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Virginia Tennessee & Georgia Air Line Railroad

The Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia Air Line Railroad was not a single railroad company but a marketing and operational partnership created in the early 1880s. Its purpose was to offer streamlined, long-distance passenger service connecting major cities in the Northeast with important hubs throughout the Southeast.

ETV&G, N&W, and Shenandoah Railroads

The partnership involved several constituent railroads, with the primary participants being the East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia (ETV&G) Railroad, the Norfolk and Western Railway, and the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. This collaboration enabled the “Air Line” to advertise through-car service from destinations like New York and Philadelphia to Southern cities, including New Orleans, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. For travelers, this meant a more convenient journey without needing to change trains multiple times.

Formation of the Southern Railway

This cooperative arrangement allowed the member railroads to compete effectively against larger systems. After the collapse of its parent company, the Richmond Terminal, the ETV&G was absorbed into the newly formed Southern Railway in 1894, bringing the marketing partnership to an end. Much of the original route is now a part of the modern Norfolk Southern Railway system.

ET&G Air Line Stats

• Passenger Train Marketing Partnership
• Operated: 1880s/1890s
• Railroads: East Tennessee Virginia & Georgia Railroad, Shenandoah Valley Railroad, Norfolk & Western Railway, with through cars and connections on the Pennsylvania Railroad
• Routes: New York/Philadelphia/Norfolk to Roanoke/Knoxville/Chattanooga/Atlanta/Memphis/New Orleans
• Successor: Southern Railway and Norfolk & Western Railway
• Today: Norfolk Southern Railway

Virginia Tennessee & Georgia Air Line Map 1882

Map of three east coast railroads and their common connections.

Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/98688846/

Virginia Tennessee & Georgia Air Line Ad

More Southern Railway information will be added to this page and others in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the railroads, the region, or model railroading.

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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.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org