The following railroads operate in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Common freight carriers
- Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway (ACWR)
- Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad (AR)
- Alexander Railroad (ARC)
- Atlantic and Western Railway (ATW)
- Blue Ridge Southern Railroad (BLU)
- Caldwell County Railroad (CWCY)
- Cape Fear Railways (CF)
- Carolina Coastal Railway (CLNA)
- (Operates the Nash County Railroad)
- Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad (CA)
- Clinton Terminal Railroad (CTR)
- CSX Transportation (CSXT)
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSM)
- High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad (HPTD)
- Kinston and Snow Hill Railroad (KSH)
- Laurinburg and Southern Railroad (LRS)
- Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) including subsidiaries Camp Lejeune Railroad (CPLJ) and State University Railroad (SUR)
- (Operates the North Carolina Railroad) (NCRR)
- North Carolina and Virginia Railroad (NCVA)
- R.J. Corman Carolina Lines (RJCS)
- Thermal Belt Railway (TBRY)
- Virginia Southern Railroad (VSRR)
- Wilmington Terminal Railroad (WTRY)
- Winston-Salem Southbound Railway (WSS)
- Yadkin Valley Railroad (YVRR)
Passenger carriers
- Amtrak (AMTK)
- Charlotte Trolley
- Craggy Mountain Line
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
- Handy Dandy Railroad
- New Hope Valley Railway
- North Carolina Transportation Museum
- Lynx Blue Line
- Red Springs & Northern Railroad
- Tweetsie Railroad
Defunct railroads
<!--Lenoir and Linville Valley? Apalachia Short Line? Hiawassee Valley? Statesville Air Line? Greenville and Shelmerdine? Pamlico, Oriental and Eastern Railroad? Virginia and Carolina Coast Railroad for one day? Was the Rutherford Railway Construction Company an actual railroad company? Did the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad actually enter NC or end at the border? Apalachia and Cleveland Railroad? Bee Tree Railroad? Caney River? Chowan and Aulander Railroad? Hamilton Railroad and Lumber Company? Laurel River and Hot Springs Railroad? New Hanover Transit Company? New Holland, Higginsport and Mount Vernon Railroad? Pinehurst Railroad? Red Springs and Bowmore Railroad? Roanoke Railway? Sanford, Lillington and Eastern Railroad? Snowbird Valley Railway? Thomasville and Glen Anna Railroad? Watauga and Yadkin River Railroad?-->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Mark
!System
!From
!To
!Successor
!Notes
|-
|Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad
|
|NS
|1897
|1912
|Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway
|-
|Aberdeen and Briar Patch Railway
|ABPR
|
|1983
|1987
|Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway
|-
|Aberdeen and West End Railroad
|
|NS
|1889
|1897
|Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad
|-
|Air Line Railroad in South Carolina
|
|SOU
|1868<!--in NC-->
|1870
|Atlanta and Richmond Air–Line Railway
|-
|Albemarle and Pantego Railroad
|
|NS
|1887
|1891
|Norfolk and Southern Railroad
|-
|Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad
|
|ACL
|1883
|1894
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|-
|Alma Railway
|
|
|<!--no idea - was owned by the Alma Lumber Company-->
|1911
|Maxton, Alma and Southbound Railroad
|-
|Appalachian Railway
|
|
|1908
|1935
|N/A
|-
|Asheboro and Montgomery Railroad
|
|NS
|1896
|1897
|Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad
|-
|Asheville and Craggy Mountain Railway
|
|SOU
|1889
|1941
|Southern Railway
|-
|Asheville Southern Railway
|
|SOU
|1905
|1941
|Southern Railway
|-
|Asheville and Spartanburg Railroad
