Oldest Railroads in North America - Common Carriers

Common Carriers

Name Chartered State Opened Notes
Union Canal Company of Pennsylvania 01826-03-03March 3, 1826 Pennsylvania 01830-01-011830 Chartered on May 30, 1811 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on March 3, 1826
Granite Railway 01826-03-04March 4, 1826 Massachusetts 01826-10-07October 7, 1826 Only authorized to carry freight until April 16, 1846
Delaware and Hudson Canal Company 01826-04-05April 5, 1826 Pennsylvania 01829-10-09October 9, 1829 Chartered on March 13, 1823 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 5, 1826
Danville and Pottsville Railroad 01826-04-08April 8, 1826 Pennsylvania 01834-09-24September 24, 1834
Mohawk and Hudson Railroad 01826-04-17April 17, 1826 New York 01831-09-24September 24, 1831
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 01827-02-28February 28, 1827 Maryland 01830-01-07January 7, 1830 Carried passengers from opening
South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company 01827-12-19December 19, 1827 South Carolina 01830-12-01December 1830 Carried passengers from opening
Ithaca and Owego Railroad 01828-01-28January 28, 1828 New York 01834-04-01April 1, 1834
Mill Creek and Mine Hill Navigation and Railroad Company 01828-02-07February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania 01829-11-03November 3, 1829
Tioga Navigation Company 01828-02-07February 7, 1828 Pennsylvania 01839-01-011839 Chartered on February 20, 1826 to build a canal or slack-water navigation; authorized to build a railroad on February 7, 1828
Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad 01828-02-13February 13, 1828 Maryland 01831-07-04July 4, 1831
Chesterfield Railroad 01828-02-27February 27, 1828 Virginia 01831-07-01July 1831
New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Railroad Company 01828-03-14March 14, 1828 Maryland 01832-02-28February 28, 1832 Chartered on January 6, 1810 as the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike Company to build a turnpike; renamed and authorized to build a railroad on March 14, 1828
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad 01828-03-24March 24, 1828 Pennsylvania 01832-10-18October 18, 1832 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works
Schuylkill Valley Navigation Company 01828-04-14April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania 01830-01-011830 Chartered on March 20, 1827 to build a canal; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Schuylkill Valley Navigation and Railroad Company on January 15, 1829
Schuylkill East Branch Navigation Company 01828-04-14April 14, 1828 Pennsylvania 01831-11-18November 18, 1831 Chartered on February 20, 1826 to build a lock navigation; authorized to build a railroad on April 14, 1828; renamed Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company on April 23, 1829
New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Railroad Company 01829-02-07February 7, 1829 Delaware 01832-02-28February 28, 1832 Chartered on January 24, 1809 as the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike Company to build a turnpike; renamed and authorized to build a railroad on February 7, 1829
New Castle Turnpike and Railroad Company 01829-02-07February 7, 1829 Delaware 01832-02-28February 28, 1832 Chartered on January 30, 1811 as the New Castle Turnpike Company to build a turnpike; renamed and authorized to build a railroad on February 7, 1829; merged into the New Castle Turnpike and Railroad Company on March 31, 1830
Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad 01829-04-15April 15, 1829 Pennsylvania 01831-04-01April 1831
Northern Liberties and Penn Township Railroad 01829-04-23April 23, 1829 Pennsylvania 01834-04-01April 1834
Mount Carbon Railroad 01829-07-15July 15, 1829 Pennsylvania 01831-01-011831
Tuscumbia Railway 01830-01-15January 15, 1830 Alabama 01832-06-12June 12, 1832
Pontchartrain Railroad 01830-01-20January 20, 1830 Louisiana 01831-04-23April 23, 1831
Lexington and Ohio Railroad 01830-01-27January 27, 1830 Kentucky 01832-08-15August 15, 1832
Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company 01830-02-04February 4, 1830 New Jersey 01832-10-01October 1, 1832 When the Camden and Amboy imported, assembled, and placed into service the locomotive John Bull, it was the first time that a steam locomotive had ever run on a North American railroad (earlier railroads used animal traction).
Petersburg Railroad 01830-02-10February 10, 1830 Virginia 01832-10-01October 1832
Lykens Valley Railroad and Coal Company 01830-04-07April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania 01834-04-01April 1834
Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company 01830-04-07April 7, 1830 Pennsylvania 01836-11-05November 5, 1836
Canajoharie and Catskill Railroad 01830-04-19April 19, 1830 New York 01839-01-011839
Boston and Lowell Railroad 01830-06-05June 5, 1830 Massachusetts 01835-06-24June 24, 1835
Petersburg Railroad 01831-01-01January 1, 1831 North Carolina 01833-01-011833
Paterson and Hudson River Railroad 01831-01-31January 31, 1831 New Jersey 01834-01-011834
Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad 01831-02-09February 9, 1831 New Jersey 01836-08-13August 13, 1836
Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad 01831-02-16February 16, 1831 New York 01832-07-12July 12, 1832
West Chester Railroad 01831-02-18February 18, 1831 Pennsylvania 01832-10-01October 1, 1832
West Feliciana Railroad 01831-03-05March 5, 1831 Louisiana 01835-01-01January 1835
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad 01831-03-21March 21, 1831 Pennsylvania 01834-03-18March 18, 1834 Part of the state-owned Main Line of Public Works
