These projects were partial failures, with work on uncompleted portions being abandoned.
Australia •
New South Wales Railways •
Gulgong to Maryvale section of
Sandy Hollow–Maryvale railway •
Casino to
Bonalbo - construction abandoned in 1930s. •
Guyra to
Dorrigo - construction abandoned in 1950s.
Canada ;Alberta •
Alberta Midland Railway - built a line from
Calgary to
Vegreville and a branch from
Camrose to
Edmonton. Proposed a main line from Calgary south into
Montana. Left unfinished sections from Calgary to
High River, and
Fort Macleod to Fishburg north of
Glenwood. •
Canadian Northern Railway - Peavine Line. This was begun from
Hanna to
Medicine Hat in 1914. Completed and opened to
Steveville in 1921 with stations at Taplow, Sheerness, Rosslynn, Sunnynook, Carolside, Pollockville, Cessford and Wardlow. These places are now
ghost towns. Grading was completed towards Medicine Hat, with station sites at Dinosaur, Gilburn, Princess (where the
Canadian Pacific Railway was crossed), Pennymac, Bemister, Learmouth, Sinensen, Kalbeck, Stair (another crossing of the CPR) Redcliff and Medicine Hat. Work was abandoned by 1929. •
Edmonton Radial Railway - the company running the streetcar system of
Edmonton received authority in 1908 for a system of
electric interurban railways (called radial railways in Canada) but only managed to finish a short one to
St Albert. This line was to have run to
Athabasca, with a branch to
Westlock. Four other lines were intended to
Lac Sainte Anne,
Gull Lake,
Daysland and
Saddle Lake. ;British Columbia •
British Columbia Railway - graded to
Dease Lake, and track was laid to Jackson Creek by 1977. However, trains have only run to Minaret Creek. •
Canadian Northern Pacific Railway - a line from
Victoria to
Port Alberni was begun in 1911 but work was abandoned beyond Kissinger in 1928. ;New Brunswick •
St Louis, Richibucto and Buctouche Railway - planned a line from
Bouctouche (note spelling) to
Richibucto and
Saint-Louis-de-Kent in 1882, but only completed a stub between the latter two places. ;Nova Scotia •
Mabou and Gulf Railway - begun 1905, built from the
Inverness and Richmond Railway at
Mabou to coal mines and the harbour to the west, but failed to finish its intended line to
Orangedale. The coal mines failed in 1909. ;Ontario •
Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville Electric Railway - opened from
Beamsville to
Vineland in 1904 as the first stage of an extension to
Merritton to create a
Hamilton to
Niagara Falls line. The project was abandoned and the extension scrapped in the following year. •
Ontario West Shore Railway - an electric railway was begun in 1909 between
Goderich and
Kincardine. It was opened briefly from the former place to Kintail before work ceased in 1911. •
Walkerton and Lucknow Railway - wished to build from Saugeen to
Walkerton and
Lucknow in 1904. Only opened to Walkerton in 1908. •
Toronto and Ottawa Railway - 1877 changed its name from
Huron and Quebec Railway and began a trunk line from Toronto to Ottawa via
Lindsay,
Peterborough,
Madoc and
Carleton Place. Failed leaving substantial uncompleted works, and was taken over by the
Midland Railway of Canada. From Toronto to Peterborough the route was later used, but from Peterborough to Ottawa it was abandoned except for a stub from Madoc to Bridgewater (now
Actinolite) which was operated 1882-4 only. ;Quebec •
Lake Champlain and St Lawrence Railway - 1879 intended to run from around
Alburgh in Vermont, USA to
Sorel, but only opened
Stanbridge to
Saint-Guillaume. •
Quebec, Montreal and Southern Railway - a Canadian subsidiary of the
Delaware and Hudson Railway, intended as part of a trunk route from New York to
Quebec City. The portion between
Fortierville and
Lévis was under construction when the
Quebec Bridge collapsed in 1907, so work was suspended. The outbreak of war prevented resumption.
Haiti •
Chemins de Fer de la Plaine du Cul-de-Sac - the 1895 charter included a branch to
Pétion-Ville, which was unfinished. • '''Compagnie Nationale des Chemins de Fer d'Haïti''' - 1910, began to build a line from
Port-au-Prince to
Cap-Haïtien, on a circuitous route through the interior of the country via
Arcahaie,
Montrouis,
Saint-Marc, Rivière,
Verrettes, La Chapelle,
Mirebalais,
Lascahobas,
Thomassique,
Hinche,
Pignon,
Savanette,
Bahon,
Grande-Rivière du Nord and Cap-Haïtien.
Honduras •
Ferrocarril Nacional de Honduras - work on an interoceanic railway from
Puerto Cortés to La Brea was begun in 1869, but never got beyond
Potrerillos despite several attempts.
Italy •
Ferrovia Subappennina Italica - a major main line railway project, intending to provide an alternative inland route to the coastal main line between
Rimini and
Ancona. It was to run from
Santarcangelo di Romagna to
Fabriano, was begun in 1894 but the project was terminated in 1933. The section between
Urbino and
Fabriano was completed and opened. That between Santarcangelo and
San Leo was abandoned incomplete, with stations at
Poggio Berni,
Verucchio and Pietracuta (the last two and part of the route then being used for a different successful railway project). From San Leo to
Auditore no work was done. From Auditore to Urbino construction was also abandoned, with stations at Schieti and Trasanni.
Mexico •
Ferrocarril Interoceánico de México - intended to be a coast-to-coast line from
Veracruz to
Acapulco, but only reached
Puente de Ixtla. Acapulco never had a railway. •
Ferrocarril Mexicano del Sur - opened a route from Mexico City to
Oaxaca in 1892, but the intention was to reach
Puerto Ángel on the Pacific coast. •
Ferrocarril Mexico Cuernavaca y Pacifico - this was a rival line to the above from Mexico City to Acapulco, but only reached
Rio Balsas. •
Ferrocarril Pachuca y Tampico - began 1912 on a trunk line from
Pachuca to
Tampico, but only reached
Ixcaquixtla. •
Ferrocarril San Rafael y Atlixco - 1898 began a narrow gauge line from Mexico City to
Atlixco, but only eventually opened to
Ozumba.
Russia •
Salekhard–Igarka Railway (Трансполярная магистраль or
Transpolar Mainline) was a
Soviet Union infrastructure project under construction as part of the
Gulag from 1947 to 1953. Some portions were completed, either entering operation or being abandoned and awaiting rebuilding.
Spain •
Ferrocarril Lleida-La Pobla is the completed part of a major international railway project to build a railway over the
Pyrenees from
Lleida to
Saint-Girons in France with a tunnel under the Port de Salau. The scheme received final approval in 1907, and the line
Balaguer was opened in 1924. Work on the Spanish side then slowed, and opening to
La Pobla de Segur was in 1954. The Spanish government then announced that it was abandoning further work. •
Ferrocarril Santander - Mediterráneo - begun in 1925 to connect the ports of
Santander and
Valencia with a new line from the former to a junction at
Calatayud with the
Ferrocarril Central de Aragón. The line from Calatayud to Cidad-Dosante south of Santander was finished and opened in 1930. Construction continued on the unfinished portion to the latter city until abandonment in 1959. This had to cross the
Cantabrian Mountains, and the
Engaña Tunnel would have been the longest railway tunnel in Spain.
Turkey •
İzmir–Eğirdir railway - was intended to reach
Konya, but work beyond Eğirdir was stopped at the outbreak of the First World War and never resumed. The line from Bozanönü to Eğirdir was abandoned 2003.
