Alton and Southern Railway

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Alton and Southern Railway (ALS) is a small switching railroad around the Greater St. Louis area in Illinois. It is wholly owned by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The railroad’s headquarters are in East St. Louis, Illinois, and its reporting mark is ALS. It operates on standard gauge tracks (4 ft 8 1/2 in).

Origins and purpose: The line began around 1910 to serve the Bayer process refinery in Alorton, Illinois, turning bauxite into alumina. It was part of the Aluminum Ore Company, a unit of Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa).

History of ownership: In 1968, Alcoa sold the line to Missouri Pacific Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway (CNW), and it was reorganized as the Alton and Southern Railway. In 1972 CNW’s share was sold to St. Louis Southwestern Railway (SSW). In 1982, Union Pacific bought Missouri Pacific’s share, and in 1996 UP became the full owner by acquiring SSW’s parent Southern Pacific Transportation Company. ALS remains a separate legal entity but is fully owned by UP.

Website: altonsouthern.com