The Kingsland Subdivision is a
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
line owned by
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
in Northeast
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. It runs from
Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
north to
Yulee, a distance of about 20 miles.
The line's namesake is
Kingsland, Georgia
Kingsland is a city in Camden County, Georgia, Camden County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 18,337 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 15,946 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of th ...
, which is located north of Yulee on track that was part of the Kingsland Subdivision prior to 2005, but is now part of the
First Coast Railroad.
[CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable](_blank)
/ref>
Route description
The Kingsland Subdivision begins in Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
, where it splits off CSX's A Line Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision
The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision is a group of railroad lines owned by CSX Transportation in and around Jacksonville, which was historically a major railroad hub. The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision includes about 13.0 miles of track.
Li ...
just north of Moncrief Yard. From there, it heads east and then turns north near Panama Park. From Panama Park, the Kingsland Subdivision heads north on a discontinuous piece of CSX's S Line. As it heads north, it passes the Port of Jacksonville
The Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) is an international trade port on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. JAXPORT is the largest port by volume in Florida, and the 14th largest container port in the United States. It carries about 18 mi ...
and just east of Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville International Airport is a civil-military public airport 13 miles (21 km) north of Downtown Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida, United States. It is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
History
...
. The line terminates in Yulee, where it connects with the First Coast Railroad.
Operation
The Kingsland Subdivision provides access to the Port of Jacksonville
The Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) is an international trade port on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. JAXPORT is the largest port by volume in Florida, and the 14th largest container port in the United States. It carries about 18 mi ...
, the largest marine port in Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. CSX also uses the line to interchange with the First Coast Railroad in Yulee.
History
From Jacksonville to Panama Park, the line was originally the easternmost segment of the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad which was built in 1899. In 1904, the Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...
, which would merge with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...
in 1967.
From Panama Park north, the line was built by the Fernandina and Jacksonville Railroad, which was organized in 1874 and opened in 1881. The Fernandina and Jacksonville Railroad would later become part of the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad
The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was the final name of a system of railroads throughout Florida, becoming part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900. The system, including some of the first railroads in Florida, stretched from Jackso ...
(FC&P). FC&P would charter the Florida Northern Railroad to extend the line north of Yulee to Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
, in 1894 to connect with the South Bound Railroad (which was absorbed by the FC&P in 1893).
In 1900, the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...
, and the line became Seaboard's main line. The Seaboard would designate the main line between Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
and Jacksonville as the Jacksonville Subdivision.
Seaboard Air Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Eventually, the railroad was merged with its affiliate lin ...
(SCL) after merging with the Atlantic Coast Line in 1967. The Seaboard Air Line's main line was then known as the S Line after the merger to differentiate it the former Atlantic Coast Line's nearby main line (the A Line). After the merger, the S Line between Savannah and Jacksonville was renamed the Everett Subdivision. The Seaboard Coast Line became the CSX Corporation
CSX Corporation is an American holding company focused on rail transportation and real estate in North America, among other industries. The company was established in 1980 as part of the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries merge ...
in the 1980s. CSX abandoned the line from Riceboro, Georgia
Riceboro is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States. The population was 809 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Hinesville- Fort Stewart metropolitan statistical area.
History
The community was named for the early rice industry i ...
, to Seals, Georgia, gradually from 1985 to 1986 and redesignated the remaining track to the south as the Kingsland Subdivision. CSX then leased the line from Yulee north to Seals (and the former Fernandina Subdivision from Yulee to Fernandina Beach) to the First Coast Railroad in 2005.
The S Line south of Panama Park was abandoned in the 1980s. The former Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad has been used to connect the remaining line to the rest of the Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision
The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision is a group of railroad lines owned by CSX Transportation in and around Jacksonville, which was historically a major railroad hub. The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision includes about 13.0 miles of track.
Li ...
ever since. The original Seaboard Air Line track from Panama Park south to Jacksonville is now the S-Line Urban Greenway.
See also
* List of CSX Transportation lines
CSX Transportation owns and operates a vast network of rail lines in the United States east of the Mississippi River. In addition to the major systems which merged to form CSX – the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Lou ...
References
{{Reflist
CSX Transportation lines
Predecessors of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Rail infrastructure in Florida
Transportation in Duval County, Florida
Transportation in Nassau County, Florida