United Kingdom •
Bishops Castle Railway - line linking
Central Wales Railway at with the
Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway at , never completed from to Montgomery owing to financial problems. •
Bury St Edmunds and Thetford Railway - intended 1873 as part of a main line from
Bury St Edmunds to
King's Lynn via
Watton. Hence, it had a south to east spur at
Thetford and its own station at
Thetford Bridge. The
Great Eastern Railway wasn't interested in the main line intention, and never used the spur (it kept the station). •
Caledonian Railway, Coalburn to Muirkirk Line -
Mid-Lanarkshire Extension Lines scheme 1896 included a line from
Coalburn to . The section between Spireslack Colliery and Muirkirk never saw a train, because the rival
Glasgow and South Western Railway was interested in obtaining
running powers over it once it was opened. •
Cardiff Railway, Treforest Junction - A railway for coal traffic was opened from
Cardiff docks to on the
Taff Vale Railway in 1909. The junction was badly surveyed, and the latter rival company prevented its use after a single test train. No other trains ever ran between the junction and . The unused portion included a viaduct. •
Clarence Railway - began a line to
Durham in 1829, with a branch from
Ferryhill to
Sherburn. Only the line to Ferryhill and the branch to
Old Quarrington were finished, the rest being abandoned uncompleted. •
Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway - intended a line to
Cranbrook and
Tenterden from the
Hawkhurst branch line of the
South Eastern Railway. Only to was built, as part of the
Kent and East Sussex Railway. •
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway - A main line was begun from to
Southampton via
Winchester in 1882. The company ran out of funds, with the section between the two latter cities left uncompleted. This was formally abandoned in 1888, despite substantial work in hand at Southampton. The route was later taken over and opened by the Great Western Railway between Newbury and Winchester. •
East Gloucestershire Railway - begun in 1862 as a line from
Cheltenham to via
Andoversford and , with a branch from the latter place to . Only the branch was finished. The uncompleted works from Cheltenham to Andoversford were sold to the
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway. •
East Kent Light Railway - in 1925 began construction on lines from to , and from to its own terminus at
Deal but were abandoned shortly afterwards. Also, the west to north curve at and the main line junction connection at were unfinished. to Richborough Sidings (including station at Richborough Port) was built in 1926 conveyed occasional goods trains but never opened for passenger traffic. •
East and West Yorkshire Union Railways - promoted 1883 as a main line from
Leeds to
Hull via the
Hull and Barnsley Railway from . Only managed to open a small network of colliery lines near Leeds. •
Furness Railway - Bardsey Loop line begun 1876, intended as relief main line between and . Line to
Conishead Priory from former place opened 1883, rest abandoned. •
Gifford and Garvald Railway. Opened to
Gifford in 1901, but abandoned the portion to
Garvald, East Lothian unfinished. •
Great Western Railway • Felin Fran at
Llansamlet to
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen line. Finished to just beyond
Clydach as well as to just south of Gwaen-Cae-Gurwen. Cwmgorse and Gwaen-Cae-Gurwen (South) had unused passenger stations, and an unused south-to east passenger curve to the existing Gwaen-Cae-Gurwen (Central) station had a viaduct. Middle portion of the line, including a tunnel, abandoned unfinished in 1923. Decline of the coal industry negated financial justification for completion. • Uxbridge through line. In 1907, work began on a line from to the
Uxbridge branch from , together with a new station for the town. Work was abandoned 1914, leaving only a branch to a temporary terminus at . •
Halifax High Level Railway - authorised 1884 as the
Halifax High Level and North and South Junction Railway to serve as the terminal railway in
Halifax, West Yorkshire for the
Hull and Barnsley Railway and the
Queensbury lines of the
Great Northern Railway, with a central station separate from that of the rival
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. A strategic route from Sheffield to Glasgow via
Huddersfield and
Keighley and avoiding Leeds would have been created, hence the second part of the name. The HBR was unable to achieve anything in Halifax, the GNR made an arrangement with the LYR to use the latter's station and the HHLR was left as a goods branch to the upper part of town with a passenger service of minimal usefulness. •
Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway - the unbuilt part of the intended 1904
Kent and East Sussex Railway extension from
Tenterden to via , using running powers to
Maidstone from the
South Eastern Railway goods siding at
Tovil. The KESR bought a locomotive to work the line, but did nothing else. •
Hull and Barnsley Railway - as the
Hull, Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company, began construction of a trunk line from
Hull to
Halifax, West Yorkshire via
Barnsley and
Huddersfield. Only managed to open to near Barnsley, which left the passenger service exiguous. The company abandoned its proposed passenger terminus at Hull Charlotte Street, and handled passengers at its good depot site at . •
Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway - authorised 1891 as a trunk line between proposed docks at
Warrington and
Sutton-on-Sea via
Knutsford,
Macclesfield (branch to
Cheadle for Manchester),
Buxton,
Chesterfield and
Lincoln. Only finished to near Lincoln, with the
Beighton Branch in the direction of Sheffield. •
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway -
Rishworth branch. The line from to was intended as a relief main line to , but was left as a branch in 1881 with further work abandoned. •
Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway - 1886 was authorised from
Lowton on the
Wigan Junction Railways to
Fazakerley to create a route to the northern Liverpool docks for
St Helens, but never opened west of that town. •
Metropolitan District Railway - Hounslow Town terminus - the MDR line to
Hounslow was intended to connect with the
London and South Western Railway at the latter's
Hounslow station but stopped short at Hounslow Town in 1883. This terminus was built as a through station, elevated above road level for a bridge that was never built. •
Metropolitan Railway - Watford Branch. Intended to terminate at
Watford Central station on
Watford High Street, but stopped short at
Watford (Cassiobury Park Avenue) despite a property being purchased to serve as the terminus. •
Mid Nottinghamshire Joint Railway - begun from south of to south of by the
London and North Eastern Railway and
London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1926. Only completed to in 1931, although the Calverton Colliery branch was built on part of the unused formation by
British Railways in 1951. •
Mid Suffolk Light Railway - The company started work in 1906 on an extension from
Cratfield to
Halesworth which was abandoned in 1912. Some fencing of the route started from Cratfield end and some infrastructure work started at Halesworth but has since been erased with modern development. Also
Kenton to , also abandoned owing to bankruptcy in 1906. Track had been laid from Kenton to
Debenham, but no facilities provided at the latter place. •
Midland Railway • West Riding Lines (Bradford Through Line) included the missing link in the company's London to Scotland trunk route, comprising a main line from to . Authorised 1896, begun 1905, completed to
Savile Town in
Dewsbury 1906, after various attempts the rest was abandoned 1920. • West Riding Lines (Halifax terminus) - at Halifax, the MR was authorised in 1898 to obtain running powers on the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway from its proposed Bradford line at
Low Moor, Bradford to a new passenger and goods terminus at The Shay. An unused tunnel under Shay Syke is extant. • West Riding Lines (Huddersfield and Halifax) authorised 1905 as a main line from
Thornhill, West Yorkshire on the Bradford Through Line to
Huddersfield and
Halifax. The project morphed into a goods branch following the
River Calder on a different alignment, terminating at Huddersfield Newtown and with proposed passenger services abandoned. The intended passenger station on the east side of St Johns Road was still an empty plot on the 1930 six-inch Ordnance Survey map. •
Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway - Begun 1871 but ran out of funds. Purchased by the
Great Western Railway and completed 1882, but not used. A passenger service ran from
Cinderford to Drybrook Halt from 1907, but the section from there to never saw a train. This included the Euroclydon Tunnel. •
Oxford and Aylesbury Tramroad - took over the private
Brill Tramway in 1888, and upgraded it to
common carrier standards so as to form part of an electric line to Oxford. No further work was done. •
Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway - began a line from to the
North Staffordshire Railway at in 1866, but ran out of money. A second attempt by the
Shropshire Railways in 1890 failed for the same reason. •
Rhondda Valley and Hirwain Junction Railway (note spelling) - began 1867 to build from to , involving a very long tunnel. This would have given the
Rhondda direct access to
Swansea and
Merthyr Tydfil. Completed to the south tunnel portal site, but further work abandoned. The Swansea outlet was later provided by the
Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway in a different direction. Survived as a
Taff Vale Railway colliery spur. •
Sheffield District Railway - intended to provide terminal facilities in
Sheffield for the
Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway 1896, but its line to the latter's
Beighton Branch was abandoned and the railway became a goods exchange line in the city. •
South Hams Railway - This was intended as a joint line from
Plymouth to
Modbury, begun in 1895 by the
Great Western Railway and
London and South Western Railway, which were rivals. The GWR built to just beyond , but the LSWR refused to complete the line or to co-operate. Services terminated at Yealmpton on opening in 1898. •
Tickhill Light Railway - completed by the
Great Northern Railway in 1912. The central portion was never used, and the rails were scavenged for the war effort in 1914. •
Thames Valley Railway - incorporated 1864 to build a line from
Twickenham to
Chertsey Bridge to serve the town of
Chertsey. Taken over before completion by the
London and South Western Railway, which already had a station in the town. As a result the branch only opened to
Shepperton, but
Shepperton station was still built as a through station not as a terminus. •
Wigan Junction Railways - this subsidiary of the
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was authorised in 1883 to extend to
Longton on the
West Lancashire Railway for access to Preston. Only the line to
Wigan Central railway station was opened, but that terminus was built as a through station with provision for a bridge over Crompton Street which was never built.
United States American
lumber companies could have a sense of humor when naming their railroads. Titles such as
Atlanta, Skeetercloud and Gulf are not, on their own, reliable indicators of unfinished projects.
Alabama •
Birmingham and Gulf Railway and Navigation - the
Black Warrior River was made fully navigable to
Tuscaloosa in the 1890s, and in response this company bought the city's
steam dummy streetcar system, the
Tuscaloosa Belt Railway, in 1907 with the intention of using it to switch freight with its riverboats operating to Mobile, and of extending to
Birmingham and
Gadsden as an electric passenger and freight line. The scheme collapsed in 1912, and the city lost its streetcars until 1915 when an electrified system was built. •
Birmingham, Laney and Piedmont Railroad - began a line from Laney (south-east of
Gadsden) east to
Piedmont in 1892, but abandoned in 1895. •
Cullman Coal and Coke Company - attempted to build a public railroad from
Cullman to
Bremen 1911-17 but only completed six miles which were leased to a private lumber company. •
Montgomery and Southern Railway - began 1880 to build a narrow-gauge line south from
Montgomery to the Gulf coast, but only got as far as
Luverne by 1889. This town grew around the terminus. •
Tennessee River, Ashville and Coosa Railroad - began in 1890 to build from
Anniston to
Sheffield, . Completed a spur of from
Whitney to
Ashville but failed and the track had been scavenged by 1900.
