The New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad was incorporated in 1868 in Louisiana (under the name of Mandeville and Sulphur Springs Railroad until 1870[1]) and 1871 in Mississippi.[2] No track was built, however, and the company's land lay unused until 1881, when control of the company was acquired by the Alabama, New Orleans, Texas and Pacific Junction Railways Company.[2] Construction on the line began in 1882. The line opened in 1883 and extended 196 miles from New Orleans to Meridian, Mississippi.[2]
In 1916 the Southern Railway acquired the NO&NE, which had been marketed as a portion of the Queen and Crescent Route since the 1880s.[2] From that point on the NO&NE owned or were assigned locomotives and other equipment with Southern lettering, but they carried NO&NE sublettering until the line was merged into the Alabama Great Southern in the late-60s, at which time sublettering was changed to AGS.
In 1960, NO&NE reported 746 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 13 million passenger-miles; at the end of that year it operated 203 miles of road and 368 miles of track.
Railroads in italics meet the revenue specifications for Class I status, but are not technically Class I railroads due to being passenger-only railroads with no freight component.
