The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line (B Line) was one of the company's secondary main lines running from the company's main line in Rocky Mount, North Carolina northeast to a point just outside of Norfolk, Virginia. Despite its name, it terminated at Pinners Point in Portsmouth, Virginia (just across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk). Bus and ferry service connected passengers to Norfolk.Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Northern Division Timetable (1949)

Route description The Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line Line began at a junction with the Atlantic Coast Line's main line in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The junction was named on employee timetables as South Rocky Mount. From South Rocky Mount, it ran east to Tarboro, North Carolina, where it turned northeast. After Tarboro, it passed through Hobgood, Kelford, Aulander, Ahoskie, and Cofield. It crossed the Chowan River just beyond Cofield and crossed into Virginia just beyond Drum Hill. Once in Virginia, it headed straight for Suffolk. It turned east in Suffolk and came to an end at Pinners Point in Portsmouth, just outside of Norfolk.

The line's Plymouth Branch ran from the line in Tarboro and headed east to Williamston and Plymouth.

History The first segment of the Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line was built in 1849 from Rocky Mount east to Tarboro, which was built as the Tarboro Branch of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. In 1882, the Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad was built which extended the branch east to Williamston on the Roanoke River. The Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad was acquired by the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in 1885 and was extended in 1890 to Plymouth.

Track from Tarboro to Pinners Point in Portsmouth was chartered in 1886 by the Chowan and Southern Railroad, though its name was changed to the Norfolk and Carolina Railroad by the time it opened in 1890. By 1900, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and the Norfolk and Carolina Railroad has been fully merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The company then designated the line from Rocky Mount to Pinners Point as the Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line. Track from Tarboro to Plymouth became the Plymouth Branch.

The Atlantic Coast Line ran passenger and freight trains on the Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line. By 1949, they were running two round-trip passenger trains daily along with up to three round-trip freight trains a day. A local freight train ran the Plymouth Branch six days a week at the same time. By 1957, only freight trains were running from Rocky Mount to Pinners Point.Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Northern Division Timetable (1957)

In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line merged with its rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL), who also had a line to Portsmouth (the Portsmouth Subdivision). Upon completion, the merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The company adopted the Seaboard Air Line's method of naming their lines as subdivisions and as a result, the Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line was designated as the East End Subdivision and the Plymouth Branch became the Plymouth Subdivision.Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Rocky Mount Division Timetable (1970)

By the mid-1970s, the Seaboard Coast Line was primarily using the Portsmouth Subdivision to serve the Portsmouth area. Due to this and the fact that some bridges along the East End Subdivision were in need of repairs, the Seaboard Coast Line abandoned much of the line between Tarboro and Portsmouth in 1981. Track was then removed from Tarboro to Kelford and from Cofield to Portsmouth.

In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.

Current operations Today, the Norfolk–Rocky Mount Line is still in service in two discontinuous segments.

Tarboro Subdivision

The line from Rocky Mount to Tarboro and the Plymouth Branch are still in service as CSX's Tarboro Subdivision. It connects with CSX's A Line just north of Rocky Mount Yard. It also connects with CSX's Parmele Subdivision in Parmele and the Carolina Coastal Railway in Plymouth.CSX Florence Division Timetable

Tarboro to Norfolk The only other segment of the line that is still in service is from Kelford to Cofield. This segment is operated by the North Carolina and Virginia Railroad, which also operates former Seaboard Air Line track from Kelford to Boykins. CSX sold this segment of the line to the North Carolina and Virginia Railroad in 1987.

Segments of the former line between Suffolk and Portsmouth have been converted to rail trails, including the Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail and the Western Branch Chesapeake Trail.

Historic stations +Rocky Mount to NorfolkStateMilepostCity/LocationStationConnections and notesNCAB 121.2Rocky MountSouth Rocky Mountjunction with Main LineAB 128.6KingsboroAB 131.6WaldoAB 135.6TarboroTarborojunction with Plymouth BranchAB 143.0SpeedSpeedAB 147.8HobgoodHobgoodjunction with Kinston BranchAB 152.3PalmyraAB 157.4NorfleetAB 162.3KelfordKelfordjunction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Lewiston SubdivisionAB 169.4AulanderAulanderAB 174.5EarleyAB 177.7AhoskieAhoskieAB 180.8HallsAB 184.1CofieldCofieldAB 184.9South TunisAB 192.2EureAB 193.8RoducoAB 197.0GatesAB 200.6Drum HillVAAB 205.3WhaleyvilleWhaleylater known as WhaleyvilleAB 209.9NurneyAB 215.9SuffolkSuffolkjunction with:AB 220.2NansemondAB 223.9DriversAB 228.0BooneAB 230.8ArmisteadAB 231.6PortsmouthPortsmouthAB 232.1Yard TowerAB 233.1Pinners Pointferry connections to Norfolk

+Plymouth BranchMilepostCity/LocationStationConnections and notesABC 135.6TarboroTarborojunction with Norfolk–Rocky Mount LineABC 136.7EC Junctionjunction with East Carolina RailwayABC 140.7MildredABC 143.7ConetoeConetoeABC 148.7BethelBethelABC 152.2ParmeleParmelejunction with Kinston BranchABC 155.8RobersonvilleRobersonvilleABC 160.5EverettsEverettsABC 165.5PoeABC 166.3WilliamstonWilliamstonABC 177.1JamesvilleJamesvilleABC 183.4DardensABC 188.6PlymouthPlymouth (Union Station)depot now Port O' Plymouth Museum

References