Heart of Georgia Railroad summary
The Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG) is a short line railroad that operates in Georgia and Alabama. It’s owned by Genesee & Wyoming Incorporated. With 233 miles of standard-gauge track from the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the railroad specializes in intermodal port traffic between Midville, Ga., and Mahrt, Ala.
History
The tracks of the Heart of Georgia Railroad were laid in the 1890s by the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery Railway, a predecessor to the Seaboard. Named the Montgomery line, it became part of an important secondary route for the ex-SAL to ship agricultural products to Savannah, Ga. By 1989, the line saw a significant decline in traffic and abandonment took place as part of rationalization in the hands of Seaboard’s successor, CSX Transportation. Seeing the potential value, the Georgia Department of Transportation purchased the Vidalia-to-Mahrt section of the line in 1996. The Heart of Georgia Railroad began operations in April 2000 as an independent shortline railroad until being acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2017.
Operations
Since December 2011, intermodal freight has become the Heart of Georgia Railroad’s specialty in partnership with Cordele Intermodal Services in Cordele, Ga. Empty or full containers are hauled by both the HOG and Georgia Central Railway from the port of Savannah to the Cordele Intermodal lot. They are then trucked to their destinations. Cordele has had a dramatic effect on the Heart of Georgia’s traffic by recapturing the traditional agricultural commodities. The primary exports include peanuts, seasonal cotton, kaolin, lumber, pecans, and plastic pellets.
As a subsidiary of the Genesee & Wyoming, the Heart of Georgia uses the company’s roster pool of various EMD four and six-axle diesel locomotives. Many wear the G&W orange and black color scheme as they keep the busy intermodal traffic moving.
The Heart of Georgia Railroad interchanges with the Class I railroads CSX in Cordele; and Norfolk Southern in Americus, Ga. Interchanges with other short line and regional railroads are made possible with the Georgia Southern Railway in Midville; the Georgia Southwestern Railroad in Americus; and the Georgia Central Railway in Vidalia, Ga. Since 2002, the SAM Shortline has retained trackage rights on the HOG. Passenger excursions are operated throughout the year from Cordele to Plains, Ga.
Read more about the Heart of Georgia Railroad in Trains’ April 2016 issue.