|
|SOU
|1881
|1902
|Southern Railway – Carolina Division
|-
|Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway
|
|SOU
|1877
|1996
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern Railway
|
|L&N
|1896
|1905
|Louisville and Nashville Railroad
|-
|Atlanta and Richmond Air–Line Railway
|
|SOU
|1870
|1876
|North Carolina Air–Line Railway
|-
|Atlantic and Carolina Railroad
|
|
|1914
|1948
|N/A
|-
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|ACL
|ACL
|1898
|1967
|Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Atlantic and Danville Railway
|AD
|N&W
|1889
|1962
|Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway
|-
|Atlantic and East Carolina Railway
|AEC
|SOU
|1939
|2003
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Atlantic and French Broad Valley Railroad
|
|SOU
|1881
|1882
|Carolina, Cumberland Gap and Chicago Railway
|-
|Atlantic and North Carolina Company
|
|NS
|1905
|1906
|Norfolk and Southern Railway
|-
|Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad
|ANC
|NS
|1852
|1989
|North Carolina Railroad
|-
|Atlantic, Tennessee and Ohio Railroad
|
|SOU
|1855
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Atlantic and Western Railroad
|
|
|1889
|1927
|Atlantic and Western Railway
|-
|Atlantic and Yadkin Railway
|
|SOU
|1899
|1950
|Southern Railway
|-
|Beaufort and Morehead Railroad
|BMH
|
|1937
|1998
|North Carolina Railroad
|-
|Beaufort and Morehead Railway
|BMH
|
|1991
|2002
|Carolina Rail Services
|-
|Black Mountain Railway
|
|ACL/ L&N
|1910
|1955<!--?-->
|Yancey Railroad
|-
|Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railway
|
|SOU
|1901
|1909
|Tallulah Falls Railway
|-
|Bonlee and Western Railway
|
|
|1908
|1932
|N/A
|-
|Caldwell and Northern Railroad
|
|SOU
|1893
|1910
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|-
|Cape Fear and Northern Railway
|
|SCL<!--acquired in 1976-->
|1898
|1903<!--?-->
|Durham and Southern Railway
|-
|Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway
|
|ACL, SOU
|1879
|1898
|Atlantic and Yadkin Railway, Wilmington and Weldon Railroad<!--the latter technically got their piece after three months with the former-->
|-
|Carolina Railroad
|
|NS
|1912
|1931
|N/A
|-
|Carolina, Atlantic and Western Railway
|
|SAL
|1914
|1915
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Carolina Central Railroad
|
|SAL
|1880
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Carolina Central Railway
|
|SAL
|1873
|1880
|Carolina Central Railroad
|-
|Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway
|CC&O
|ACL/ L&N
|1908
|1990
|CSX Transportation
|-
|Carolina Coast Railroad
|
|NS
|1903
|1906
|Norfolk and Southern Railway
|-
|Carolina, Cumberland Gap and Chicago Railway
|
|SOU
|1882
|1895
|N/A
|Sold at foreclosure; no property in North Carolina
|-
|Carolina and Georgia Railway
|
|
|1919
|1927<!--??? leased to T&NC in May 1927; was it merged later that year, or a bit later?-->
|Tennessee and North Carolina Railway
|-
|Carolina, Glenanna and Pee Dee Railway and Development Company
|
|ACL/ N&W
|1905
|1907
|Carolina Valley Railway
|-
|Carolina Narrow-gauge Railroad
|
|SOU
|1872
|1873
|Chester and Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad
|-
|Carolina and Northeastern Railroad
|
|
|1917
|1931
|Carolina and Northeastern Railway
|-
|Carolina and Northeastern Railway
|
|
|1931
|1934
|N/A
|-
|Carolina Northern Railroad
|
|SAL
|1899
|1905
|Raleigh and Charleston Railroad
|-
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|CRN
|NS
|1994
|
|Caldwell County Railroad
| Line from Hickory to Lenoir purchased by Caldwell County Economic Development Commission; Leased to CWCY.