Arizona •
Arizona and Colorado Railroad - built 1908 from
Cochise southwards to Black Knob west of
Douglas. A subsidiary of the
Southern Pacific Railroad. Line completed, but was never used south of Kelton.
Arkansas •
Kansas City, Arkansas and New Orleans Railroad - began 1891 to construct the Arkansas portion of a proposed trunk line from
Kansas City to
New Orleans. Finished seven miles, running north of
Stuttgart. This and some of the abandoned grade was later used for the
Hazen branch of the
St. Louis Southwestern Railway. •
Kansas City and Memphis Railway - took over the
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Western Railroad and the
Monte Ne Railroad in 1910. The two predecessors proposed a line from
Wagoner, Oklahoma, to
Harrison, Arkansas. The KC&M abandoned the latter intention and began a trunk line to
Memphis, Tennessee, from
Cave Springs. Opened to
Fayetteville and was grading to
Huntsville. The line was to have gone on via
Searcy,
Judsonia,
Augusta and
Cherry Valley with a branch to
Little Rock. Also tried to build a feeder line from Monte Ne to Ovid near Huntsville, but only opened . •
Louisiana and Pine Bluff Railway - in 1926 the public timetable of this logging railroad offered service from
Huttig via Dollar Junction to
End of Tracks (sic), . to
Moro Bay were allegedly under construction. •
Memphis, Dallas and Gulf Railroad (formerly
Memphis, Paris and Gulf Railroad) - under the latter name graded 2 miles of line near
Little Rock 1907, but then re-organised and consolidated several lumber railroads in 1910 with the intention of forming a bridge route by building from
Memphis to
Murfreesboro and from the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad at
Hot Springs, Arkansas to Brown, also
Ashdown to
Dallas. Failed to build west of Ashdown.
California •
California and Nevada Railroad - an attempt at a transcontinental
narrow gauge railroad, proposed 1884 from
Oakland to the
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in Utah. Only reached
Orinda in 1891, of line. Part was later used for the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway trunk line to
Richmond. •
Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway - only built an isolated line between Yerba Buena and Las Flores, through
Malibu, by 1908. It never reached
Port Los Angeles or connected with another railroad. •
Northwestern Pacific Railroad - electrified its line from
San Anselmo to
Manor in 1908, as part of its electric suburban passenger network from
Sausalito. This was the stub of an abandoned project for an electric service to
Inverness, with a new line terminating there from
Point Reyes. •
Ocean Shore Railroad - was to have been an electric line from
San Francisco to
Santa Cruz, begun in 1905. The
1906 San Francisco earthquake crippled the project, and the portion between Tunitas Glen (at the mouth of
Tunitas Creek) and
Swanton was never finished. The two separate lines were not electrified. •
Northern Electric Railway - in 1913 completed an electric line from
Vacaville to Willota as the first section of a route from
Vallejo to
Sacramento, but the company went bankrupt and further work was abandoned. •
San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Railway - began 1908 to build an electric railway from
Oakland to
San Jose, but failed and evolved into the
Key System. •
Stockton and Copperopolis Railroad - began a line from
Stockton to
Copperopolis in 1870, but this was only completed as far as
Milton after the
Central Pacific Railroad took over in 1874. •
Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad - began to build from
Elmira to
Clear Lake in 1877, but only reached
Rumsey.
Colorado •
Arkansas Valley Railway - this subsidiary of the
Kansas Pacific Railway was begun in 1872 from
Kit Carson to
Pueblo with the expectation of substantial investment from the latter city. This was not forthcoming, because the city preferred the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. As a result, the AVR only opened to
Las Animas in 1873 and was abandoned five years later. •
Colorado, Wyoming and Great Northern Railroad - 1894 took over the
Little Book Cliff Railway at
Grand Junction to extend it to
Green River, Wyoming. Gave up 1899. Part of the route was later earmarked for the
Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway (see below). •
Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Railroad - began in 1906 to build a direct trunk line from
Denver to
Seattle via
Fort Collins;
Laramie, Wyoming;
Boise, Idaho, and
Lewiston, Idaho. Began substantial works from Denver to Laramie, including the Butte Royal Tunnel just south of the state line. Only opened Denver to
Greeley and abandoned the rest after bankruptcy in 1912. •
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad - began 1870 to build a narrow-gauge line from
Denver to the
Rio Grande at
El Paso, Texas, but in 1880 famously lost a battle with the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway over a right of way through the
Raton Pass which could only accommodate one line of railroad. So, it turned westwards and became Colorado's east to west trunk line railroad system instead -without ever bothering to change its name. •
Denver and Salt Lake Railway - intended to build a trunk line from
Denver to
Salt Lake City via
Vernal, Utah, and the
Uinta Basin, but the completed line never got further than
Craig in 1913. The company surrendered to the rival
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1931. •
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad - between 1882 and 1888 built a line from
Gunnison to
Baldwin and continued work towards the
Kebler Pass which it abandoned on bankruptcy. •
Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway - began in 1880 to build from
Georgetown to
Keystone, but stopped at Graymont. The
Atlantic-Pacific Tunnel under the
Continental Divide was begun at both ends, but abandoned unfinished. •
Greeley and Denver Railroad - began in 1907 to build an electric interurban between
Greeley and Denver, and graded some of its line from the former place. Only operated a small streetcar system on a loop route in Greeley. •
Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific Railway - 1911 reached
Coalmont, but the main line was to have gone from Northgate to
Grand Junction via
Steamboat Springs.
Connecticut •
New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad - chartered in 1863 to run from
White Plains, New York, northeast via
North Salem, New York, Ridgebury,
Danbury to
Brookfield on the
Housatonic Railroad. It was only finished north of Danbury in 1868, and of unfinished line was abandoned. The grade between North Salem and Danbury was occupied by the
Danville and Harlem Traction. •
Pensacola, Mobile and New Orleans Railroad - begun in 1907 to build a direct link between
Pensacola and
Mobile with terminal facilities for the trunk line railroads using the two ports. Only built from Pensacola to a dead-end location called Pemona AL, and operated as a logging railroad. Became the
Gulf Ports Terminal Railway in 1917. This is quoted as an example of a publicly expressed proposal being possibly fraudulent, to mislead investors. •
South Florida and Gulf Railway - graded 1914 from
Kenansville to
Basinger, and laid tracks to Prairie Ridge. This was part of an attempt to bring the area into cultivation, but it comprises fossil sand dunes and the railroad was scrapped in 1918. •
Tallahassee, Perry and Southeastern Railroad - built from
Tallahassee through Covington to Waylonzo, and graded to
Perry before abandoning work in 1907.
Georgia •
Atlantic, Waycross and Northern Railroad - in 1911 took over the
St Marys and Kingland Railroad, a short line between
Kingsland and the little port of
St Marys, the intention being to make the latter a rival to
Brunswick and to build a trunk line from the former to connect with the
Southern Railway at
Fort Valley. The effort was wasted. •
Georgia Florida and Alabama Railroad - in 1898 took over the abandoned route of the
Bainbridge, Cuthbert and Columbus Railroad which had attempted to build between
Bainbridge and
Columbus, for a line from the latter place to the Gulf port of
Carrabelle, Florida. The GFA failed to reach Columbus in its turn. •
Georgia Southwestern and Gulf Railroad - began a line from
Albany to
Panama City, Florida, in 1908 but abandoned work. It took over the
Albany and Northern Railway instead. •
Pelham and Havana Railroad - built from
Cairo to
Havana, Florida, in 1910, but never finished from Cairo to
Pelham. •
Smithonia, Danielsville and Carnesville Railroad - built 1895 from
Colbert to
Smithonia but failed to get from the former place to
Danielsville and
Carnesville.
Idaho •
Lewiston, Nezperce and Eastern Railroad - in 1912 took over the abandoned grade of the
Lewiston Southeastern Electric Railway which had graded from
Lewiston to Tammany by 1907 and intended to reach
Grangeville via Waha. The LNE began to build to
Craigmont and connect with the
Nez Perce and Idaho Railroad to
Nezperce, also a branch to
Asotin, but only opened to Tammany briefly. •
Pacific, Idaho and Northern Railroad - took over the abandoned grade of the
Weiser, Idaho and Spokane Railroad at
Weiser in 1899 and completed to
New Meadows. Work on an extension to
Seven Devils with a branch to Helena (now a
ghost town) was abandoned. •
Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad - the branch to
Hayden Lake, opened in 1906, was intended to reach
Bayview.
