Reporting mark | RNA |
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Locale | Southern United States |
Dates of operation | 2011– |
Predecessor |
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Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Length | 27 mi (43 km) |
Headquarters | New Albany, Mississippi |
Website | http://www.pioneer-railcorp.com/Subsidiaries/RNA/rna.html |
Ripley and New Albany Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Ripley & New Albany Railroad (reporting mark RNA) is a 27-mile long (43 km) shortline railroad that runs from New Albany to Falkner, Mississippi, and previously extended from Houston, Mississippi, to Middleton, Tennessee, along former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad trackage. RNA interchanges with the BNSF Railway in New Albany, Mississippi. It primarily hauls lumber products and Oil-Dri.
The first rail link between New Albany and Ripley was chartered by Colonel William C. Falkner, great-grandfather of famous author William Faulkner, in 1871 as The Ripley Railroad. By 1874 the line had been expanded north to Middleton and four years later the name changed to Ship Island, Ripley & Kentucky Railroad. In 1889, the railroad was sold to the Gulf & Chicago Railroad in foreclosure. The northern division of the Gulf and Ship Island railroad was also purchased, expanding the line to .
In 1903, the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City Railroad started building north from Beaumont, Mississippi, and joined with the Gulf & Chicago. The two railroads merged in 1909 to form the New Orleans, Mobile & Chicago Railroad. In 1917 this railroad was reorganized into the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad and later the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad (GM&O) in 1940. During these years the famous GM&O train The Rebel ran along this route. The connection to the Frisco Railway (modern day BNSF) in New Albany was an important conduit for traffic along this route with almost all northbound freight being diverted to the Frisco in New Albany.