|-
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|CRN
|SOU
|1982
|1988
|Southern Railway
|-
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|CRN
|SOU
|1897
|1974
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Carolina Rail Services
|CRIJ
|
|1986
|2005
|Morehead and South Fork Railroad
|-
|Carolina Southern Railway
|
|
|1926<!--?-->
|1961
|N/A
|-
|Carolina and Tennessee Southern Railway
|
|SOU
|1902
|1944
|N/A
|-
|Carolina Valley Railway
|
|ACL/ N&W
|1907
|1909<!--?-->
|Piedmont Railway
|-
|Carolina and Yadkin River Railway
|
|ACL/ N&W
|1912
|1923
|High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
|-
|Carthage Railroad
|
|
|1886
|1920
|Randolph and Cumberland Railway
|-
|Carthage and Pinehurst Railroad
|
|NS
|1907
|1922
|N/A
|-
|Carthage and Western Railroad
|
|
|1893
|
|
|-
|Cashie and Chowan Railroad and Lumber Company
|
|
|1883
|
|
|-
|Cashie and Roanoke Railroad
|
|
|1887
|1893
|Wellington and Powellsville Railroad
|-
|Chapel Hill Iron Mountain Railroad
|
|SOU
|1873
|1879
|State University Railroad
|-
|Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad
|
|ACL/ L&N, SOU
|1886
|1893
|Ohio River and Charleston Railway
|-
|Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad
|
|SOU
|1869
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad
|
|SOU
|1847
|1869
|Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad
|-
|Chatham Railroad
|
|SAL
|1861
|1871
|Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad
|-
|Cheraw and Coalfields Railroad
|
|ACL
|1867
|1868
|Cheraw and Salisbury Railroad
|-
|Cheraw and Darlington Railroad
|
|ACL
|1882
|1898
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Cheraw and Salisbury Railroad
|
|ACL
|1868
|1882
|Cheraw and Darlington Railroad
|-
|Chester and Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad
|
|SOU
|1873
|1897
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|-
|Chowan River Railway and Baltimore Steamboat Company
|
|ACL
|1883
|1886
|Chowan and Southern Railroad
|-
|Chowan and Southern Railroad
|ACL
|
|1886
|1889
|Norfolk and Carolina Railroad
|-
|Cliffside Railroad
|CLIF
|
|1905
|1987
|N/A
|-
|Clinchfield Railroad
|CRR
|ACL/ L&N
|1924
|1983
|Seaboard System Railroad
|-
|Clinton and Faison Railroad
|
|ACL
|1881
|1885
|Clinton and Warsaw Railroad
|-
|Clinton and Warsaw Railroad
|
|ACL
|1885
|1888
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|-
|Dan Valley and Yadkin River Railroad
|
|SOU
|1879
|1880
|North Carolina Midland Railroad
|-
|Dan Valley and Yadkin River Narrow Gauge Railroad
|
|SOU
|1881
|1883
|North Carolina Midland Railroad
|-
|Danville, Mocksville and Southwestern Railroad
|
|SOU
|1880
|1899
|Danville and Western Railway
|-
|Danville and New River Railroad
|
|SOU
|1873<!--in NC too?-->
|1890
|Danville and Western Railway
|-
|Danville and Western Railway
|D&W
|SOU
|1891
|<!--no idea-->
|
|-
|Dismal Swamp Railroad
|
|
|1896
|1941
|N/A
|-
|Dover and South Bound Railroad
|
|
|1905
|1930<!--?-->
|N/A
|-
|Dunn-Erwin Railway
|DER
|
|1987
|1989
|Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad
|-
|Durham and Charlotte Railroad
|
|NS
|1893
|1912
|Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway
|-
|Durham and Northern Railway
|
|SAL
|1887
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Durham and Roxboro Railroad
|
|N&W
|1885
|1887
|Lynchburg and Durham Railroad
|-
|Durham and South Carolina Railroad
|
|NS
|1905
|1993<!--?? it was also supposed to merge into the C&NW in 1987, but that doesn't seem to have happened-->
|New Hope Valley Railway
|-
|Durham and Southern Railway
|DS
|SCL<!--acquired in 1976-->
|1904
|1981
|Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Durham Union Station Company
|
|N&W/ SAL/ SOU<!--and Durham and Southern-->
|1904
|1965
|N/A
|-
|Duval Transportation of the Carolinas
|
|
|1987
|1987
|Mid Atlantic Railroad
|-
|East Carolina Railway
|
|ACL
|1898
|1965
|N/A
|-
|East Carolina Land and Railway Company
|
|ACL
|1887
|1894
|Wilmington, Newbern and Norfolk Railroad
|-
|East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
|ETWN
|
|1866<!--or later in NC?-->
|1950
|N/A
|-
|Edenton and Norfolk Railway