Illinois •
Alton, Jacksonville and Peoria Railway - only completed
Alton to
Jerseyville in 1912 but went no further. The city of
Carrollton paved its Courthouse Square in anticipation of its arrival, incorporating a length of track -and ''
Ripley's Believe It or Not! described this at The Shortest Railroad in the World''. •
Bloomington, Pontiac and Joliet Electric Railway - began 1905 to build a line from
Bloomington to
Joliet via
Pontiac, which would have been part of an electric
interurban passenger line from Chicago to St Louis. Only opened Pontiac to
Dwight. •
Chicago and Illinois River Railroad - set out to build from Chicago to
Keokuk, Iowa, in 1873 but only opened to Gorman south-west of
Coal City before running out of funds. Its unfinished grade from there to
Streator became part of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway main line, but the Mississippi River crossing at Keokuk never obtained a trunk line to Chicago. •
Chicago, Milwaukee and Gary Railroad - formed 1908 to create an outer belt line around Chicago, from
Milwaukee to
Gary, Indiana. Only opened a line from
Rockford, Illinois, to Delmar in
Kankakee County, Illinois, and became part of the
Milwaukee Road. The two unbuilt portions still featured in publicity in the early 1920s. •
Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Railway - the branch from
Ottawa to
Streator was the only section finished, in 1908, of this interurban's main line to
Peoria and
Mackinaw, forking at
Eureka. •
Kankakee and Urbana Traction - begun 1909 to build an
interurban line from
Urbana to
Kankakee, to connect with the
Chicago and Southern Traction and to give Urbana a direct rail route to Chicago. Only opened to
Paxton. •
Northern Illinois Electric Railway - 1901 began an
interurban electric line from
Dixon to
Steward via
Lee Center with a branch from the latter place to
Amboy. Only the branch was finished and opened, with a section of the main line to Middlebury opened by the successor
Lee County Central Electric Railway. •
Quincy, Carrollton and St Louis - purchased the
Litchfield, Carrollton and Western from
Litchfield to the port of Columbiana on the
Illinois River just west of
Eldred in 1899, but failed to build its extension to
Quincy and its line to St Louis only reached
Reardon.
Indiana •
Bluffton, Geneva and Celina Traction - Tried to build from
Bluffton to
Celina, Ohio, via
Geneva in 1909, but only reached Geneva and abandoned further work. The place only had 900 people and the venture was hopeless, being scrapped in 1917. •
Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad - completed a line from
Cincinnati to
Griffith before going bankrupt in 1910. Taken over by the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which completed between Griffith and
Hammond but abandoned work on the line between
Miamitown, Ohio, and
Louisville, Kentucky, via
Madison. •
Chicago – New York Electric Air Line Railroad - began construction of an express electric railroad from Chicago to New York in 1906, and finished of an interurban connecting
Gary, Indiana, with
La Porte, Indiana. •
Chicago and Wabash Valley Railroad - the
Onion Belt began 1898 to construct a line from
Rensselaer on the
Monon Railroad to
Crown Point and
Gary. Only opened to Dinwiddie and graded to Crown Point. The
Monon took over in 1914, and abandoned work. •
Indianapolis and Cincinnati Traction Company - Built from
Indianapolis to
Connersville in 1906, and got no further. •
Toledo and Chicago Interurban Railway - began 1907 to build from
Goshen to
Bryan, Ohio, and a connection into
Toledo via the
Toledo and Indiana Railway, with a branch to
Fort Wayne. Only finished the branch, and a segment of the main line between
Kendallville and
Waterloo before going bankrupt and re-emerging as the
Fort Wayne and Northwestern Railway in 1913.
Iowa •
Chicago, Fort Madison and Northwestern Railroad - took over the
Fort Madison and Northwestern Railroad in 1890. The latter began in 1871 to build a narrow gauge line from
Fort Madison to
Council Bluffs via
Des Moines but only got to Collett. The CFMNW built to
Ottumwa on the way to Des Moines, but went bankrupt and was taken over by the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1899. All work west of
Batavia was abandoned. •
Creston, Winterset and Des Moines Railroad intended a line from
Creston to
Des Moines, but abandoned work after reaching
Macksburg in 1912.
Kansas •
Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway - built a fragment 1911 of an extensive proposed network centred on
Wichita. The main line was to have been from Wichita to
Salina via
Newton, with a branch from
Van Arsdale Junction (south-west of Newton) to Hutchinson and
Great Bend. From Hutchinson, a third line would have run direct to
Hudson.To the south of Wichita, a line would have run to
Oxford via
Belle Plaine, with a short branch to
Wellington from the latter place. At Oxford, it would have joined a circular service running Oxford -
Winfield -
Arkansas City -
Geuda Springs- Oxford which would have subsumed a pre-existing little interurban between Winfield and Arkansas City called the
Southwestern Interurban Railway of Kansas. •
Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad - took over the bankrupt
Scott City Northern Railroad 1913, which had been opened from
Scott City to
Winona in 1911. Began construction of a trunk line from the latter to
Denver, also from
Garden City to
Forgan, Oklahoma, and the
Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway -trackage over the
Santa Fe from Scott City to Garden City. Bankrupt 1917 without having opened any further lines. •
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway - began 1900 to build a transcontinental from
Kansas City, Kansas, to the Mexican Pacific port of
Topolobampo. Did not complete from Kansas City to
Wichita owing to bankruptcy in 1912, although grading was done from the latter place to
Bazaar. The right of way from
Lawrence and the terminal properties at Kansas City were purchased by the
Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western Railway which opened in 1914. •
Kansas City, Kaw Valley and Western Railway - built from
Kansas City, Kansas, to
Lawrence in 1915, but never made it to
Topeka as intended. •
Memphis, Kansas and Colorado Railway - 1877 began work on a
narrow gauge line from
Memphis, Tennessee, to the
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in Colorado. It opened from
Cherryvale to
Weir City, in 1881, and abandoned further work.
Kentucky •
Chesapeake and Nashville Railway 1883 inherited a line from
Nashville, Tennessee, to
Scottsville and began construction on a line to
Danville via
Glasgow. Work was abandoned, leaving grading between Scottsville and Glasgow. •
Covington, Flemingsburg and Pound Gap Railway - began 1876 to build a
narrow gauge line from
Covington to
Hazel Green via
Flemingsburg,
Hillsboro and
Salt Lick. This and its successor companies only opened from
Flemingsburg Junction to Hillsboro, although much grading was done in the direction of Covington by the
Cincinnati and Southeastern Railway and the terminus was altered to
West Liberty by the abortive
Licking Valley Railroad both in 1880. Ended up as the
Flemingsburg and Northern Railroad. The
Licking River Railroad built up the river from Salt Lick to Blackwater, but in its turn failed to reach West Liberty which never saw a railroad. •
Kentucky Midland Railway - 1888 began a line from
Frankfort via
Paris and
Owingsville to
Salt Lick and up the
Licking River valley. Completed to Paris and became the
Frankfort and Cincinnati Railroad, but abandoned work east of Paris. •
Louisville and Eastern Railroad - attempted to build two inter-city
interurban electric lines from
Louisville to
Cincinnati and
Frankfort in 1901, but only managed to open to
La Grange and
Shelbyville respectively. •
Owensboro and Nashville Railway - the attempt to build a main line railroad from
Owensboro to
Nashville, Tennessee, in competition with the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad began in 1873, but never finished south of
Adairville. This was to have been the St Louis route of the
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway but the L&N and the
Illinois Central Railroad stymied it, there never was an
Ohio River railroad bridge at Owensboro and the unfortunate city never amounted to much.
Louisiana •
Louisiana Central Railroad - 1883 purchased the
Baton Rouge, Gros Tete and Opelousas Railroad from
Baton Rouge to Musson via
Rosedale, and began a line from Rosedale to
Lafayette which it never completed. •
New Orleans, Mobile and Texas Railroad - 1877 graded from
Westwego to the
Sabine River. Westwago to
White Castle went to the
Texas and Pacific Railway and
Lafayette to Sabine River ended up with the
Southern Pacific Railroad eventually, but White Castle to Lafayette was abandoned unfinished. •
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway - 1905 began a line from
Eudora, Arkansas, to
Gilbert but only opened to
Delhi and abandoned the rest unfinished. Stations on the uncompleted portion would have been Pickrum, Lamar, Crowville and Cordill.
Maine •
Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway - as the
Wiscasset and Quebec Railroad built from
Wiscasset to
Burnham 1900, but never opened beyond
Albion. An associated company called the
Franklin, Somerset and Kennnebec tried to build between
Waterville and
Farmington in 1897, but achieved little.
