| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Virginia |
| Dates of operation | 1853–1894 |
| Successor | Richmond, York River and Chesapeake Railroad Company Southern Railway Company |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Previous gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) American Civil War era. Converted to 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm) in 1886[1] |
The Richmond and York River Railroad Company was incorporated under an act of the Virginia General Assembly on January 31, 1853.[2][3] The State of Virginia subscribed to 60 per cent of the capital stock.[4] The company built and initially operated 39 miles (63 km) of railroad line between Richmond, Virginia and West Point, Virginia on the York River. The railroad prospered during the first year of the American Civil War but was wrecked during the Peninsula Campaign. It was rebuilt after the Civil War. In 1894, it became part of the Southern Railway Company.