Chattahoochee & Gulf

Company History: The CHAT was launched in 2003 by the Gulf & Ohio Railways group to take over operation of a former Central Of Georgia line between Hilton, Georgia and Dothan, Alabama. This arrangement was short-lived. Genesee & Wyoming was also buying shortlines in the area and wanted the CHAT and fellow G&O stablemate “H and S Railroad” to link two of their properties (Chattahoochee Industrial and Bay Line Railroad.) G&W made G&O an offer they couldn’t refuse and both lines were sold. G&W merged the Chattahoochee & Gulf and H and S Railroad under the name Chattahoochee Bay Railroad in 2006.

Successor/Parent History: Genesee and Wyoming Inc., expanded into the Georgia/Alabama region in 2003 and 2005 with acquisition of the Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad and Bay Line Railroad, respectively. As the Chattahoochee & Gulf connected with both subsidiaries, G&W sought to fill the gap and purchased the C&G as well as the H&S in 2006. Both railroads were then merged into a single operation, named the Chattahoochee Bay Railroad. This gave Genesee & Wyoming a contiguous route from the paper mill at Cedar Springs, Georgia to the port of Panama City, Florida, allowing for more efficient operation under the unified carrier. The Chattahoochee Bay railroad totals 28.2 miles (45.4 km) and interchanges with CSX Transportation and the Bay Line Railroad at Dothan, as well as Norfolk Southern and the Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad at Hilton. In 2015 G&W made the line a part of the Bay Line Railroad.