Maryland •
Kent County Railroad - began a dead-end line from
Massey to
Chestertown in 1870, and made two abortive attempts to reach the
Chesapeake Bay. The original terminus was to have been
Rock Hall from
Worton, begun by the
Bay Extension Railroad 1872 but only completed as a stub to a place called Belair, Fairlee, Parsons or Nicholson. There is evidence for a second stub from Chestertown, and possibly two stub termini (Nicholson was the northern one) with a triangular layout if the project had completed. In 1873, the projected terminus was altered to
Tolchester Beach from Nicholson, and this route was graded and a steamer pier begun by the
Smyrna and Delaware Bay Railroad before the second abandonment the same year. •
Washington, Brandywine and Point Lookout Railroad - it and its predecessors only built from
Brandywine to
Mechanicsville, although much of the route to
Point Lookout was later used by the US Navy line to
Patuxent. Also graded a stub in east Washington, the
East Washington Railroad. appropriated illegally by the
Chesapeake Beach Railway and later a short line in its own right.
Michigan •
Chicago and Canada Southern Railway - 1871 began a trunk line from an international ferry crossing between
Grosse Ile and
Amherstburg, Ontario, to Chicago. Only completed from Grosse Ile to
Fayette, Ohio. The unfinished grade between
Montpelier, Ohio, and
North Liberty, Indiana, was later used by the
Wabash Railroad. •
Detroit, Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad - subsidiary of the
New York Central Railroad system, incorporated 1897 to build a line from
Toledo, Ohio, to
Holland and operate a car ferry to
Milwaukee. Only ran from
Dundee to
Allegan, and never reached
Lake Michigan. •
Milwaukee, Benton Harbor and Columbus Railway - 1897 took over the
St Joseph Valley Railway in order to extend it from
South Bend to
Benton Harbor and
Milwaukee by car ferry. Finished
Buchanan to Benton Harbor, but the Buchanan to South Bend portion was abandoned with stations at Bertrand and State Line. •
Toledo, Ann Arbor and Detroit Electric Railway - began 1903 to build from
Toledo, Ohio, to
Ann Arbor, completed to
Dundee and graded the rest but never electrified. The Dundee stub became the
Toledo-Detroit Railroad and then part of the
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad.
Minnesota •
Duluth, St Cloud, Glencoe and Mankato Railroad - began 1900 to build a trunk line from
Duluth to southern Minnesota, via
St. Cloud,
Glencoe and
Mankato. Only completed part of a feeder from
Albert Lea to the last-named, which stopped short at
St. Clair to become a dead-end branch of the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1910. •
Electric Short Line Railway - planned to build an electric
interurban from
Minneapolis to
Brookings, South Dakota, began 1914 but only reached
Gluek in 1927 as the
Minnesota Western Railway. Never electrified. •
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction - began 1908 to build an electric
interurban system with a main line from
Minneapolis via
Northfield and
Rochester to
Dubuque, Iowa, with branches Northfield to
Austin via
Faribault and
Owatonna, Faribault to
Mankato, and Owatonna to
Albert Lea. Only built to Northfield, and graded to Faribault. Became the
Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway. Never electrified.
Mississippi •
Aberdeen and Tombigbee Valley Railroad - 1907 graded a line from
Okolona via
Aberdeen to
Columbus. Aberdeen to Columbus only was used by the
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway, the rest was abandoned unfinished. •
Meridian Brookhaven and Natchez Railroad - in 1882 bought a private logging railroad at
Brookhaven in order to extend it as a trunk line to
Meridian. Went bankrupt 1888, having achieved little beyond extending to a quarry. Became a very small
Illinois Central Railroad subsidiary. •
Mobile and Northwestern Railroad - 1870 began a narrow gauge line from Trotters Point, across the Mississippi River from
Helena, Arkansas, to
Jackson via
Yazoo City. Only managed to complete to
Clarksdale before failing in 1886. •
Nashville and Mississippi Delta Railroad - began 1890 to build between
Grenada and
Nettleton, but failed and sold uncompleted works to the
Southern Railroad. The latter opened
Okolona to
Calhoun City only, detached from its main system. A predecessor company, the
Vicksburg and Nashville Railroad, had constructed of narrow gauge track on the route at Grenada in 1872. •
New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad - in 1867 was in the process of finishing a line between
Canton and
Aberdeen. Most of this was completed under the aegis of its successor the
Illinois Central Railroad, but grading between Canton and
Kosciusko was abandoned.
Missouri •
Iowa and St. Louis Railway - had completed a line from
Centerville, Iowa, to
Elmer in 1901. The original intention was to build from Centerville to
Des Moines, Iowa, and from Macon to St Louis thus creating a trunk line. Became part of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, which began work 1903 to
Macon with stations at
Barnesville and
Bloomington, then from Macon through Enterprise and
Woodlawn in the direction of
Paris. The ultimate destination would have been
Mexico, and a connection with its line there to St Louis. None of this was completed. •
Kansas City Rock Island Railroad - this was a subsidiary of the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and was intended to be the terminal road in Kansas City for another subsidiary, the
St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado Railroad from St Louis to Hadsell near
Gunn City. Did not get any nearer Kansas City than
Leeds in 1904. •
Mexico, Santa Fe and Perry Traction - began 1907 to build from
Mexico to
Perry but only opened to
Santa Fe in 1910, abandoning the rest. Shut down in 1915.
Montana •
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad - the western extension terminating at
Whitetail was intended to go on to
Sweetgrass for a connection with the
Canadian Pacific Railway to
Vancouver. •
Montana Southern Railway - this
narrow gauge line from Divide to Coolidge (now a ghost town) was intended to go on to Jackson.
Nebraska •
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad - its subsidiary the
Lincoln and Black Hills Railroad built three branches from
Palmer into the
Sandhills after 1897. These reached
Sargent,
Burwell and
Ericson but all were graded further. Sergent's grade went to
Brewster, but the other two ended nowhere. •
Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway (OL&B) - formed in 1903 to build an electric
interurban between
Lincoln and
Omaha, also from the former to
Beatrice on which no work was ever done. A five-mile (8 km) line was built from downtown Lincoln to
Bethany, and grading for a further five miles. Grading was also done west of
South Omaha. The
Omaha and Lincoln Railway was allied to the project, and opened from Omaha to
Papillion in 1914. The OL&B survives to this day (2020) as a switching railroad.
New Jersey •
Mercer and Somerset Railway - never completed a bridge over the
Millstone River at
Millstone to link with the
Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad before going bankrupt and being abandoned in 1880. •
New Jersey and Pennsylvania Railroad - 1904 consolidated the
Rockaway Valley Railroad (RVR) from
Whitehouse Station to Watnong, and the
Speedwell Lake Railroad (SLR) which was a failed attempt 1897 to build a line from
Morristown to a resort on Speedwell Lake. A serious attempt was made 1910 to extend the RVR to Morristown, over the grade of the SVR, but work was abandoned. Intended to build from Morristown to
Paterson and from Whitehouse to
Flemington. •
New Jersey West Line Railroad - began 1870 to build from
Newark to
Bernardsville via
Union,
Millburn and
Summit. Only completed Summit to Bernardsville, which became part of the
Gladstone Branch. •
Trenton and Mercer County Traction - built an
interurban line from
Trenton via
Yardville to
Crosswicks with the intention of going on to
Allentown. The
Pennsylvania Railroad won a court case preventing a crossing at Yardville, and the line from there to Crosswicks was scrapped unused in 1917.
New Mexico •
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway -
Colmor Cutoff was begun 1930 from
Felt, Oklahoma, the terminus of a line from
Dodge City, Kansas, to Colmor (north of
Wagon Mound) via
Mount Dora. This was to have been part of the company's transcontinental route. Only finished a stub from Mount Dora to Farley, and the rest was abandoned unfinished. •
Santa Fe, Raton and Des Moines Railroad - began 1906 on a line from mines at Carisbrooke east of
Raton to
Des Moines via Cunningham on the
St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railway. The line from Cunningham to Des Moines was ready for rails when work was abandoned. This would have linked to the failed
Santa Fe, Liberal and Englewood Railroad scheme. •
St Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railroad - 1907 did some work on an extension from its terminus at
Ute Park to
Taos, including a tunnel at
Eagle Nest Lake.