Southwark Railroad 01831-04-02April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania 01835-01-011835
Cumberland Valley Railroad 01831-04-02April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania 01837-08-16August 16, 1837
Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad 01831-04-02April 2, 1831 Pennsylvania 01838-01-17January 17, 1838 Renamed Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad on March 14, 1836
Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad 01831-04-05April 5, 1831 Pennsylvania 01832-06-06June 6, 1832
Winchester and Potomac Railroad 01831-04-08April 8, 1831 Virginia (now partially West Virginia) 01836-03-01March 1836
New York and Harlem Railroad 01831-04-25April 25, 1831 New York 01832-11-26November 26, 1832
Boston and Providence Railroad 01831-07-22July 22, 1831 Massachusetts 01835-07-28July 28, 1835
Boston and Worcester Railroad 01831-06-23June 23, 1831 Massachusetts 01834-04-16April 16, 1834
Clinton and Vicksburg Railroad 01831-12-19December 19, 1831 Mississippi 01838-01-011838 Reorganized as the Commercial and Railroad Bank of Vicksburg on December 25, 1833
Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad 01832-01-05January 5, 1832 Ohio 01838-01-011838
Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad 01832-01-13January 13, 1832 Alabama 01833-08-20August 20, 1833
Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad 01832-01-18January 18, 1832 Delaware 01837-07-14July 14, 1837
Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis Railroad 01832-02-02February 2, 1832 Indiana 01834-07-04July 4, 1834
Ohio and Indianapolis Railroad 01832-02-03February 3, 1832 Indiana 01851-01-011851 Renamed Jeffersonville Railroad on February 3, 1849
Calais Railway 01832-02-17February 17, 1832 Maine 01832-01-011832
Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad 01832-02-23February 23, 1832 Pennsylvania 01833-11-14November 14, 1833
Baltimore and Port Deposit Railroad 01832-03-05March 5, 1832 Maryland 01837-07-06July 6, 1837
New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company 01832-03-07March 7, 1832 New Jersey 01834-09-15September 15, 1834
Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad 01832-03-08March 8, 1832 Virginia 01834-07-27July 27, 1834
New Jersey, Hudson and Delaware Railroad 01832-03-08March 8, 1832 New Jersey 01872-01-011872 Merged into the New Jersey Midland Railway on April 26, 1870
Franklin Railroad 01832-03-12March 12, 1832 Pennsylvania 01839-09-10September 10, 1839
Delaware and Maryland Railroad 01832-03-14March 14, 1832 Maryland 01837-07-14July 14, 1837 Merged into the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad on April 18, 1836
York and Maryland Line Railroad 01832-03-14March 14, 1832 Pennsylvania 01838-08-23August 23, 1838
Liggett's Gap Railroad 01832-04-07April 7, 1832 Pennsylvania 01851-10-20October 20, 1851 Renamed Lackawanna and Western Railroad on April 14, 1851
Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad 01832-04-14April 14, 1832 New York 01836-04-19April 19, 1836
Saratoga and Fort Edward Railroad 01832-04-17April 17, 1832 New York 01848-10-15October 15, 1848 Reorganized as the Saratoga and Washington Railroad on May 2, 1834
New York and Albany Railroad 01832-04-17April 17, 1832 New York 01848-12-31December 31, 1848 Sold to the New York and Harlem Railroad on March 9, 1846
Watertown and Rome Railroad 01832-04-17April 17, 1832 New York 01849-10-01October 1849
Tonawanda Railroad 01832-04-24April 24, 1832 New York 01837-05-01May 1837
New York and Erie Railroad 01832-04-24April 24, 1832 New York 01841-09-23September 23, 1841
Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad 01832-04-25April 25, 1832 New York 01836-04-18April 18, 1836 Leased by the Long Island Rail Road from opening
Hudson and Berkshire Railroad 01832-04-26April 26, 1832 New York 01838-09-26September 26, 1838
Boston, Norwich and New London Railroad 01832-05-01May 1, 1832 Connecticut 01840-01-011840 Merged into the Norwich and Worcester Railroad on June 22, 1836
New York and Stonington Railroad 01832-05-14May 14, 1832 Connecticut 01837-11-17November 17, 1837 Merged into the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad on July 1, 1833
Portsmouth and Lancaster Railroad 01832-06-09June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania 01836-09-16September 16, 1836 Renamed Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad on March 11, 1835
Williamsport and Elmira Railroad 01832-06-09June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania 01837-01-12January 12, 1837
Strasburg Railroad 01832-06-09June 9, 1832 Pennsylvania 01837-01-011837
New York, Providence and Boston Railroad 01832-06-23June 23, 1832 Rhode Island 01837-11-17November 17, 1837
Detroit and St. Joseph Railroad 01832-06-29June 29, 1832 Michigan 01838-02-03February 3, 1838 Sold to the Central Railroad of Michigan on April 22, 1837

Selected railroads chartered since 1832:

  • 1835: The New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad begins operation after 4 years of work; rail route still in operation as the St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans.
  • 1836: The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad Company was the first steam railroad in Florida, opening on September 5.
  • 1836: The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad opens in Quebec, Canada.

Read more about this topic:  Oldest Railroads In North America

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    “Now, the wry Rosenbloom is dead
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