Lynchburg, Virginia

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Lynchburg, Virginia

Lynchburg, a city in central Virginia (37°24′13″N 79°10′12″W, 630 feet elevation) has been a pivotal railroad hub since the mid-19th century. Situated along the James River in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its strategic location facilitated trade between the Piedmont and Appalachian regions, evolving from canal-era commerce to a bustling rail crossroads. Lynchburg was a important transportation hub and center of commerce for Virginia in the early 1800s. By 1840, the James River and Kanawha Canal reached Lynchburg from Richmond. By the 1850s, railroads transformed Lynchburg into a manufacturing and transportation center, boosting its population from 6,800 in 1850 to over 15,000 by 1880. Coal from Appalachian mines, tobacco from Southside Virginia, and goods from the Midwest flowed through, making it a key junction for three major lines by the early 20th century.

First Railroads

Virginia & Tennessee Railroad

The original railroads began arriving in the 1850s, capitalizing on the city’s river access and canal infrastructure. The Virginia & Tennessee Railroad (V&T), chartered in 1848 and renamed from Lynchburg & Tennessee, broke ground in 1850 and reached Lynchburg by 1852, extending westward to Big Lick (Roanoke) that year and fully to Bristol by 1856, spanning 204 miles. It routed through downtown Lynchburg, along Blackwater Creek, into a tunnel, and westward.

Southside Railroad

The Southside Railroad, chartered in 1846, started construction in 1849 and completed its line from Petersburg to Lynchburg by 1854, entering the city from the east via Percival’s Island in the James River. By 1856, it connected with the V&T, forming an east-west corridor. The Orange & Alexandria Railroad, chartered in 1847, reached the north bank of the James River by 1860, with a bridge built in 1861 to link Lynchburg southward.

Additional railroads arrive after the Civil War

Post-Civil War additions included the Lynchburg & Danville (1874, extending south to Danville) and Lynchburg & Durham (1887-1890, southward to Brookneal). The Richmond & Alleghany (R&A), following the James River, arrived from Richmond and Clifton Forge in 1881.

Photo: Original Orange Bridge built in 1861 across James River to Lynchburg. Southern Railway built a new, higher bridge in the 1910s, closed this bridge in the 1930s, and disassembled and moved it to Kingsport TN in the 1940s. Photo courtesy Jones Memorial Library.

Mergers and routing changes in and around Lynchburg

Routing changes over decades reflected urban growth, mergers, and efficiency needs. Initially, lines traversed downtown Lynchburg, causing congestion with street-level tracks, tunnels, and river crossings. The V&T and Southside used Percival’s Island for yards and bridges, while the Orange & Alexandria crossed the James via trestles.

Norfolk & Western Railway – 1881

Mergers reshaped networks: V&T, Southside, and Norfolk & Petersburg formed the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio in 1870, reorganized as Norfolk & Western (N&W) in 1881.

Southern Railway – 1894

Richmond & Danville acquired Virginia Midland (1881), becoming Southern Railway in 1894.

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway – 1889

R&A merged into Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) in 1889.

Route Changes

By the 1890s, N&W built an initial belt line (1890-1892) to connect with Lynchburg & Durham, avoiding some urban areas, but it failed financially. A new Lynchburg Belt Line (completed 1908) bypassed the river basin with a freight route from Forest to Phoebe, featuring the Cotton Mill Trestle and reducing steep grades. Southern constructed a new line (1910-1912) with James River and Blackwater Creek trestles and a Rivermont tunnel, shifting from older paths. In 1965, N&W abandoned much of its original downtown main line, including sections from Langhorne Road to the tunnel and James River to Concord, converting the belt line to the primary route and removing urban bottlenecks like low-clearance bridges. The Lynchburg Tunnel and 12th Street connection were abandoned in 1982 after N&W-Southern merger into Norfolk Southern (NS). These changes prioritized freight efficiency, diverting lines around the city core and preserving remnants as trails like the James River Heritage Trail.

Lynchburg’s railroads today

Today, Lynchburg’s railroads are operated by NS and CSX. NS runs the former N&W line from Roanoke to Norfolk (10-15 trains daily, varying with coal and grain) and former Southern from Washington to Atlanta (15-20 trains, including intermodal and mixed freight). CSX operates the former C&O James River line from Clifton Forge to Richmond/Newport News (10-15 trains, dominated by coal and grain). Amtrak uses Kemper Street Station for the Crescent (daily New York-New Orleans) and Northeast Regional (Boston-Roanoke). Yards include NS’s Kinney (former N&W) and Montview (former Southern), while abandoned sections like Island Yard are gone. Declining coal has reduced traffic, but Lynchburg remains a rail hotspot with scenic routes like CSX’s James River line

Lynchburg was a important transportation hub and center of commerce for Virginia in the 1800s. By 1840, the James River and Kanawha Canal reached Lynchburg from Richmond. Withing 10 years, the Lynchburg & Tennessee Railroad began construction, later changing its name to the Virginia & Tennessee.

Lynchburg Stats

  • Coordinates: 37°24′13″N 79°10′12″W
  • Elevation: 630 feet above sea level
  • Named For: John Lynch
  • Nickname: City of Seven Hills, The Hill City
  • Incorporated: 1805
  • Formerly Known As: Lynch’s Ferry
  • Population: 79,009 (2020)
  • County: Campbell
  • Highlights: 5 colleges and universities, the James River, Appomattox Court House, foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Thomas Jefferson’s retreat: Poplar Forest, and the many greenways and trails that were once railroads.

More Rails Across the Appalachians information will be added to this page and website in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any questions, see any edits that should be made, or have any content you are willing to share. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in Appalachian Railroads, the region, or model railroading.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

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3Cs Websites

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