New York •
Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad - this predecessor of the
New York and New England Railroad took over the
Newburgh, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad line from
Hopewell Junction to Dutchess Junction on the
New York Central Railroad main line in 1868, and tried to build a car ferry terminal on Dennings Point to link with the
Erie Railroad terminal across the
Hudson River at
Newburgh. Remains survive. •
Buffalo, Batavia and Rochester Railway - 1904 tried to build a heavy-rail electric interurban from Buffalo to
Rochester via
Batavia, but only finished a two-mile stub in Batavia which it operated as a little streetcar service. •
Buffalo, Corning and New York Railroad - 1851 began a line from
Corning to
Buffalo, and completed it to
Batavia. Work from Batavia in the direction of Buffalo was abandoned. •
Buffalo Southern Railway - this
interurban system (nothing to do with the
Buffalo Southern Railroad) tried to build a line from
Ebenezer to
East Aurora 1907, but only opened to
East Seneca. •
Buffalo, Thousand Islands and Portland Railroad - chartered 1890 to build terminal lines in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area for the
Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (RW&O) to get to Buffalo and the
Lehigh Valley Railroad LVR to get to the
Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge. The RW&O became part of the
New York Central Railroad (NYC) system in 1891, but work on grading went ahead. The company still existed in 1908, but the LVR obtained trackage rights over the NYC instead and stopped short at Tonawanda Junction. The right of way between Buffalo (Main & Erie) and Niagara Falls was used by the
International Railway electric
interurban for its
Fast Line, opened 1918, but between North Tonawanda Junction and Tonawanda Junction (LVR), and Main & Erie and East Buffalo (LVR), it was abandoned. •
Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad - graded from its terminus at
Davenport Center through
Harpersfield towards
Cooksburg, but abandoned this in 1890. •
Delaware and Eastern Railroad - 1907 began construction of an extension by a subsidiary company, the
Schenectady and Margaretville Railroad, from
Arkville parallel to the
Ulster and Delaware Railroad to
Grand Gorge and then to
Schenectady. Abandoned grade through
Prattsville. •
Delhi and Middletown Railroad- began 1870 to build between
Delhi to
Arkville via
Andes but went bankrupt in the 1873 financial panic. The grade between Andes and Arkville was appropriated by the
Delaware and Eastern Railroad for its
Andes Branch, and that between Delhi and Andes by the failed
Delaware Railroad. •
Lake Ontario, Auburn and New York Railroad - 1853 graded most of a line from
Fair Haven to
Ithaca via
Auburn. Most of this
Murdock Line was taken up by later railroads, except for the section graded from
South Lansing to Ithaca. •
New York, Boston and Montreal Railroad - 1873 consolidated several small railroads and began links between them to provide a trunk route from New York to
Rutland, Vermont. Quickly went bankrupt, but was responsible for the
New York and Putnam Railroad. Abandoned grading exists between
Carmel and Clove Valley, also
Pine Plains and
Chatham. •
New York and Rockaway Railroad this subsidiary of the
Long Island Railroad built from
Hillside to
Far Rockaway in 1872. The portion between Springfield Junction and Cedarhurst (nicknamed the
Cedarhurst Cut-off) was abandoned 1876, relaid with third rail for electric trains 1908, scrapped again 1918, re-laid again 1928 and scrapped finally in 1936. It never saw a revenue train in the 20th century. •
New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad - 1885 was in the process of building a large passenger terminal station in Buffalo, on Michigan Street just north of the Chicago Street station of the
Erie Railroad. The NYC purchased the bankrupt railroad in that year, and cancelled the project. •
Rochester, Nunda and Pennsylvania Railroad - 1872 this narrow-gauge line graded sections of its proposed line between
Rochester and
Mount Morris. Abandoned on bankruptcy 1877. •
Sackets Harbor and Saratoga Railroad - chartered 1848 to build from
Saratoga Springs to
Sackets Harbor. What was built became the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad branch to
North Creek, and disjunctive lengths of grading survive from the latter place to
Carthage. •
Second Avenue Subway - proposed 1920, began 1972, halted 1975, began again 2007, might be open 2029. •
Suffolk Traction - was building an
interurban line from its terminus at
Holtsville station to
Port Jefferson when it went bankrupt in 1920.
North Carolina •
Appalachian Interurban Railway - 1905 proposed an electric
interurban from
Hendersonville to
Asheville, and in the following year also from Hendersonville to
Rutherfordton via
Chimney Rock. Opened a
horsecar line from
Laurel Park to Rainbow Lake as the first part of the former. The equipment was three cars and three horses named
Appalachian,
Electric and
Interurban. Taken over by the local streetcar company,
Henderson Traction (which used battery cars), in 1912. •
Asheville and Northern Railway - 1905 projected as a steam road from
Asheville north-eastwards via
Weaverville, Mars Hill, Faust and English to the Tennessee border and a connection with the
Clinchfield Railroad beyond. Affiliated with the
Asheville and Craggy Mountain Railroad. Morphed into a small electric interurban to Weaverville, the
Asheville and Eastern Tennessee Railroad, which got no further. •
Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railroad - 1888 bought a pre-existing railroad from
Cornelia, Georgia, to
Tallulah Falls, Georgia, in order to extend it to
Maryville, Tennessee, and create a low-level trunk route from
Knoxville, Tennessee, to
Savannah, Georgia. Failed, but its successor the
Tallulah Falls Railway built on its grade to
Franklin. •
Carolina and Northeastern Railroad - formed 1917 and opened a line from Gummberry near
Weldon to
Lasker. Lasker to
Ahoskie was never completed. •
Carolina and Tennessee Southern Railroad - 1915 intended to connect with the
Tennessee and Carolina Southern Railroad through the
Deals Gap, but only got to Fontana from Bushnell. This was the last of several attempts at this low-level route from Knoxville to Savannah. See
Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railroad above.
North Dakota •
Midland Continental Railroad - began 1906 to build a mid-continent north-south railroad line between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. Achieved a short line between
Edgeley and
Wimbledon via
Jamestown. •
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad - the line to
Sanish was meant to have gone on to
Fairview, Montana, but work stopped at the site of the proposed
Missouri River bridge in 1914.
Ohio •
American Midland Railway - 1889 proposed a direct route from
Jersey City to
Fort Wayne and Chicago with, a branch to St. Louis. This would have been via a low-grade crossing of the
Allegheny Mountains through Pennsylvania. Only built
Findlay to Fort Wayne, and became the
Findlay, Fort Wayne and Western Railway which went on to be part of the
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway. •
Cincinnati, Columbus and Atlantic Railroad - 1882 took on a project for a narrow-gauge line from Cincinnati to
Nelsonville. Completed to
Newtonsville and graded to
Hillsboro but opened nothing before being wound up in 1891. A separate section (standard-gauge) was completed, and then operated 1890 from
Kingston to
Adelphi as the
Marietta, Hocking and Northern Railroad. Two interurbans, the
Cleveland and Columbus Railway (to Hillsboro) and the
Cincinnati, Milford and Blanchester Railway, utilised part of the grade to Hillsboro. Another bit was taken over by the
Columbus, Lancaster and Wellston Railway (see below). •
Cincinnati, Georgetown and Portsmouth Railroad - 1881 was constructing a line from Cincinnati to
Portsmouth, but only got to
Russellville. Grading from there to
West Union was abandoned. •
Columbus and Lake Michigan Railroad - 1902 took over from the
Columbus, Lima and Milwaukee Railroad a scheme for a line from
Columbus to
Saugatuck, Michigan, and a ferry to
Milwaukee. The section from
Lima to
Defiance had been completed, and Columbus to Lima was being graded. The completed section became part of the
Indiana, Columbus and Eastern Traction interurban in 1906. •
Columbus, Lancaster and Wellston Railway - began 1895 to build a line between
Columbus and
Wellston. Opened from near
Stoutsville to
South Bloomingville and prepared a further four miles to Ash Cave. This, and the line from
Laurelville to South Bloomingville had been originally graded by the
Cincinnati, Columbus and Atlantic Railroad (see above). Ended up as the
Columbus and Southern Railroad without achieving anything further. •
Columbus, New Albany and Johnstown Traction - began 1900 to build an interurban from
Columbus to
Johnstown via
New Albany. Only opened a stub to
Gahanna (then a small village) which was taken over by the city streetcar company. •
Columbus, Urbana and Western Railway - as the
Urbana, Mechanicsburg and Columbus Electric Railway initiated an interurban project from Columbus to
Urbana via
Mechanicsburg in 1900. Changed name in 1904 for a new effort. Only achieved a very short line 1903 from Columbus to Fishinger Bridge near
Griggs Dam. •
Fairport, Painesville and Eastern Railroad - began 1910 to build from
Fairport to
Austinburg on the
Pennsylvania Railroad, but only eventually reached Harpersfield Township. •
Lake Erie, Bowling Green and Napoleon Railway - before it went bankrupt in 1911, had opened from
Bowling Green to
Woodville and a junction with the
Lake Shore Electric Railway, and was building to
Port Clinton. Also, it had opened Bowling Green to
Tontogany and was aiming at
Napoleon and
Defiance. •
Lake Erie and Pittsburgh Railway - began 1903 to build a line between
Lorain and
Youngstown. Only the portion between Macey on the
Cleveland Short Line Railway and
Brady Lake was completed. •
Lorain and West Virginia Railroad - began 1906 on a line from
Lorain to the West Virginia line at or near
Marietta. Co-opted by the
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, which opened Lorain to
Wellington to gain access to the former place and abandoned the rest. •
Mansfield, Coldwater and Lake Michigan Railroad - began 1870 to build from
Mansfield to
Allegan, Michigan, via
Tiffin,
Fostoria,
Napoleon,
Montpelier,
Coldwater, Michigan, Monteith near
Kalamazoo, Michigan, and
Allegan, Michigan. Completed Mansfield to Tiffin, which became part of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and Monteith to Allegan and left substantial uncompleted works of the rest in Ohio and Michigan including grades north and south of Coldwater. •
Ohio Southern Railroad - 1883 took over the
Cincinnati, Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad line from Claysville Junction north of
Waynesville to
Jeffersonville which was to have gone on to
Columbus. Tried to build to the latter place as well and to Cincinnati, but failed and only opened Jeffersonville to Sedalia (now
Midway) and from McKay's Station to
Kingman. •
Springfield, South Charleston, Washington Court House and Chillicothe Traction - 1904 proposed an electric interurban line from
Springfield to
Chillicothe but was only able to complete to
South Charleston. Tried again in 1908 to get to
Washington Court House only, but to no avail. •
Toledo, Angola and Western Railway - began 1902 on a steam road from
Toledo to
Angola, Indiana, but only managed to finish a short quarry line to Silica. •
Toledo, Delphos and Indianapolis Railway - began a narrow gauge line from
Toledo to
Indianapolis. Built
Holgate through
Delphos to the Indiana state line north-west of
Celina, but was not opened west of
Rockford (formerly Shanes Crossing). North of Delphos went to the
Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad, south to the
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway. •
Toledo and Indiana Railway - opened 1905 from
Toledo to
Bryan, but got no further. The best of several attempts to extend into Indiana came from the
Fort Wayne and Toledo Electric Railway grading between Fort Wayne towards Bryant. The T&I tried to take this work over after the FW&T failed after 1913, with a line from
Delta via
Napoleon and
Defiance instead of Bryan. a stub running south-east of
Catoosa. •
Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway - 1913 began a line from
Ardmore to
Lawton but only opened to
Ringling. Incorporated a subsidiary, the
Ringling and Oilfields Railway to build to
Oklahoma City 1916, which opened a short stub to
Healdton. •
Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway - 1920 began a line from
Bristow to
Okmulgee but only completed to
Nuyaka.
