad (Southern Railway (U.S.)):Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway (Southern Railway (U.S.))}} -  %}

Milepost !City/Location !Station !Connections and notes

Milepost !City/Location !Station !Connections and notes