The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway , also known as the ''Suwanee River Route'' from its crossing of the Suwanee River, was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida ''Railroad'' and began operations between

Macon, GA Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Ge ...

and

Valdosta, GA Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. As of 2019, Valdosta had an estimated population of 56,457. Valdosta is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2021 had ...

in 1889, extending to Palatka, FL in 1890. The railroad went bankrupt by 1891, was reorganized as the Georgia Southern and Florida ''Railway'' in 1895, and was controlled by the Southern Railway. In 1902, the GS&F purchased the

Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway Chartered in 1897, the Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway operated from Valdosta, Georgia, to Jacksonville, Florida, and was nicknamed the ''Jacksonville Short Line''. The line was opened in July 1899, prefaced by a "bohemian smoker" banquet in ...

that ran from

Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

. The GS&F also owned the Macon and Birmingham Railway and the

Hawkinsville and Florida Southern Railway The Hawkinsville and Florida Southern Railway (H&FS) was founded in 1896 and by 1901 was operating of track from Hawkinsville to Worth, Georgia, United States, where it connected with the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad. It also operate ...

, both of which were operated as separate companies; both ended up going bankrupt and being mostly abandoned. The GS&F was eventually acquired by the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

and still operates as a subsidiary. As of November 2012, at least one operating Norfolk Southern locomotive retains GSF reporting marks. The line was abandoned south of

Lake City, Florida Lake City is a city in northern Florida. It is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 12,329. It is the principal city of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which ...

in the late 1980s. The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail runs along some of the abandoned right of way. The remaining line is still in service and operated by

. It is designated as Norfolk Southern's Macon District from Macon to Valdosta, and the Navair District from Valdosta to end of the line in Navair (just south of Lake City).Norfolk Southern Georgia Division Timetable
/ref>

Historic stations

References

External links

"Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad," Railga.com

Abandoned Florida segment, described by Abandoned Rails
Georgia (U.S. state) railroads Defunct Florida railroads Railway companies established in 1895 Predecessors of the Southern Railway (U.S.) Norfolk Southern Railway Former Class I railroads in the United States American companies established in 1895 {{US-ClassI-rail-transport-stub

Historic stations

See also

References

External links