Oregon •
Oregon Pacific Railroad - incorporated 1880 to build a line from the Pacific coast at
Yaquina (now a
ghost town) to
Boise, Idaho. Opened to
Idanha, graded to the
Santiam Pass to establish a claim, also in the valley of the
Malheur River. Bankrupt 1890.
Pennsylvania •
Allen Street Railway - opened an interurban trolley line between
Nazareth and
Bath in 1906, which also handled freight. Prevented from crossing a spur of the
Lehigh and New England Railroad to the Penn-Dixie #5 Cement Plant, and had to operate in two sections. •
Altoona and Beech Creek Railroad - failed to complete an extension to
Fallentimber in 1903. •
Chambersburg and Gettysburg Railroad - 1890 began a steam road from Conococheague near
Chambersburg to
Gettysburg but only completed to Wolf Hill, . Operated briefly to
Fayetteville, , but was abandoned in 1893. Not to be confused with the following. •
Chambersburg and Gettysburg Electric Railway - 1903 began an electric
interurban from
Chambersburg to
Gettysburg, but only opened to
Caledonia State Park. Not on the same alignment as the previous. •
Chartiers Southern Railroad - began construction from
Thompsonville to
Waynesburg in 1906, but only managed to complete two separate branches extending a
Pennsylvania Railroad line from
Brownsville. These were Besco to Mather, and Crucible to Nemacolin. The uncompleted main line from Thompsonville to Mather was abandoned, and the route from Mather to Waynesburg was completed by the
Monongahela Railway in 1930. •
Johnstown and Somerset Railway - 1921 tried to build an electric
interurban from
Johnstown to
Somerset, but only opened to
Jerome. •
Montgomery and Chester Electric Railway - 1899 built a trolley line from
Phoenixville to
Spring City and by 1915 graded to a connection with the
Pottstown Passenger Railway (the
Pottstown streetcar system) via
Royersford. •
Mount Pleasant and Latrobe Railroad - began 1881 on a line from
Mount Pleasant to
Latrobe. Only opened a short spur to a coal mine. •
Pennsylvania Railroad - Oxford Road Branch of the
Connecting Railway at
Philadelphia was the completed stub of the
Philadelphia, Bustleton and Trenton Railroad, intended to run to
Fallsington via
Bustleton. Work on the rest was done between 1893 and 1896 before being abandoned. •
Phoenixville, Valley Forge and Strafford Electric Railway - 1909 began to build from
Phoenixville to
Strafford via
Valley Forge, but only opened to the latter place. •
Pittsburg and Eastern Railroad - began 1895 to build from
Mahaffey to
West Newton, as a way for the
New York Central Railroad (NYC) to get into Pittsburgh. Work was begun on the section to
Saltsburg. Only opened to
Arcadia as a coal-mine extension of the
Beech Creek Railroad NYC subsidiary. •
Scranton, Montrose and Binghamton Railroad - only completed from
Scranton to its branch to
Montrose, but failed to finish to
Binghamton, New York. •
Shady Gap Railroad - 1885 graded from
Orbsonia on the
East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company (EBT) to
Burnt Cabins and interchange with the
South Pennsylvania Railroad, but only opened eventually to
Neelyton as part of the EBT.
South Carolina •
Augusta Northern Railway - intended as a trunk line from
Spartansburg to
Augusta, Georgia, via
Whitmire,
Newberry and
Saluda but only completed a dead-end short line to the last named from
Ward in 1912. •
Blue Ridge Railroad of South Carolina - began 1852 on a line from
Anderson to
Knoxville, Tennessee, but only eventually opened to
Walhalla. The uncompleted portion includes several tunnels, including the
Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel. •
Charlotte, Monroe and Columbia Railroad - began 1901 to build from
McBee to
Monroe, North Carolina, but dead-ended at
Jefferson. •
Chesterfield and Lancaster Railroad - began 1900 to build from
Cheraw to
Lancaster, but only opened to Crowburk just beyond
Pageland.
South Dakota •
Aberdeen, Bismarck and North Western Railroad - graded a line from
Aberdeen to
Bismarck, North Dakota 1887, but did not lay track. Taken over by the
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad 1888, which only laid track on the
North Dakota portion. Aberdeen to
Leola went to the
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway 1906, Leola to
Long Lake to the
Mound City and Eastern Railway 1929 but Long Lake to
Ashley, North Dakota, was never used. •
Aberdeen, Fergus Falls and Pierre Railroad - 1886 began a railroad from
Pierre via
Aberdeen to
Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Aberdeen to
Rutland became a line of the
Great Northern Railway (U.S.) but grading from Aberdeen to Pierre was abandoned. •
Mound City and Eastern Railway - opened 1929 from
Leola to
Long Lake, and left abandoned grading on the route to
Mound City which it never reached.
Tennessee •
Chicago, Memphis and Gulf Railroad - the Hickman Division of the
Illinois Central Railroad (IC) from
Dyersburg to
Hickman, Kentucky, was begun in 1909 as part of a low-level trunk line from
Memphis to the
Metropolis Bridge over the
Ohio River near
Paducah, Kentucky, via
Clinton, Kentucky, and
Moscow, Kentucky. The IC was still promoting the scheme in 1915. •
Decatur, Chesapeake and New Orleans Railway - began 1889 to build a trunk line from
Gallatin to
Decatur, Alabama, via
Shelbyville and
Fayetteville. The line was complete between the last two places and awaiting rails on bankruptcy. The
Middle Tennessee and Alabama Railroad took over in 1893 and concentrated on the Fayetteville to Decatur portion, but this only eventually reached a dead end at
Capshaw, Alabama. •
Duck River Valley Narrow Gauge Railway - 1877 began a narrow-gauge line from a port on the
Tennessee River at
Johnsonville to
Fayetteville via
Centerville and
Columbia. Only completed from Columbia to Fayetteville. •
Knoxville and Charleston Railroad - 1867 began a trunk line from
Knoxville to
Charleston, South Carolina, but only reached
Maryville. Became the
Knoxville and Augusta Railroad 1879. There was never to be a railroad through the
Deals Gap Pass, despite several other attempts. The
Tennessee & Carolina Southern Railway used abandoned grade to get to
Calderwood in 1924, but no further. •
Middle and East Tennessee Central Railway - began 1883 on a line from the
Chesapeake and Nashville Railway near
Bethpage to
Knoxville, but only completed to
Hartsville. •
Tennessee Midland Railroad - 1888 began a direct-route trunk line from
Memphis to
Bristol but only completed to
Perryville. •
Tennessee and Sequatchie Valley Railroad - 1882 began a narrow gauge line from a landing on the
Tennessee River near
Spring City to
Nashville. Claimed to have laid in 1883, when it went bankrupt. Succeeded by the
Tennessee Central Railroad (nothing to do with the
Tennessee Central Railway) which had track from Rhea (now drowned by a reservoir) through Spring City and Jewett to Litton in 1889 but only operated Spring City to Jewett, . •
Troy and Tiptonville Railroad - 1887 began a line from Moffat south-east of
Rives to
Tiptonville via
Troy but only opened to the latter.
