Georgia Southern and Florida Railway

Georgia Southern and Florida Railway

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad
Founded	1885
Fate	Acquired by Southern Railway; later part of Norfolk Southern Railway
Headquarters	Macon, Georgia , United States
Area served	Georgia, Florida
Parent	Norfolk Southern Railway

The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway, often referred to as the Suwanee River Route due to its crossing over the Suwanee River, was originally established in 1885 under the name Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad. Its service commenced in 1889, connecting Macon, GA to Valdosta, GA, and by 1890 it extended further south to Palatka, FL. Following financial difficulties that led to bankruptcy by 1891, the company was restructured in 1895 as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway and subsequently came under the ownership of the Southern Railway.

In 1902, GS&F expanded its network by acquiring the Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway, which operated between Valdosta, GA and Jacksonville, FL. Additionally, it held ownership of the Macon and Birmingham Railway and the Hawkinsville and Florida Southern Railway, both functioning as independent operations; however, these lines eventually succumbed to bankruptcy and were largely discontinued. Later on, GS&F was incorporated into the Norfolk Southern Railway system and continues to function as a subsidiary. As of November 2012, Norfolk Southern locomotives still display GSF reporting marks.

The segment of track south of Lake City, Florida was abandoned during the late 1980s; a portion of this former railway has since been converted into the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail. The remaining active line is operated by Norfolk Southern and is divided into two sections: the Macon District running from Macon to Valdosta, and the Navair District stretching from Valdosta to Navair near Lake City.

Historic stations

56.2 G Vienna Vienna 59.5 G Richwood Richwood 64.5 G Cordele Cordele junction with: 69.2 G Wenona Wenona 74.4 G Arabi Arabi 77.5 G Sibley Sibley 79.2 G Dakota Dakota 81.5 G Worth Worth connection with Hawkinsville & Florida Southern Railway (GSF) 84.8 G Ashburn Ashburn 87.4 G Sycamore Sycamore 91.6 G Inaha Inaha |- 95.3 GSunsweet Sunsweet |- 98.1G Chula Chula |- 105.2G Tifton Tifton junction with: |- 111.9G Eldorado Eldorado |- 118.1G Lenox Lenox |- 123G Laconte Laconte |- 125.5G Sparks Sparks |- 127.7G Adel Adel |- 131G Heartpine Heartpine |- 134G Cecil Cecil |- 138G Hahira Hahira |- 144G Mineola Mineola |- 151G Valdosta Valdosta junction with: |- 157G Dasher Dasher |- 163G Lake Park Lake Park |- 167G Melrose Melrose |-

State	Milepost	City/Location	Station	Connections and notes
GA	0.0 G	Macon	Terminal Station	opened 1916; junction with:
	0.9 G		Macon Junction	connection with Central of Georgia Railway
	1.3 G		Macon Yard
	4.4 G		Tamworth
	7.9 G		Sofkee	connection with Macon and Birmingham Railway (GSF)
	10.6 G	Avondale	Avondale
	13.0 G	Elberta	Elberta
	16.0 G	Warner Robins	Warner Robins	originally named Wellston
	21.3 G	Bonaire	Bonaire
	24.9 G	Kathleen	Kathleen
	29.0 G		Tivola
	30.9 G	Clinchfield	Clinchfield
	34.9 G	Grovania	Grovania
	38.4 G	Elko	Elko
	43.9 G	Unadilla	Unadilla
	48.8 G	Pinehurst	Pinehurst
	51.7 G	Findlay	Findlay
	Florida 170G Jennings Jennings |- 176G Avoca Avoca |- 182G Jasper Jasper junction with Plant System Savannah Florida Western Railroad DuPont-Lakeland Line ACL |- 192G Genoa Genoa |- 196G Facil Facil |- 199G White Springs White Springs |- 203G Suwanee Valley Suwanee Valley |- 206G Winfield Winfield |- 211G Lake City Lake City junction with Live Oak Tampa Charlotte Harbor Railroad ACL Lake City Branch Florida Central Peninsular Railroad SAL Western Division |- 212G Watertown Watertown Junction junction with Florida Central Peninsular SAL Western Division |- 219G Jefferson Jefferson |- 222G Lulu Lulu |- 227G Guilford Guilford |- 229G Cliftonville Cliftonville |- 232G Lake Butler Lake Butler junction with Jacksonville Southwestern ACL |- 239G New River New River |- 243G Sampson City Sampson City junction with Atlantic Suwannee River Gulf SAL Gainesville Gulf SAL |- 249G Hampton Hampton junction with Florida Central Peninsular SAL Southern Division |- 253G Theressa Theressa |- 257G Brooklyn Brooklyn |- 258G Keystone Heights Keystone Heights |- 259G Lake Geneva Lake Geneva |- 264G Putnam Hall Putnam Hall |- 267G Grandin Grandin |- 269G Florahome Florahome |- 273G Baywood Baywood |- 275G Carraway Carraway |- 278G Woodburn Woodburn |- 280G Springside Springside |- 285 Palatka Palatka relocated to union depot in 1908; junction with: |} See also Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail External links "Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad," Railga.com Description of the abandoned Florida section by Abandoned Rails