Arkansas Southern Railroad
Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Russellville, Arkansas |
Reporting mark | ARS |
Locale | Arkansas and Oklahoma |
Dates of operation | 2005–Present |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Length | 63 mi (101 km) |
The Arkansas Southern Railroad (reporting mark ARS) is a short-line railroad which started service in October 2005.[1] ARS operates two disconnected lines consisting of Heavener, Oklahoma to Waldron, Arkansas (32 miles), and Ashdown to Nashville, Arkansas (29 miles), plus a switch track at Ashdown,[1] for a total of 63 miles.[2] The lines are leased from Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) to ARS's owner, the Watco Companies (Watco).[3]
History
The Ashdown to Nashville trackage (now known as the Southern Branch), which also serves Saratoga, Tollette, and Mineral Springs, Arkansas,[3] started in 1907 as the Memphis, Paris & Gulf Railroad, later reorganized as the Graysonia, Nashville & Ashdown Railroad.[4] By mid-century, 75% of its business came from hauling cement and quarry rock.[4] After the line was relocated in the 1960's to make room for a dam project, it was purchased in 1998 by KCS.[4] Watco leased the line in 2005,[3] and ARS began operating it in October of 2005.[4]
The Heavener to Waldron line (now known as the Northern Branch), which also serves Bates, Cauthron, and Hon, Arkansas,[3] was completed in 1901 by the Arkansas Western Railroad (later the Arkansas Western Railway), after the KCS had arrived in Heavener five years earlier.[5] In 1904, the line became a KCS subsidiary.[5] In 1960, a large feed mill was built in Waldron, and by the time Tyson Foods acquired the mill, traffic on the rail line was down to twice-a-week shipments of animal food to that plant.[5] With so little traffic, maintenance was deferred and the line deteriorated.[5] In 1983, state and federal funds went to rehabilitating the line.[5] In 1992, Arkansas Western Railroad was merged into KCS, and in 2005, KCS leased the line to Watco.[5] The plant remains a major customer.[5]
Operations
The ARS has eight employees and four locomotives.[4]
The tonnage today is primarily corn and soy, carbon dioxide, and chemicals such as bauxite and acid.[2] The line also offers car storage.[2][4]
On the Northern Branch, the railroad interchanges with the KCS at Heavener.[2] On the Southern Branch, it interchanges with the KCS at Ashdown, and the Union Pacific Railroad at Nashville.[2]
In 2020, the leases from the KCS on the lines were extended through November 30, 2034.[1]
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