CHATTANOOGA'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Chattanooga in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.

Terminal Station

Southern Railway had the largest presence in Chattanooga, serving Terminal Station. Chattanooga Station Co. operated Terminal Station. A spur extended east from Terminal Station to CT Tower, connecting with the SR Knoxville Division, which made connections with additional SR divisions. North of CT Tower, the Knoxville Division extended east to Knoxville and Bristol, SR's Cincinnati New Orleans & Texas Pacific subsidiary extended north to Cincinnati, and SR's Atlanta Division extended south to Atlanta. South of CT Tower, the Knoxville Division connected with SR's Alabama Great Southern subsidiary extending southwest to Birmingham, and SR's Memphis Division extending west to Memphis. The Memphis Division actually used trackage rights over the Nashville Chattanooga & St, Louis from Wauhatchie to Stevenson AL. Also serving Terminal Station was a Central of Georgia branch extending south to Rome and Griffin GA.

Significant Locations and Distances from Station

Ooltewah (15 miles E) - junction of SR Knoxville Division and Atlanta Division.
Citico Jct. (6 miles N) - junction of SR Knoxville Division and SR CNO&TP line.
CT Tower (1/2 mile E) - junction of Chattanooga Station Co. and SR Knoxville Division.
Wauhatchie (6 miles SW) - junction of SR Knoxville Division and SR AGS line, NC&SL.
Stevenson (39 miles W) - junction of NC&SL, SR Memphis Division with trackage rights.

Union Station

The main railroad serving Chattanooga's Union Station was Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis, extending between Nashville and Atlanta. The NC&SL main line passed closer to downtown Chattanooga prior to a railroad relocation project completed during the 1970's, the new route would pass south and east of downtown. Also using Union Station was Tennessee Alabama & Georgia, a secondary passenger line to Gadsden AL, which diverged east and south from the old NC&SL line at Cravens Yard, 2 miles south of Union Station.