Bay Coast Railroad History

The rail line from Pocomoke City to Cape Charles, Virginia, was constructed by the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Company (NYP&N) in 1884. In 1908, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) acquired the NYP&N, and by 1922, it became known as the 'Norfolk Division' of the PRR. In 1929, the PRR established the Little Creek yard in the Little Creek area of Virginia Beach, near the Norfolk/Virginia Beach line. This line eventually became part of the Delmarva Division in 1930. The railroad history took a significant turn in 1968 when the PRR merged to form the Penn Central, which declared bankruptcy just two years later. As a result, the rail line came under the management of Conrail in 1976, paving the way for the future development of services like the Bay Coast Railroad and the Eastern Shore Railroad.

In 1976, Northampton and Accomack counties established the Accomack-Northampton Transportation District Commission (A-NTDC), which facilitated the transition of operations from Conrail to the Virginia and Maryland Railroad in 1977. This arrangement continued until 1981, when the Canonie Atlantic Company acquired the track on the Eastern Shore and established the Eastern Shore Railroad (ESHR), which is unrelated to a 19th Century railroad of the same name that operated from Pocomoke City to Delmar. The ESHR also leased 4 miles of NSR track connecting Virginia Beach and Norfolk. In 1986, to ensure the survival of the struggling ESHR, A-NTDC purchased Canonie Atlantic, further shaping the railroad history of the region and paving the way for what is now known as the Bay Coast Railroad.