East and West Coast Railway
| Company type | Railway company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | May 3, 1915 |
| Fate | Leased by Seaboard Air Line Railroad; discontinued by 1934 |
| Headquarters | Bradenton, Florida , United States |
Area served | Bradenton to Arcadia, Florida |
| Products | Transportation of mail, lumber, grain, and goods |
The East and West Coast Railway operated a rail line connecting Bradenton to Arcadia within the Peace River valley region. Contrary to what its name suggests, the railway never extended to Florida's eastern shoreline. Its main function was the transportation of mail, lumber, grain, and various other goods.
Commissioned on May 3, 1915, this route spanned nearly fifty miles, commencing at the Seaboard Air Line Railroad near Bradenton and proceeding southeast along the corridor that is now State Road 70, passing through Myakka City before reaching Arcadia. At Arcadia, the line intersected with both the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Lakeland–Fort Myers Line, concluding in the southeastern part of the city.
In 1925, the East and West Coast Railway was leased by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which had been providing its locomotives and rolling stock since the railway's establishment. Following Seaboard’s acquisition of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway in 1926, utilization of the East and West Coast line diminished significantly until it was completely discontinued by 1934.
This railway was one of two rail corridors linking Bradenton to the Peace River valley. The other was an extension of the Atlantic Coast Line's Tampa Southern Railroad from Sarasota to Southfort, near Fort Ogden, which ran a route parallel to this line.
Station listing
| Miles from Bradenton |
City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Bradenton | Bradentown | situated on Seaboard Air Line Railroad Bradenton Spur connecting with Tampa Southern Railroad (ACL) |
| 1.0 | Bradentown Junction | positioned on Seaboard Air Line Railroad Sarasota Subdivision | |
| 1.3 | Manatee | ||
| 1.2 | S.A.L. Junction | connection point with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Sarasota Subdivision | |
| 3.2 | East Manatee | ||
| 5.1 | Alsace | ||
| 11.7 | Lorraine | ||
| 21.4 | St. Claire | renamed Verna in 1916 | |
| 24.5 | Parmalee | ||
| 28.5 | Myakka City | ||
| 29.4 | East Myakka | ||
| 35.2 | Parkton | ||
| 40.6 | Pine Level | ||
| 42.4 | Tryon | ||
| 44.1 | Nocatee Junction | ||
| 47.0 | Belgium | ||
| 49.6 | Arcadia | C. H. & N. Crossing | required junction with Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway (Seaboard Air Line Railroad) |
| 50.3 | Arcadia | required junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Lakeland–Fort Myers Line |