Southerner on the Southern Railway

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Southern Railway Southerner

Southerner - Southern Railway

The Southerner was a premier streamlined passenger train on the Southern Railway, operating daily between New York City and New Orleans from 1941 to 1970. As one of the Southern’s first streamlined, diesel-powered trains, it was a point of pride for the railroad and a symbol of modern travel in the region. Its route differed from the more direct, all-sleeper Crescent, instead taking an inland path south of Atlanta to serve cities like Birmingham and Meridian.

The train ran in partnership with the Pennsylvania Railroad for the New York to Washington, D.C. portion of the journey. In its early years, the Southerner offered a high-quality, all-coach service with modern amenities, including a full dining car and a distinctive tavern-lounge-observation car. The original 1941 cars, built by Pullman-Standard, featured segregated seating, a common practice at the time.

Like most passenger trains, the Southerner saw a decline in ridership in the post-war decades due to air and automobile competition. By 1970, the Southern Railway combined the Southerner with the Crescent to form the Southern Crescent, effectively ending the Southerner‘s run as a standalone service. The new combined train followed the Southerner‘s inland route, allowing it to run exclusively on Southern trackage south of Washington.

Southerner Stats

  • Route: New York City to New Orleans (via Atlanta and Birmingham)
  • Cities: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charlottesville VA, Lynchburg VA, Greensboro NC, Charlotte NC, Spartanburg SC, Greenville SC, Atlanta GA, Anniston AL, Birmingham AL, Meridian MS, New Orleans LA
  • Numbers: 47 southbound & 48 northbound
  • Years in Service: 1941 to 1970
  • Partner Railroads: Pennsylvania (NYC to DC).
  • Dieselized: 1941 (EMD Es and Fs)
  • Streamlined: The Southerner and the Tennessean were the first to be streamlined in 1941
  • Distance: 1377 Miles
  • Scheduled Time: 29 hours 25 minutes
  • Average Speed: 47 MPH (1952)
  • Equipment: Coach, Sleeper, Diner, Tavern/Observation, and Lounge in variation throughout its history. In 1952: Diner: NYC to NO, 1 Sleeper: NYC to Birmingham, 1 Tavern/Observation: NYC to NO.

Southerner Timetable – 1952

Southerner Passenger Train Timetable

Southern-Railroads.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Southern Railway and its predecessors. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Southern-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

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