Columbia and St. Louis Railroad
| Company type | Railroad operator |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Columbia , United States |
Area served | Boone County, Missouri |
| Owner | City of Columbia, Missouri |
The Columbia Branch is a rail corridor located in Boone County, Missouri, extending from Columbia, Missouri to Centralia, Missouri. At Centralia, it links with the St. Louis District of the Norfolk Southern Railway. This line was originally built by the Boone County and Jefferson City Railroad in 1867. Currently, ownership rests with the city of Columbia, while operations are managed by the Columbia Terminal Railroad.
History
The Boone County and Jefferson City Railroad was established in 1857 with the goal of constructing a rail connection between Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri. However, progress was postponed until after the Civil War concluded. In 1866, the North Missouri Railroad took over the company through a lease agreement and subsequently inaugurated the branch on October 29, 1867. The North Missouri's principal line ran east to west through Centralia, Missouri, situated approximately north of Columbia.
Although the track never extended past Columbia, it experienced multiple changes in ownership. The North Missouri reorganized itself as the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railway in 1872. Meanwhile, in 1873, the Boone County and Jefferson City Railroad was renamed the Boone County and Boonville Railway. From 1879 until 1902, control of the lease transferred among various Wabash Railroad affiliates. In 1902, Wabash created the Columbia and St. Louis Railroad specifically to acquire both the Boone County and Boonville Railway and full ownership of the Columbia Branch.
In 1964, the Norfolk and Western Railway assumed a lease of Wabash operations. Later, in 1982, Norfolk and Western merged with the Southern Railway, forming what is now known as the Norfolk Southern Railway. When Norfolk Southern intended to discontinue service on this branch in 1987, the city of Columbia intervened by purchasing the line and founding the Columbia Terminal Railroad to continue freight operations along this route.