|
|NS
|1888
|1902
|Suffolk and Carolina Railway
|-
|Egypt Railway
|
|NS
|1892
|1910
|Sanford and Troy Railroad
|-
|Elizabeth City and Norfolk Railroad
|
|NS
|1870
|1883
|Norfolk Southern Railroad
|-
|Elizabeth City and Western Railroad
|
|NS
|1899
|1902
|Suffolk and Carolina Railway
|-
|Elkin and Alleghany Railroad
|
|
|1920
|1931
|N/A
|-
|Elkin and Alleghany Railway
|
|
|1907
|1919
|Elkin and Alleghany Railroad
|-
|Florence and Fayetteville Railroad
|
|ACL
|1862
|1881
|Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway
|-
|Franklin County Railroad
|
|
|1985
|1990
|
|LRS subsidiary; operated ex-SAL Franklinton-Louisburg branch (originally Louisburg Railroad); to NCDOT after shutdown, trail lease/rail bank
|-
|French Broad Railroad
|
|
|1919
|1925
|N/A (leased the Madison County Railway)
|-
|Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway
|
|SAL
|1887
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Georgia and North Carolina Railroad
|
|L&N
|1871
|1887
|Marietta and North Georgia Railway
|-
|Glendon and Gulf Mining and Manufacturing Company
|
|NS
|1891<!--??-->
|1896
|Durham and Charlotte Railroad
|-
|Goldsboro Union Station Company
|
|ACL/ NS/ SOU
|1908
|1968
|N/A
|-
|Graham County Railroad
|GC
|
|1905
|1984
|N/A
|-
|Great Smoky Mountains Railway
|GSM
|
|1988
|1999<!--??-->
|Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
|-
|Greensville and Roanoke Railroad
|
|ACL
|1834
|1855
|Petersburg Railroad
|-
|Greenville and French Broad Railroad
|
|SOU
|1855
|1874
|Spartanburg and Asheville Railroad
|-
|Gumberry and Jackson Railroad and Lumber Company
|
|
|1887
|1896
|Northampton and Hertford Railroad
|-
|Halifax and Weldon Railroad
|
|ACL
|1834
|1837
|Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad
|-
|Hendersonville and Brevard Railway, Telegraph and Telephone Company
|
|SOU
|1891
|1897
|Transylvania Railroad
|-
|High Point and Randleman Railroad
|
|SOU
|1883
|1887
|High Point, Randleman, Asheboro and Southern Railroad
|-
|High Point, Randleman, Asheboro and Southern Railroad
|
|SOU
|1887
|
|
|Still exists as a lessor of the Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Hoffman and Troy Railroad
|
|
|1883
|
|
|-
|Howland Improvement Company
|
|NS
|1903
|1905
|Atlantic and North Carolina Company
|-
|Jackson Springs Railroad
|
|NS
|1901
|1907
|Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad
|-
|Kinston Carolina Railroad
|
|NS
|1918
|1929
|N/A
|-
|Kinston and Carolina Railroad
|
|NS
|<!--no idea - was this even a common carrier?-->
|1909
|Kinston–Carolina Railroad and Lumber Company
|-
|Kinston–Carolina Railroad and Lumber Company
|
|NS
|1910
|1918
|Kinston Carolina Railroad
|-
|Kinston and Snow Hill Railroad
|
|NS
|<!--no idea-->
|1913
|Carolina Railroad
|-
|Lawndale Railway and Industrial Company
|
|
|1903
|1943
|N/A
|-
|Linville River Railroad
|
|
|1896
|1899<!--?-->
|Linville River Railway
|-
|Linville River Railway
|
|
|1899
|1940
|N/A (owned by East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad)
|-
|Louisburg Railroad
|
|SAL
|1881
|1901
|Raleigh and Gaston Railroad
|-
|Louisville and Nashville Railroad
|L&N, LN
|L&N
|1905
|1983
|Seaboard System Railroad
|-
|Lower Creek and Linville Valley Transportation Company
|
|SOU
|1891
|1893
|Caldwell and Northern Railroad
|-
|Lynchburg and Durham Railroad
|
|N&W
|1887
|1896
|Norfolk, Lynchburg and Durham Railroad
|-
|Madison County Railway
|
|
|1910
|1925
|N/A
|-
|Marietta and North Georgia Railway
|
|L&N
|1887
|1895
|Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern Railway
|-
|Maxton, Alma and Southbound Railroad
|MA&S
|
|1911
|1937
|N/A
|-
|Mid Atlantic Railroad
|MRR
|
|1987
|1995
|Carolina Southern Railroad
|-
|Midland North Carolina Railway
|
|ACL
|1873
|1884
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|-
|Milton and Sutherlin Railroad
|
|
|1876
|1894
|N/A
|-
|Moore Central Railroad
|
|
|1945
|1948<!--?-->
|N/A
|-
|Moore Central Railway
|
|
|1924
|1945
|Moore Central Railroad
|-
|Moore County Railroad
|
|
|1893
|1904<!--?-->
|N/A
|-
|Mount Airy Railroad
|
|SOU
|1879
|1879
|Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway
|-
|Mount Airy and Eastern Railway
|
|
|1899
|1910
|Virginia and Mount Airy Railway
|-
|Mount Airy and Ore Knob Railroad
|
|SOU
|1871
|1879
|Mount Airy Railroad
|-
|Mount Hope Valley Railroad
|
|NS
|1904
|1905
|Durham and South Carolina Railroad
|-
|Norfolk and Carolina Railroad
|
|ACL
|1889
|1900
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railway
|NFD
|N&W
|1962
|1983<!--or was it all abandoned in NC by then?-->
|Norfolk and Western Railway
|-
|Norfolk, Lynchburg and Durham Railroad
|
|N&W
|1896<!--?-->
|1896
|Norfolk and Western Railroad
|-
|Norfolk, Roanoke and Southern Railroad
|
|N&W
|1896
|1896
|Norfolk and Western Railroad
|-
|Norfolk Southern Railroad
|NS
|NS
|1910
|1942
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Norfolk Southern Railroad
|
|NS
|1883
|1891
|Norfolk and Southern Railroad
|-
|Norfolk and Southern Railroad
|
|NS
|1891
|1906
|Norfolk and Southern Railway
|-
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|NS
|NS
|1942
|1982
|Carolina and Northwestern Railway
|-
|Norfolk and Southern Railway
|
|NS
|1906
|1910
|Norfolk Southern Railroad
|-
|Norfolk and Western Railroad
|
|N&W
|1892<!--leased the Lynchburg and Durham Railroad and Roanoke and Southern Railway-->
|1896
|Norfolk and Western Railway
|-
|Norfolk and Western Railway
|N&W, NW
|N&W
|1896
|1998
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|North Carolina Railroad
|
|SOU
|1849
|
|
|Still exists as a lessor of the Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|North Carolina Air–Line Railway
|
|SOU
|1877
|1877
|Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway
|-
|North Carolina Connecting Railway
|
|
|1905
|1907
|Roanoke River Railway
|-
|North Carolina Midland Railroad
|
|SOU
|1880
|
|
|Still exists as a lessor of the Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|North Carolina Mining, Manufacturing and Development Company
|
|ACL/ N&W
|1903
|1905
|Carolina, Glenanna and Pee Dee Railway and Development Company
|-
|North Carolina Ports Railway Commission
|NCPR
|
|1979
|2002
|North Carolina State Ports Authority
|-
|North and South Carolina Railroad
|
|SOU
|1899
|1940
|N/A
|-
|North and South Carolina Railway
|
|SAL
|1910
|1914
|Carolina, Atlantic and Western Railway
|-
|North Western North Carolina Railroad
|
|SOU
|1868
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Northampton and Hertford Railroad
|
|
|1891
|1908
|Northampton and Hertford Railway
|-
|Northampton and Hertford Railway
|
|
|1909
|1917
|Carolina and Northeastern Railroad
|-
|Ohio River and Charleston Railway
|
|ACL/ L&N, SOU
|1894
|1902
|South Carolina and Georgia Extension Railroad, South and Western Railway
|-
|Oxford and Clarksville Railroad
|
|SOU
|1885
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Oxford and Coast Line Railroad
|
|SAL
|1891
|1906
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Oxford and Henderson Railroad
|
|SOU
|1871
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Palmetto Railroad
|
|SAL
|1883
|1895
|Palmetto Railway
|-
|Palmetto Railway
|
|SAL
|1895
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Pee Dee Valley Railway
|
|ACL
|1909
|1910
|Rockingham Railway
|-
|Petersburg Railroad
|
|ACL
|1831
|1898
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Piedmont Railroad
|
|SOU
|1862
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Piedmont Railway
|
|ACL/ N&W
|1909
|1912
|Carolina and Yadkin River Railway
|-
|Piedmont and Northern Railway
|P&N
|
|1914<!--when it acquired the Piedmont Traction Company-->
|1969
|Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
|Electric until 1954
|-
|Pigeon River Railway
|
|
|1906
|1931
|N/A
|-
|Pittsboro Railroad
|
|SAL
|1885
|1899
|Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad
|-
|Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad
|
|SAL
|1833
|1846
|Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad
|-
|Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad
|
|SAL
|1871
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Raleigh and Cape Fear Railway
|
|NS
|1898
|1905
|Raleigh and Southport Railway
|-
|Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway
|
|NS
|1911
|1913
|Norfolk Southern Railroad
|-
|Raleigh and Charleston Railroad
|
|SAL
|1906
|1941<!--?-->
|N/A<!--?-->
|-
|Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina Railroad
|
|NS
|1903
|1903
|Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad
|-
|Raleigh and Gaston Railroad
|
|SAL
|1835
|1901
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad
|
|NS
|1903
|1906
|Norfolk and Southern Railway
|-
|Raleigh and Southport Railway
|
|NS
|1905
|1912
|Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway
|-
|Raleigh and Western Railway
|
|NS
|1893
|1908
|N/A
|Leased the Egypt Railway
|-
|Randolph and Cumberland Railroad
|
|
|1906
|1907
|Randolph and Cumberland Railway
|-
|Randolph and Cumberland Railway
|
|
|1907
|1924
|Moore Central Railway
|-
|Richmond and Danville Railroad
|
|SOU
|1866<!--leased the Piedmont Railroad-->
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad
|
|SAL
|1892
|1900
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Roanoke Railroad
|
|SAL
|1847
|1849
|Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad
|-
|Roanoke River Railway
|
|
|1907
|1919
|Townsville Railroad
|-
|Roanoke and Southern Railway
|
|N&W
|1887
|1896
|Norfolk, Roanoke and Southern Railroad
|-
|Roanoke and Tar River Railroad
|
|SAL
|1885
|1911
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Roanoke Valley Railroad
|
|
|1855<!--??-->
|1863
|N/A
|-
|Rockingham Railroad
|RKG
|ACL
|1910
|1968
|N/A
|-
|Rockingham Railway
|
|ACL
|1910
|1910
|Rockingham Railroad
|-
|Roxboro Railroad
|
|N&W
|1881
|1887
|Lynchburg and Durham Railroad
|-
|Roxboro and Narrow Gauge Railroad
|
|N&W
|1879
|1881
|Roxboro Railroad
|-
|Rutherfordton, Marion and Tennessee Railway
|
|ACL/ L&N, SOU
|1881
|1886
|Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad
|-
|Sanford and Glendon Railroad
|
|NS
|<!--ICC doesn't know-->
|1910
|Sanford and Troy Railroad
|-
|Sanford and Troy Railroad
|
|NS
|1910
|1912
|Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway
|-
|Seaboard Air Line Railroad
|SAL
|SAL
|1946
|1967
|Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|
|SAL
|1900
|1945
|Seaboard Air Line Railroad
|-
|Seaboard Air Line System
|
|SAL
|1893
|1900
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
|SCL
|
|1967
|1983
|Seaboard System Railroad
|-
|Seaboard and Raleigh Railroad
|
|ACL
|1873
|1883
|Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad
|-
|Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad
|
|SAL
|1846
|1911
|Seaboard Air Line Railway
|-
|Seaboard System Railroad
|SBD
|
|1983
|1986
|CSX Transportation
|-
|Smoky Mountain Railway
|SMN
|
|1905
|1927<!--??-->
|N/A
|-
|South Carolina and Georgia Extension Railroad
|
|SOU
|1898
|1902
|Southern Railway – Carolina Division
|-
|South and Western Railroad
|
|ACL/ L&N
|1905
|1908
|Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway
|-
|South and Western Railway
|
|ACL/ L&N
|1901
|1906
|South and Western Railroad
|-
|Southeastern Railroad
|
|ACL
|1897
|1900
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Southern Railway
|SOU
|SOU
|1894
|1990
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Southern Railway – Carolina Division
|
|SOU
|1902
|1996
|Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Spartanburg and Asheville Railroad
|
|SOU
|1874
|1881
|Asheville and Spartanburg Railroad
|-
|Statesville and Western Railroad
|
|SOU
|1887
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Suffolk and Carolina Railway
|
|NS
|1884
|1906
|Norfolk and Southern Railway<!--after less than a day with the Virginia and Carolina Coast Railroad-->
|-
|Tallulah Falls Railway
|TF
|SOU
|1909<!--or earlier by lease?-->
|1961
|N/A
|-
|Tennessee and North Carolina Railroad
|
|
|1903
|1920
|Tennessee and North Carolina Railway
|-
|Tennessee and North Carolina Railway
|
|
|1920
|1951
|N/A
|-
|Town Creek Railroad and Lumber Company
|
|
|1905<!--??-->
|1911
|Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern Railroad
|-
|Townsville Railroad
|
|
|1919
|1933
|N/A
|-
|Transylvania Railroad
|
|SOU
|1899
|<!--no idea-->
|
|-
|Tuckaseegee and Southeastern Railway
