Bellwood Subdivision


The Bellwood Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia, United States. The line runs along CSX's S Line from Richmond, Virginia, to Bellwood, Virginia, for a total of 14.4 miles. At its north end the line continues south from the Richmond Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the North End Subdivision.

History

The line was once the northernmost segment of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's main line. Seaboard affiliate Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad originally built the line between 1898 and 1900. CSX abandoned S Line past Centralia to Norlina, North Carolina in 1985 in favor of trains using the A Line. The next active segment of the S Line south is CSX's Norlina Subdivision.

Features

One of the line's notable features is that it runs past two of Richmond's historic railroad stations: Main Street Station, and Broad Street Station. Another feature is that it runs through Richmond's Triple Crossing, a rare instance of three railroad lines crossing at different levels. The Bellwood Subdivision passes through the middle level of the Triple Crossing. The line's bridge over the James River is also a notable feature which dates back to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.