Aiken

Company History: Aiken Railway Company, LLC (AIKR), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation, leases and operates 18.90 miles of rail line in Aiken County, South Carolina.

AIKR's 12.45-mile line between Warrenville and Oakwood owes its heritage to South Carolina's first and oldest railroad, the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. The line was chartered by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1827, with the route being completed through Aiken in 1833. The 6.45-mile line extending between Aiken and North Aiken was completed by the Edgefield, Trenton & Aiken Railroad in 1879. The combination of these remnants today allows AIKR to sustain the more than 180-year record of continuous rail service in Aiken County, serving Oakwood, Montmorenci, Aiken, and Warrenville communities while offering satellite access to the North Augusta, SC and Augusta, GA markets.

Successor/Parent History: Organized in 2003, the Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation is a privately-held South Carolina corporation created for the purpose of preserving, restoring, and revitalizing shortline rail service in South Carolina and the surrounding region. The corporation created and remains a parent company to two nationally-recognized shortlines in western region of the Palmetto State: the 13-mile Aiken Railway, based in Aiken; and the 13-mile Greenville & Western Railway Company, based in Belton. In addition, the company offers terminal switching services, railroad consulting services, and is a leader in area industrial real estate development. The corporation is privately held and run by Steven and Cheryl Hawkins, and is headquartered in the historic Piedmont & Northern depot in downtown Greer, South Carolina.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.