|
|
|1920
|1945
|N/A
|-
|Virginia and Carolina Railroad
|
|SAL
|1883
|1892
|Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad
|-
|Virginia–Carolina Railway
|
|N&W
|1911<!--authorized in North Carolina then?-->
|1919
|Norfolk and Western Railway
|-
|Virginia and Carolina Southern Railroad
|
|ACL
|1903
|<!--no idea-->
|
|-
|Virginia and Mount Airy Railway
|
|
|1920
|
|N/A
|Never operated
|-
|Warrenton Railroad
|WAR
|
|1876
|1985
|N/A
|-
|Washington and Plymouth Railroad
|
|NS
|1901
|1904
|Norfolk and Southern Railroad
|-
|Washington and Vandemere Railroad
|
|ACL
|1903
|1944<!--?-->
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Weldon and Roanoke Rapids Electric Railway
|
|
|1907
|1917
|Carolina and Northeastern Railroad
|-
|Wellington and Powellsville Railroad
|
|
|1893
|1926
|Carolina Southern Railway
|-
|Western Railroad
|
|ACL, SOU
|1852
|1879
|Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway
|-
|Western North Carolina Railroad
|
|SOU
|1855
|1894
|Southern Railway
|-
|Wilmington Railway Bridge Company
|
|ACL/ SAL
|1866
|1956
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Seaboard Air Line Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern Railroad
|
|
|1907
|1945<!--??-->
|N/A
|-
|Wilmington and Carolina Railroad
|
|ACL
|1870
|1870
|Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad
|
|ACL
|1887
|1895
|Wilmington and Conway Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conwayboro Railroad
|
|ACL
|1883
|1887
|Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Charlotte Railroad
|
|SAL
|1855
|1855
|Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad
|
|SAL
|1855
|1873
|Carolina Central Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad
|
|ACL
|1870
|1898
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Conway Railroad
|
|ACL
|1895
|1896
|Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Manchester Railroad
|
|ACL
|1847
|1870
|Wilmington and Carolina Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Newbern Railroad
|
|ACL
|1897
|1897
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Newbern and Norfolk Railroad
|
|ACL
|1893
|1897
|Wilmington and Newbern Railroad
|-
|Wilmington, Onslow and East Carolina Railroad
|
|ACL
|1885
|1893
|Wilmington, Newbern and Norfolk Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad
|
|ACL
|1834
|1855
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Tarboro Railroad
|
|ACL
|1861
|1873
|Seaboard and Raleigh Railroad
|-
|Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
|
|ACL
|1855
|1900
|Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
|-
|Winston-Salem and Madison Railroad
|
|SOU
|1879
|1880
|North Carolina Midland Railroad
|-
|Winston-Salem and Mooresville Railroad
|
|SOU
|1878
|1880
|North Carolina Midland Railroad
|-
|Winston-Salem Terminal Company
|
|ACL<!--through 1/3 share owned by WSS-->/ N&W/ SOU
|1922
|1972
|Norfolk and Western Railway, Southern Railway, Winston-Salem Southbound Railway<!--?-->
|-
|Winton Railroad and Lumber Company
|
|
|1889
|
|
|-
|Yadkin Railroad
|
|SOU
|1871
|
|
|Still exists as a lessor of the Norfolk Southern Railway
|-
|Yancey Railroad
|YAN
|
|1955<!--?-->
|1982
|N/A
|}
;Electric railways
- Asheville and East Tennessee Railroad
- Asheville Electric Company
- Asheville Loop Line Railway
- Asheville Street Railway
- Carolina Power and Light Company
- Charlotte Electric Railway, Light and Power Company
- Cumberland Railway and Power Company
- Durham Traction Company
- Fayetteville Street Railway
- Fries Manufacturing and Power Company
- North Carolina Public Service Company
- Piedmont and Northern Railway (P&N)
- Piedmont Traction Company
- Salisbury and Spencer Railway
- Tidewater Power Company
- Wilmington Sea Coast Railroad
;Private carriers
- Blackwood Lumber Company
- Butters Lumber Company
- Experimental Railroad
- Whiteville Lumber Company
;Not completed
- Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
- Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
Notes
References
- Association of American Railroads (2003), Railroad Service in North Carolina (PDF). Retrieved May 11, 2005.