Alabama Southern
Railroad
The Alabama Southern Railroad is one of several short line railroad
companies owned by the Watco Companies. It operates 85 miles of track
between Columbus, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama, with trackage
rights over Kansas City Southern/CSX between Brookwood, Alabama and
Birmingham, Alabama. The line interchanges with the Kansas City Southern
at Columbus, MS. It also interchanges with the Norfolk Southern at
Tuscaloosa, Alabama and with CSX at Birmingham, Alabama.
The tracks were leased to Watco Companies by the Kansas City Southern
effective November 6, 2005, resulting in the formation of three railroads;
the Arkansas Southern Railroad, Louisiana Southern Railroad, and the
Alabama Southern Railroad. 
The Alabama Southern consists of the Kansas
City Southern's Tuscaloosa Branch, which includes the Tuscaloosa
Subdivision east of Columbus, Mississippi to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the
Warrior Branch between Tuscaloosa and Fox, Alabama, and the Brookwood
Branch from Brookwood Junction to Brookwood, Alabama.
History
The entire line from Columbus, MS to Brookwood, AL was formerly operated
by the Kansas City Southern with the Columbus and Greenville Railway (AAR
reporting marks CAGY), having trackage rights over the line.
The line was originally constructed by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad which
was purchased through a foreclosure sale by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio
Railroad (GM&O) on August 1, 1940. 
The GM&O merged with the
Illinois Central on August 10, 1972 resulting in the Illinois Central Gulf
Railroad.
On March 31, 1986, the MidSouth Rail Corp. (AAR reporting marks MSRC),
purchased 373 miles of track, which included this line, from the Illinois
Central Gulf. On January 1, 1994 the Kansas City Southern bought out
Midsouth Rail.