Texas •
Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad - the
Orphan Line between
Livingston and
Weldon, a detached portion of the
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, was a fragment of a trunk line scheme begun 1905 between
Beaumont and
Waco. Another attempt was made after the Katy dumped the line, as the
Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railway in 1923. •
Corpus Christi Street and Interurban Railway - the streetcar company of
Corpus Christi had this name because it began to build an
interurban electric line to
Ward Island in 1916. •
Denison, Bonham and New Orleans Railroad - 1901 was building between its terminus at
Bonham and
Wolfe City. •
Eastland, Wichita Falls and Gulf Railway - 1918 began a line from
May, the terminus of the
Brownwood North and South Railway, to
Newcastle via
Mangum and Breckwalker south of
Breckenridge. Only opened Mangum to Breckwalker. •
Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway - 1885 set out to build a trunk line from
Fort Worth to
Eagle Pass with a branch to
San Antonio. The hope was to reach the Pacific coast at
Topolobampo in Mexico. Only eventually completed to a dead end at
Menard. •
Galveston, Brazos and Colorado Narrow Gauge Railway - began 1875 to build a narrow-gauge railroad from Galveston along the length of the island to a bridge over the
San Luis Pass, then along the
Colorado River to
Austin. Only built from Galveston to a place (now gone) called Seaforth. Taken over by the
Galveston and Western Railway in 1888. •
Greenville Northwestern Railway - 1913 began to build an
interurban electric line from
Anna to
Greenville via
Blue Ridge but only opened to the latter place and never electrified. •
Gulf and Brazos Valley Railway - began 1897 on a line from Peck City on the
Texas and Pacific Railway south of
Mineral Wells to the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad at
Stoneburg. Only opened a stub from Peck City to Mineral Wells 1900, but this was in direct competition with the
Weatherford, Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railway and was abandoned 1903. •
Gulf, Texas and Western Railway - 1910 was building from
Lubbock to
Dallas via
Benjamin,
Seymour,
Jacksboro and
Boonville with a branch from the last named to
Fort Worth. Graded Benjamin to Seymour, opened Seymour to Jacksboro then built from there to the
Weatherford, Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railway at Salesville on a new alignment -and gave up on the rest. Boonville to Dallas was to have used the unused grade of the
Dallas and New Mexico Railway. •
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway - Del Rio Branch - 1909 began a line from
San Angelo to
Del Rio to connect with the
Mexican International Railroad at
Ciudad Acuña in order to create a trunk route to
Mexico City. Only opened eventually to a dead end at
Sonora in 1930. •
Paris, Marshall and Sabine Pass Railway the line between
Winnsboro and
Elysian Fields via
Marshall was a completed fragment of a trunk line scheme between
Paris and the
Sabine Pass. Begun 1888, had very many changes of name and ended as the
Marshall and East Texas Railway. •
Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway - was intended to go to
El Paso, and be the means for the
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway to become a transcontinental railroad. This proposal was shown on publicity material until 1928, when
Floydada was settled on as a destination. •
Rio Grande and Eagle Pass Railway - began 1885 on a line from
Laredo to
Eagle Pass but only opened to
Santo Tomás. •
Rio Grande Northern Railroad - 1893 began a line from
Van Horn via Chispa on the
Southern Pacific Railroad south of
Lobo and San Carlos (now a ghost town) to the
Rio Grande at Sanchez Ranch. Only a spur from Chispa to a new coal mine at San Carlos was finished in 1895, but the company did not operate. The
San Carlos Coal Company hired a locomotive on its own account to haul out a very few cars of coal before it failed and everything was junked in 1897. The line had a tunnel. •
Peach River and Gulf Railway - 1904 proposed a line from
Willis to
Beaumont which would have given the
International–Great Northern Railroad a route to the latter city. Only operated a lumber line at Timber on the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. •
Riverside and Gulf Railway - 1907 proposed a line from
Livingston to
Wallisville (which was then a port) via Milvid on the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. Only operated a logging line at the latter place until 1914. •
Oklahoma, Red River and Texas Railway - 1910 started building from
Blossom to
Mineola but only opened to
Deport. •
Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railway Company - 1872 began a line from
Houston to
Presidio on the
Rio Grande. Reached
Sealy. •
Trinity, Cameron and Western Railroad - 1892 set out to build from west from
Cameron to
Austin via
Granger and
Georgetown. Granger to Austin became part of the
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, but work nearer Cameron was abandoned. Eastwards, the hope was to build to
Trinity.
Utah •
Castle Valley Railway - begun 1901 as part of a cut-off between the
Union Pacific Railroad at
Milford and the
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad near
Green River. The later built from
Salina eastwards, but only completed to Nioche in 1903. The line was damaged by flooding in 1903 and never had revenue service. Restoration was attempted 1913 and 1925, but the only revenue trains were from a coal mine at Crystal between 1929 and 1933. The route was to have been used by the
California and Nevada Railroad, the 1884 proposed narrow-gauge transcontinental line. •
Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railway - took over a short line from
Salt Lake City to
Saltair in 1892, and intended to extend to
Ophir in the first instance by using the grade of the
Utah Western Railway (1874-1881) to
Stockton (the
Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was in the future). Achieved nothing. Became
Salt Lake, Garfield and Western Railway in 1916, electrified and tried to build into Garfield but could not cross the trunk line tracks at grade to reach downtown. •
Sevier Railway - began 1891 to build from
Manti to
Parowan but only opened to
Marysvale. •
Uintah Railway - intended to build a connection with the
Denver and Salt Lake Railway at
Vernal, and a station was provided for it there in 1905. •
Utah Eastern Railroad - 1880 began a narrow-gauge line from
Coalville to
Salt Lake City via
Park City in competition with the
Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Only opened Coalville to Park City, but the UP simultaneously opened a closely parallel standard-gauge branch between the same two places which made the small company's situation hopeless. The UP bought it out in 1883 to get rid of it.
Virginia •
Blackstone and Lunenburg Railroad - 1905 began a line from
Blackstone to
Lunenburg but only opened to Dillard and became a short
Norfolk and Western Railway branch. •
Smithfield Terminal Railway - began 1948 to build a small network of industrial lines at
Smithfield to serve three meat packing plants from a ferry pier. The line had no access to the main railroad system, but relied on a car float from the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway terminal at
Newport News. Bankrupt and scrapped within a year, after laying one mile of track.
Washington State •
Northern Pacific Railway - Ellensburg Cut-off - the dead-end line from
Warden to Schrag was a completed stub of a trunk line cut-off from
Ritzville to
Ellensburg 1909. Abandoned grading exists between Schrag and Ritzville. •
Oregon and Washington Railroad - this
Union Pacific Railroad subsidiary began 1906 a line from
Vancouver to
Tacoma and Seattle, a repeat of the
Portland and Puget Sound Railroad scheme (see below). A long tunnel under Tacoma to reach the waterfront was begun in 1909 but failed, and so the UP arranged trackage on the parallel
Northern Pacific Railway instead of continuing to build from Vancouver. Reciprocal arrangements were made with the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad to get to Seattle from Tacoma, but a new line with a tunnel under the city to a marine terminal on
Salmon Bay was begun. Both tunnels were abandoned and sealed off. This was UP's third attempt at a Tacoma line. •
Portland and Puget Sound Railroad - 1891 this
Union Pacific Railroad subsidiary began a trunk line between what is now the
Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1 at
Portland, Oregon, and
Mukilteo via
Tacoma and
Seattle. The bridge was begun, and much grading between
Vancouver and Tacoma, which was approached from due south. to
American Lake (already owned by UP), and
Tacoma, Lake Park and Columbia River from Center Street to
Spanaway (Lake Park). Was extending former to a proposed deep water port at
Steilacoom, and the latter as the main line which reached a location called
Terminus before abandonment 1901. Some of the grades went to trolley lines, terminating at Spanaway, American Lake and Stellacoom. This was UP's second attempt at a Tacoma line. •
Vancouver, Klickitat and Yakima Railroad - 1888 began a line from
Vancouver to
Yakima via the Klickitat Pass. Only eventually managed a dead-end line to
Yacolt.
West Virginia •
Parkersburg and Ohio Valley Electric Railway - began 1903 to build a major electric
interurban between
Wheeling and
Parkersburg. Opened between
Sistersville and
Friendly. The latter place was claimed as one of the smallest settlements in the USA with a dedicated interurban service, since it only had 217 residents at the time.
Wisconsin •
Cazenovia Southern Railroad - 1907 intended to connect
Cazenovia with
Lone Rock,
Sauk City and
La Valle, but only reached the last place.
Wyoming •
Laramie, North Park and Pacific Railroad and Telegraph Company - 1880 began a line from
Laramie through
Medicine Bow in the hope of connecting to a proposed line to
Grand Junction, Colorado, but only reached Soda Lake. •
Wyoming North and South Railroad - 1923 proposed a trunk line from
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada to
Craig, Colorado, via
Miles City, Montana,
Sheridan and
Casper. Only opened Casper to
Midwest but graded towards Sheridan and into Montana before bankruptcy in 1924. ==Military railway facilities==