What was the last completely new railroad line built?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

And by that I mean completely from scratch. No pre-existing Roadbed, or anything.

2

For openers, I will propose the joint line into the Powder River Basin.

3

Anywhere in the world, or just in North America? China’s new high-speed line might qualify.

4

Include in that qu

Also include in that qualification if you meant to restrict it to, say revenue freight lines only - there have been a number of new transit lines built over the past few decades in North America

5

Some mine and power plant “build-outs” of at least several miles in length have been built in recent years, even in Illinois.

6

How about the Australian iron ore rails? They certainly are new, isolated from other RRs, heavy haul. etc

7

The last electric railroad built from scratch in the US, and by railroad I mean one that interchanges with a Class 1, was the Houston North Shore Railroad.

8

BNSF second track thru Abo Canyon, NM was built on a new roadbed alignment.

9

part of it, not all of it.

Along with Powder River are all the San Juan Basin lines and soon will be an AZ copper line.

10

Alaska Railroad sometime in the 1950s extension to Fairbanks AK

11

Deseret Power Railroad in Utah? Built in 1984

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_Power_Railroad

Rgds IGN

12

In Canada, BC Rail built the 82 mile long Tumbler Ridge Subdivision in 1983. It was electrified at first, but de-energized in 2000. It’s now out of service.

13

From scratch, connected but independent, in the USA? Erie Mining, opened in 1957? Probably some coal mine to power plant built later?

14

Are we restricted to the USA?

I believe most of the new high-speed lines in Europe are substantially built on new easements, and of course have new grading and construction.

Major ‘new’ construction ‘where no railroad went before’ might be the Chinese railway to Lhasa in Tibet, finished 2006. That’s later, I believe, than anything on the BAM.

15

If you are talking domestic, that would be the SAL Railway extension from Coleman, FL to Homestead, FL in 1926/27. A distance of approx. 300 miles. All new roadbed to get Freight and Passengers to Miami.

16

The Great Northern-Western Pacific “Inside Gateway” route was completed in 1931. That was over 200 miles of new railroad in California and Oregon.