Southern Railway facts for kids
Southern Railway or Southern Railroad is the name of many different train networks around the world. Trains are an important form of transportation. They carry people to school and work, and they haul heavy freight across vast distances. Because so many tracks run through the southern parts of states, provinces, and countries, builders often picked this name.
What is the Southern Railway in North America?
In the United States, several famous train networks used this name to move cargo and travelers. The largest was the famous Southern Railway (U.S.), which operated across many southeastern states. It later combined with other lines to become the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. Other lines linked smaller towns and factories together. The Alabama Great Southern Railroad helped connect cities like Birmingham and Meridian. In Illinois, the Alton and Southern Railway worked as a switching line to move train cars between bigger companies.
Other states had their own regional routes. The Arkansas Southern Railroad carried timber and farm goods before joining the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. Travelers heading west could ride the California Southern Railroad, which connected inland valleys to the Pacific coast. The Dakota Southern Railway kept grain moving across South Dakota farmland. In the Peach State, engines rolled along the tracks of the Georgia Southern Railroad.
Different Midwestern routes also shared the title. The Illinois Southern Railway and the Louisiana Southern Railway eventually joined the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Meanwhile, the Indiana Southern Railroad moved coal and goods through farm country. The Iowa Southern Railroad linked small towns with help from the Wabash Railway. Settlers moving through the plains rode the Kansas Southern Railway, which joined the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. North of there, the Minnesota Southern Railway connected rural farmers to larger markets through the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
Other historic American lines include:
- Montana Southern Railway
- New Jersey Southern Railroad
- Southern Alabama Railroad
- Southern California Railway
- Southern Railroad of New Jersey
- Southern Railway – Carolina Division
- Tennessee Southern Railroad
- Vermont Southern Railroad
- Virginia Southern Railroad
Canada also built several lines using this popular title. The Canada Southern Railway crossed through southern Ontario and worked closely with the New York Central Railroad. In the east, the New Brunswick Southern Railway served coastal communities with help from the Canadian Pacific Railway. French-speaking towns welcomed the Quebec Southern Railway. On the west coast, the Southern Railway of British Columbia still moves heavy freight today.
How did Southern Railways expand across the globe?
Train builders across Europe, Asia, and other continents also chose this direction-based name. In the United Kingdom, the historic Southern Railway (UK) ran fast steam engines from 1923 to 1947. Today, British passengers ride commuter trains operated under the modern brand name Southern (Greater Thameslink Railway).
Across the English Channel, the Austrian Southern Railway connected Vienna to sunny ports on the Adriatic Sea. Another line with that heritage was the Southern Railway (Austria). In Germany, engineers laid the Southern Railway (Württemberg) to cross through scenic hills. Farther east, travelers rode the tracks of the Southern Railways (Ukraine) and the historic Southern Railway (Turkey).
In the southern hemisphere, trains conquered rugged landscapes. South America had the historic Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, which helped transport cattle and grain across Argentina. In Australia, settlers built the Main Southern railway line, New South Wales to link Sydney toward Melbourne. Farther north, the Southern railway line, Queensland crossed steep mountains and valleys.
Asia developed major southern lines as well. In British India, the Southern Mahratta Railway started running in 1882 to connect trading towns. Another important regional line was the Southern Punjab Railway. Today, millions of people travel every day using the modern Southern Railway zone in southern India. In China, engineers laid tracks through rugged deserts to construct the Southern Xinjiang railway.
See also
- Südbahn (disambiguation)
- Southern Line (disambiguation)
- South Line (disambiguation)
- Great Southern Railway (disambiguation)
- Ohio Southern Railroad (disambiguation)
- Southern Railway Depot (disambiguation)
- Austrian Southern Railway Company
